More Hooligans, New Friends, 1 New Job, 1 Need Job

News of the week: Chadd got a job! It's perfect and exactly what we have been praying for. Thank you for any prayers you presented on our behalf! He will be starting Monday working with a very established company whose slogan is "Build, Remodel, Design." Ideal for Chadd's desire to learn the way of Alaskan construction business from those who are succeeding at it. TrailBoss Solutions is based out of Anchorage, but with a new and growing branch in Wasilla. So he will/may have to commute for a time, unless TrailBoss lands the two and more large commercial jobs in the Mat-Su Valley that they are currently bidding for.

I am still looking for the ideal position. Some exciting new connections just came from a new friend yesterday which I will seek out on Monday!

Cyrus has been adorably sad to me. He used to play every day with his two boy cousins all over Nana and Popop's awesome 7 acres. Now he has been so sorely deprived of friends that he has make believe "cousins" that he will play with! He was bored and running back and forth in the house one day, laughing to himself and saying, "I'm chasing my cousins!" awwww! :o( Every new friend that he meets at church he calls his cousin. Last week when driving in the car together I prayed with Cyrus that God would give him new cousin/friends. When I said, "amen" he clapped, "Good job Mommy!"

Well, Cyrus got to see the YES answer to our prayers x3 on Friday and again yesterday. We met three families with young children while going for an evening walk/tricycle bike. And yesterday Dick and Marian invited a  young couple to dinner from their church who they've known for 10 years. Chadd and I really connected with them, and Cyrus tried to wrestle their grown up 5 yr old daughter and converse with their shy 3 yr old son. Tamara and I already have plans to bike with kid trailers and horseback ride while the three stay with her live-in sister as babysitter :)

Dick wanted to try the old time Native Alaskan practice of fermenting hooligan by burying them in the ground for 7 days then pouring boiling water over them, stirring until they brake up into a lovely soup, let it set, and spoon off the oil. The Natives use this oil for light lamps, a condiment, preserving other fish and berries, and as a cure all medicine. Blech!! It REEKED. I didn't get any photos of the after fermentation because I was too busy plugging my nose.

Finished Smoked Hooligan

Dick also heard about the Natives drying hooligan and using them as candles. Bet you never saw this hanging on an Amish wash line!

And a meal of fried hooligan and greens.... Not too bad actually. Maybe better if you haven't been processing thousands of them for a week.

Cyrus watched me get my Alaska driver's license photo and wanted to pose too.