Art of the Eskimo Yoyo

My cousin posted this photo on facebook recently.  I was so proud of my icicle (that I'm holding)!

That's me with my Grandma and uncles Bill, Butch & Ross at "The Homestead" about 2 hours north of Anchorage.  My parents lived there for a few years before I was born, then due to the long commute for my dad's work, they moved back to the big "city" of Anchorage and my grandparents moved to the homestead sometime after that.

In December my kids were studying about the North Pole at school. I told the teachers I was from Alaska and had a few things I could send with them to class.  The talk of the class....The Eskimo yoyo!  I was asked if I could come and demonstrate to the kids how it works.  Luckily I know how!  Not all Alaskans know how to do the Eskimo yoyo (I learned in school when we would have Eskimo week and the local Eskimos would come and show us different things about their culture)!!

I had to do a little practicing as it has been awhile since I'd gotten the yoyos out.  Want to see how the yoyo works?


I purchased Sarah Palin's Alaska on ITunes a few weeks ago and have loved watching every bit of it!  I've gotten teary eyed several times watching.  Seeing the highways I knew so well, going fishing every summer in Homer.  I went to junior high as well as attended church in Wasilla (where she lives).  We went to church with the family that owns Chimo Guns (where Sarah bought a new gun to go camping with Kate + 8), I don't know Sarah's parents, but her family was next door neighbors to my grandparents when her family first moved to Skagway, Alaska.  It's been such a joy (and a bit sad) to see home again and reminisce about that time in my life.

I doubt I will ever live in Alaska again, but I hope that one day when my kids are older we can go for a visit and I can show them my Alaska!