Alaska According to Marie

Another Musicale come and gone. Crazy how time works!
http://www.adn.com/slideshows/v-swf/story/329732.html

I was able to go to the Musicale two nights this time for the Fur Rondy. It's one of the only things that I consistently and traditionally do for the Festival every year. We meet in the West High Auditorium in the evenings and hear singers from all over the state. It's also a great time for families and friends to see ones they haven't seen since the year before. I have many memories from Musicale. I started going probably from before I can remember. My parents used to sing with the Victory High School Choir when they were teenagers. I remember being a kid and wondering, "when oh when will this ever be over"? But I guess I've become one of the adults in the crowd, because now it feels like it's over too soon. I saw people across the sea of dark hair that I wanted to catch up with, but never got close enough for the chance. Like this year, a few rows in front of me I saw Andrea.

When I was a little girl, living at Victory, Mom and Dad were dorm parents, I remember Andrea being there. Through the years, she has always made of point of keeping in touch and always made me feel like she very much enjoyed the time she would spend with me. She would take me out to fun restaurants when I was older and just seemed so excited to know me. She is a guaranteed hug.

I wanted to spend a little time talking to her when the singing was over at Musicale that night but she ended up leaving early. And despite my intense attempts at telepathy, she wouldn't look over far enough to where I was sitting. Oh well. I'll see her again. And if Andrea ever finds herself reading this... thank you Andrea, you have been a sweet influence in my life.

This year they started the evening off with the "Parka Parade" in which beautiful parkas are displayed and information about when and by whom they are made is given. They were beautiful. My dad plays his bass guitar on stage for the groups that come up and sing. He enjoys it a lot. He also sings with "The Freedom Band". They travel around the state with the hope of bringing some encouragement and good music to believers. In the picture, Sam is sitting next to him and then my uncle Adam on the other side of Sam.

Driving back and forth from Big Lake to West High, I spent some nice quiet time with my Grandmother, Vera Shugak. She grew up in Old Harbor on Kodiak Island. It was so great to have that time with her and hear some of her stories from growing up and how life was for her. I'm excited to share more of that, but I'll save it for a later blog.