Pebble Mine: No Dirty Gold

A few months ago I posted this blog about the jewelry stores in Juneau...how many tourists they attracted and the real cost of a gold ring.

Here's the link to my previous post:

How Much Does that Gold Ring Cost

I thought it would be valuable to repost in light of the fact that the world’s most famous jeweler, and namesake of my favorite movie (Breakfast at Tiffany's) Tiffany & Co. is leading the charge of jewelers against the Pebble Mine project in southwest Alaska. The Pebble Mine threatens to put a vast open pit gold mine smack in a critical salmon habitat.

" Commercial fishing in Bristol Bay courtesy of Ben Miller".

Renewable Resources Coalition
Trout Unlimited
Our Bristol Bay

I make jewelry. I love pretty shiny things. But I also love Alaska and I stand with the No Dirty Gold campaign and have vowed to create only with reclaimed metals. Guess what...I feel like I am in good company.

I am proud of jewelers and retailers like Tiffany & Co. for taking a stand and saying "It's just not worth it!" Even Captain Sig (From Deadliest Catch is taking a stand).

Hansen and his crew voice their opposition to Pebble in a series of print and broadcast ads slated to air in Alaska and nationwide this summer. In separate interviews, Sig and crew called on Gov. Sarah Palin to stop the Pebble mine from proceeding.

“I’m no radical greenie. I support responsible resource development. That’s how I make my living. But in some cases, you have to draw the line. The Pebble mine is one of those projects and Sarah Palin, whose family fishes in Bristol Bay, ought to know that,” Hansen said.

Even if you don't create your own jewelry..you can sign the pledge not to buy precious metals from mining companies using destructive environmentally wrecking practices: Sign the pledge here

Add a pledge badge to your website too..

He Says

A couple of months ago I was approached to create a custom ring for a man getting ready to propose (spoiler alert if you happen to be said girlfriend). He was going to be separated from his first true love for a very long time. He wanted to have a ring created out of a piece of sea glass they had found together in Kodiak, Alaska.

I was nervous...an engagement ring...it seemed like a tall order. An order that I might struggle with. I hemmed, I hawed but finally I created.

The sea glass was simple. He wanted the ring simple..I worked on the ring.

What unfolded throughout this project is a story that defines how invested I am in the media I create with. A passion for a simple piece of glass. A story told not by a faceted gem from a far away mine..but a simple gift from the sea. A shape formed by nature.

We began an email exchange as he shared his vision for this ring. A beautiful story of his love for her and for the ocean...take a peek at our conversations.
Sweet touching and romantic.

Anji: "whew....I sweated this and sweated this...and went round the design with Rowan. We talked about a thousand different techniques that were taking me down a road of master metalsmith...which honestly I am not"
Him: "If the ring is true to the character of the sea glass, then the whole thing will be true to the character of the special lady who will wear it."

Anji: "Thanks for letting me go simple...I want to make a simple beautiful sturdy ring that shows off the sea glass...as that is what is going to evoke the memories for you. I don't have complicated in me"
Him: "Good! I talked to her about her fear of it not going with dressy clothes (which is silly because she almost NEVER wears dressy clothes), and said that I was more worried about it not going with HER. She is a very down-to-earth girl who loves the sea. She is not high-maintenance and showy, but hers is a true, honest beauty that speaks for itself."

Him: "White gold or platinum is too pretentious for something with as much character as sea glass, and I don't think it would have been right."

Him: "Of course, it would be nice to be able to slide it on her finger when I propose.."

Anji:"I am going to show you the shiny version vs the oxidized or antiqued version, you decide".

Him:"The dull, soft green against the bright silver will look very nice. She was leaning towards shiny in the first place, anyway. Won't the silver antique with age anyhow? I think it would be cool to see it change over the years of our marriage."


Him"I can assure you that these pieces that you are making are being given to a woman who is loved beyond anything I could describe to you. I can't think of one instance where your artwork could be more meaningfully displayed (of course I am very biased here)."

Sometimes your just given these little gifts..what a gift to be even a small slight part of this beautiful story..how lucky am I?

A little "What I Did on My Summer Vacation"

Yes yes...I haven't been blogging for a while. Let the slew of excuses begin...better yet..why don't I just start and come on back. Thought I would show you a bit of my trip to Nome..which I took at the beginning of August and holy moly...spent a lot of time picking up beach glass.

Let me be the first to say..that as far as obsessions go...an obsession with river rock might be a bit easier. Traveling to Nome was far flung..but not as difficult as I thought it would be. Alaska Airlines flies directly there.

I also had my first Couchsurfing experience and stayed with a fantastic person..could not have been luckier. For those of you who don't know what Couchsurfing is. Basically, you find someone on the Couchsurfing website who has an available couch in your preferred destination...and you beg them to let you stay on it. They, the hosts, are gracious enough to let a complete stranger come into their lives and let you sleep on their couch, floor or mat...just depends.

I met my couchsurfing host(ess) who I absolutely adore and her family of sweet animals and then headed off to the beaches.

Caution..jerky video ahead...language alert!


Solitude..ahh solitude. I forgot to take my Ipod...and acutally didn't miss it. Listened to the thoughts in my head until they completely cleared out and I was just left with an absolute focus looking down and finding glass.

I could have been on any fantastic deserted beach...anywhere...but to be in this amazing place was perfect.
I had a bit of time to wander around town...took a few pictures. If only we knew then what we know now..
Up early enough to catch the morning light

Searching for glass was an amazing Zen experience. Being in a time and place where all the sounds of the world were shusshed out by the sound of the sea. Focused focused focused. I picked up glass for an amazing 8 solid hours on day one and 11 hours on the second day. No eating..no breaks...just beach combing. It was above all an amazing retreat.

And of course I felt pretty proud of my prized finds...can't wait to get started back in my studio.


Thanks for joining me...and I am ready to write more.

Unrestricted access to a glue gun..

My oldest took over the glue guns in our home about a year ago..maybe more. He was 7 something at the time. He is 8 almost 9 now.

At first I had all the precautionary answers to his endless pleading about using the glue gun.
"You can't leave it plugged in"
"Be careful you don't burn yourself"
"You can't get hot glue all over the place".
So far he has only attended to one of those three precautions...
"Don't leave it plugged in". He is really good about unplugging it when he is finished...well except today..had to remind him.

Hot glue and my son have become great partners. And while...my entire kitchen is covered in glue, which I diligently scrape on a regular basis...and he does indeed have some burns...he has an entire world at his fingertips for creating.

So let me introduce give you a tour I would like to call..Arm Your Kids with a Glue Gun.

Christmas Village:
Complete with wishing well, swing and slide.

Aircraft Carrier

sailing among islands

Pirate Ship

Civil War Cannon

Civil War Field

Jet

Then today...both boys asked if they could have all the bottle caps I have been saving to send to Aveda(they recycle caps). I told them they could have them..and was really surprised with their recycled art.

Titled:
What a waste.

(I suggested the question mark after we discussed that maybe these caps really didn't go to waste)

Boys..this is your mom speaking..you will never in my lifetime, to my knowledge own any type of gun or firearm...however...you can have all the glue guns and glue sticks you can find.


Mom...it's your boys...we'll improvise....

Hula Hooping

My 40's have been so far described as the "OK what's next" era. I am not the person I thought I was going to be at 40...but believe me that is a good thing. I am continually looking for new ways to express myself and try things I haven't for the last 20 years. Which brings me to Hula Hooping. There is a local group in here Juneau that started Hula-Hooping. I have been watching them with mild fascination and wondering if I would be able to meet outside in front of a major trafficked road and swing my hips.

I determined I could not...but I secretly wished I could.

When we were in San Francisco..I watched a girl pick up her Hula-hoops and dance with them in a way I have never ever seen before. Her movements were graceful...precise and looked like something out of Cirque du Soleil.

I really wanted to do it...but I determined that I could not..but I secretly wished I could.

Last week I took it a step further and did a You Tube search. I found a video. An amazing lithe woman amazing..graceful, beautiful and ethereal. I really wished I could move my body that freely, dance as if you are lost in a different world and just feel the movement of yourself unaware of what is going on around you.

I wanted to do it...but I determined that I could not. I secretly wished I could.



Then I kept searching. I found another video. I watched again with fascination this time I was sort of smug in my early dismissal of the video subject. Before you think to yourself "ohhh Anji I am a much higher evolved person than you...I never have pre-judgements...ask yourself if maybe you do..you just wouldn't admit them on a blog" I waited for the video to start. After seeing the first video of the girl in the park...I was sure this person would not compare. I felt a tinge of pity for someone that would post randomly on a website. I remember feeling like wow...I could never post a video of myself...I can't even post full body pictures.

I judged this person. I am not proud that I did it...but I did. I judged that she would not move as gracefully as others I have seen...I judged that she probably shouldn't be dancing for the world to see. Before watching the video..in a split second I secretly thought "you shouldn't do this..your just like me...people like us aren't meant to dance gracefully for the world to see". Then the video proceeded...and I cried. In that moment of crying all the growth that I want for myself in my 40's was evident. Growth ranging from the obvious, placing pre-judgements on people, body image issues, freedom to express, creative expression through art...so much...so much...in just a few short minutes.

Keep Breathing - Finding Healing In The Hoop from Lissa Angeline on Vimeo.

I knew I had found someone completely inspirational and I cried because I knew her dance was far more beautiful than anything I have ever seen.

She taught me in this video that yes I can and you know what I think I will.

Hula Hooping links I have found

http://www.hooping.org

Hunter/Gatherer Society

The blueberries are here. I've lived in Alaska for 10 years...and berry season has never really meant much to me. Maybe we aren't typical Alaskan's..in the Palin sense..we don't hunt (no concientious reason...just never have),
I really don't like Salmon (but I am eating it three times a summer now up from last summer), sometimes we fish but we send it back to the water. I can't stand the thought of cleaning and gutting fish and I hate their little fish eyes looking at me. I like crab but only if hubby cleans it and puts the meat on my plate for me without having to look at the claw things.

I don't harvest berries.

In a hunter/gatherer society we would be the gatherers..but we gather mostly at garage sales, Foodland, Fred Meyer and the occasional trip to Seattle. But Friday I decided to take the boys out to pick berries. It is berry season..so I heard...



Armed with many plastic buckets we wandered in the woods. I don't know very much about Alaskan berries...but over the years..I have figured out two things. 1) they grow outside 2) apparently you can take them without a berry hunting permit. I can identify salmon berries, blueberries, raspberries...and huckleberries (actually just learned that one). I have even eaten a few off the bushes when feeling adventurous that the bears and other hikers have left behind.

We hit the blueberry pay dirt yesterday. I said to myself..so boys wouldn't hear me "hmmm it's true these round fruits actually grow on a bush in the wilderness...not from a dark room in the back of Costco".

Yesterday we picked a helluva lot of blueberries.

I felt empowered....I felt strong...I felt...like singing..."I HAVE PROVIDED FOR MY FAMILY". The great huntress of the berries. I couldn't stop picking...I started getting obsessed...the kids were obsessed we picked and picked. The kids became completely excited.

I overheard this conversation,
M."We could live out here..we could live off berries"
Friend "My dad has a .22 we could hunt squirrels and eat berries"
M. "Well, uhhh I mean I wouldn't eat squirrels". (I told you we aren't the Alaskan hunters...we are the gatherers...except for fish and crab...my kids believe most meat is hunted from Costco).


I brought my precious cargo home. I lovingly washed them...picked out all the leaves and twiggy things...and soaked them per many neighbors directions to get the worms out ( an ugly little detail about Alaskan berries)


Then I washed them again...laid them out on a towel...looked at them some more...made my friends look at them...called my mom...took pictures of them and blogged about them. I love my berries...my first gathering of food from the wilderness. My friend Cathy in Kotzebue would be proud. Look Cathy...I am subsisting. Maybe I could pull an Into the Wild moment and live in a bus outside of Healy. Maybe I could take it a step further and pick more berries...possibly smoke fish...maybe hunt something. OK not really hunt something...very out of character for me...

Ahhh an amazing feeling. I have gathered, gathered from the wild. I don't even know what to do with them yet. For now they are proudly on my counter..noone is allowed to touch them. I just want to look at them for a while.

Raising boys in Alaska

Would I have been a different parent had we lived somewhere else?

Sitting outside on the beach while my kids climb free...while my kids roam free I have wondered how different I might have been as a parent living in another setting say...a suburban town, a city, farm etc.



Alaska factors greatly into my parenting style. Since my children were old enough to walk I have used the outdoors as a way for them to release energy, calm them, and provide social lessons like sharing, cooperation and self reliance. Instead of Stranger Danger talks..they receive..what to do if you see a bear or porcupine awareness. We talk a lot about trail safety and environmental stewardship. Other kids might learn that they cannot wander away in a store..but we talk at great length about not wandering off the trail..of being aware of your surroundings.



Our typical summer day looks like this. Wake up look out the window for a weather report...(weather doesn't usually prohibit or activities but definitely guides what I will need to pack). My kids have learned to adapt..they watch the weather too..they've become great at figuring out layers. Drilled into them at a young age they know better than to try and leave the house without multiple layers and appropriate socks. They are adept at packing boots, shoes and crocs.



Breakfast and then....I wait. About 10:00 AM the activity level in my house reaches a fever pitch and it is then I know it's time to bail. I am ready. My house is filled with traveling snacks, water bottles and backpacks. I can pack a healthy lunch, snacks, binoculars, bug spray, sunscreen and extra clothes in an instant. The back of my car is already filled with most of what I would need for any scenario...shovels, kites, towels, extra rain gear, a random gold pan, scooters, helmets and array of sticks -never know when you are going to need sticks.


Then we go. I feel we are exceptionally lucky in Juneau to have access to trails, beaches, glaciers and just plain open space. When we're outside my boys have the opportunity to rule the land. They run, they play they climb rocks..they throw rocks. They argue about who gets the most pinecones, they watch the world and they grow. Working off all their boy energy and learning to cooperate, appreciate their world and realize that they are capable...capable of climbing to the next peak, capable of finding fire wood, capable of working together to solve problems.

I think it's a great way to grow up....I hope they realize it too...but I think they do.

Well...when you have sun..you must play in AK

What can I say...I looked at my blog and realized..it's been since Father's Day since I posted last...ahhhh well. You would not believe the weather we are having here. So almost 9:00 at night and my children are still playing outside...they have no concept of night time at this point.

I thought I would share some pics of my recent trip to Berners Bay with James..just so you have an idea of what I am doing with my time lately.

On our way out there we had a cute baby animal moment



Next it was off to put in at Echo Cove...in my previous posts I mention that I almost never go anywhere without my tide table book...but somehow missed it and we paddled against the tide..took us about 10 minutes to go 2 inches (OK sort of an exaggeration). But the water was glassy and amazing.



Baby animal day remember...look closely...not sure what kind of bird family this is..but really fun to watch.



Watched an otter catch a fish and bring it to shore...


We pulled up on shore...and of course noted all the brown bear tracks on the beach..



Thought I would leave some tracks for the bear to find too..my feet are in impressive size also



Then another wonderful paddle in glacier blue flat water..perfect day.