Colony Christmas

Last week Ken and I were in Palmer, Alaska. We celebrated cold weather in a winter wonderland, where we attended  “Colony Christmas”. 

There were all the trappings of a small town from the turn of the last century. 

We attended craft fairs. The children built marshmallow snowmen and the adults toasted to one another at the Pioneer Museum. A string trio played Christmas music as people simply enjoyed each other’s acquaintance.

Our grandchildren baked Texas Tea Cakes and we attended the play, “A Christmas Carol” at the PAC in Anchorage. 

It reminded me of the night before Christmas: “Mama in her 'kerchief… just settled down for a long winter's nap”.

Palmer is a small farming community north of Anchorage, in the Matanuska Valley. Historically, in May of 1935, 203 families from Michigan and Minnesota relocated to Palmer in an effort to colonize the area.

I was able to visit with one of those pioneers this past week, Bonnie Larash. Bonnie was a 1 year old babe the year her Mom (age 19) and Dad (age 24) moved  to the Mat-Su Valley.

Bonnie, now 80, grew up in the Mat-Su. She has a picture of herself as a toddler I love!  She looks like Shirley Temple standing on a rugged driveway holding a slice of cheese letting the entire world know she will survive.

Bonnie told me Alaska has changed. But people need to remember, “It’s not like the TV shows, nor will it ever be”. 

She remembers 25 below degree days - using hot water from a wood fire and pouring the water over a frozen propane bottle to warm up the propane.  She needed to do this just to get it out of the bottle to shower to go to work. 

As a child, her first home was a tent. Yes, there was lumber, but her folks had to build the house --- no chain saws! When the families arrived they drew lots for the 40-acre tracts and their farming adventure began in earnest. The failure rate was high. There was no US currency; everything came from the company store.

After a few years, Bonnie’s dad realized that unless he got away from that co-op his family would die owing the company. So they moved into the upper story of a flooded out school house.  Life was hard.

Bonnie grew up and worked at Peggy’s Diner in Anchorage (by the way it is still there) where she earned $2.49 an hour and she raised three kids!  After the children grew up she was offered a job on the Alaska Pipeline, Pump Station 12.  She earned $12.49. She said it was the best job she ever had.

Bonnie is a treasure.  She has life experience!

Look around and you’ll find a Bonnie; I have a few of them.  There is my Aunt Knoxine and my Dad, Tom Campbell.  These people are remarkable, rugged individuals. They have survived life and have life wisdom.

                                                       

I like that!

This holiday, spend time with people who can teach you to learn to leave your own trail.

Have You Read “The Alchemist”?

Over the weekend I read “The Alchemist”, by Paulo Colho.  It is a quick read about a shepherd boy named Santiago.

Santiago is on a quest  to fulfill his life passion.  The book calls it  his “Personal Legend”  Along the way he meets a gypsy woman, an old man claiming to be a king, the love of his life, and the alchemist.

The old man’s advise to him at the beginning of the book is to pursue his life passion.  “To realize one’s Personal Legend is a person’s only obligation, “ the old man tells him.  “And when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it” (pg 169)

There are twists and turns, he is robbed, beat up, and leaves love behind.  Will or won’t he fulfill his passion and find his “Personal Legend”.  That is the message of the book.

Before I read this little book, I asked Corina Guerra, our new Senior Escrow Officer, to write a life statement.  Something I could post simply introduce her to you. 

(By the way she did not know I was reading the book, nor did I know what she would say.  Isn't life interesting.)

Here’s what she sent me:

I have a passion, actually I have two. 

My passion is my family and it flows into my work. Because I am happy at work I am happy at home.  Trust me when I say that my family knows if Mom’s not happy no one is happy :-)

I've been in escrow since the late ‘90s

I have had the grand pleasure of starting from the most important position Front Desk, on to Escrow Assistant, Escrow Officer and believe it or not Branch Manager.

I love what I do!

And most importantly to me - I love where I’m doing it!

I was raised in a large family with tons of cousins from California and Mexico. I’m fluent in Spanish and studied in Monterrey, Mexico for a couple of years.

I love traveling and watching my children smile and laugh.  Right now, we travel with my youngest daughter she’s a catcher for a local club softball team.

“Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

As with Lexi, we are thrilled to have Corina join the team!

Collectively we will work  to provide Arizona REALTORS® and Lenders cutting edge marketing and educational opportunities. In turn providing them the most effective and efficient escrow closing process achievable while maintaining a high standard of performance for Great American Title Agency, Inc.

Send Corina an email, or drop her card and let her know she will fulfill her passion with Stapley Center.  Her email is cguerra@azgat.com

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