People, places, things, and ideas I love in Anchorage, AK
I’m a longtime fan of Julia O’Malley. In fact, I’ve already rhapsodized about her writing, here: “Anchorage Never Stops Being Interesting.” But I’d never actually met her in person until a few weeks ago when she graciously accepted my invitation for coffee and agreed to be interviewed for my TEDx project.
Continue reading “Julia O’Malley: Pick a thing, do the thing”
Because even our beautiful birch need something cozy and colorful in the midst of a windy winter… More here: Knitters add color to Anchorage Museum trees.
Holly Brooks was one of the first names I thought of when I started putting together names for my “Dream it. Do it.” project. If you’re not familiar with her story, check it out here; basically, she transformed herself from coach to Olympian when she began pursuing her dream.
Last year, after I wrote about TEDxAnchorage one of my dearest and oldest friends commented, “When can I get tickets for Gretchen Fauske’s 2015 TedxAnchorage presentation? If you speak… they will come…seriously, do it.”* and I thought “Well, why not apply to speak next year and see what happens?”
Next year is here… and I was selected as a speaker! Cue elation… and a lot of work to do TEDx justice!
This morning was COLD. Zero degrees cold. My dogs looked at me accusingly during our morning walk and forlornly lifted their paws in protest. I don’t blame them – I like the cold but I don’t like being cold, which translates into my love of all things fleecy and downy and wooly.
On Thursday evening I stopped by the Alaska Dispatch open house to visit with a former boss/inimitable woman/shaper-of-much-of-the-last-three-years-of-my-professional-life who gifted me with a personal tour of the new space and introductions to people whose writing I’ve been reading for years. I couldn’t control my nerdiness and kept repeating, “This is the first time I’ve ever seen a newsroom! It’s so cool!!!”
Westchester Lagoon is THE place to be on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Ice skaters from all over town flocked to the lagoon last weekend, but there was room for everyone: hockey players, wobbly beginners, ice dancers, walkers, dogs with tennis balls, babies in carriages, teenagers gossiping, couples holding hands, and me. Gliding across the ice in the sunshine felt like a little piece of wintry paradise.
Continue reading “Love Note: Ice Skating on Westchester Lagoon”
Ice carvers worked for three days to create the frozen beauties of Anchorage Downtown Partnership’s 2015 Crystal Gallery of Ice in Town Square, and the temperature dropped just in time to ensure that melting won’t commence…at least, not yet!
Continue reading “The Crystal Gallery of Ice in Town Square”
I haven’t written a stories around town post for a while, but when I woke up this morning there were so many interesting things to share with you! Also, I’m loving the sunshine today but miss the cooler temps and gorgeous hoar-frost we enjoyed earlier this week, hence the photo above.
Continue reading “Stories Around Town: An Artisan Market, Beer Week, and the Race for Mayor”
It’s Friday evening, and I was about to embark on a wild night of pajamas in front of the fire with my Kindle and my puppies. But then I remembered reading that it’s the LAST night for the Light Brigade’s Follow the Light installation… and so I threw on my coat and dashed out the door to visit Elderberry Park and experience “the largest light and sound sculpture ever created in Alaska” for myself.