Don and Carolyn Gray say hello too.
Thank you Heather for letting us know about Niilo. We had no idea all this had happened and are heartened to learn that he will be coming home Tuesday or Wednesday. Perhaps the weather will reflect this event and the sun will bring warmth back to the land. Thanks for establishing this website for communications and news. It is quite attractive. Wish we understood better how to use it. Good night for now.
Don and Carolyn Gray
Chena says: to use this site, you do not need to be a member. The way to post on this website is by clicking on the “No Comments” or similar section under a recent post, and then writing something. The site will ask you for your name and email address. Your email address will not be posted. Then Chena or Gary or Heather will be notified that a post needs to be managed. One of us looks at it and says “Way cool” and we accept it to be posted under the posting heading you clicked for “comments.” I am sorry but there is no way for any of you to post your own major heading, except when you post under under “About” and we move it to the site.
Sometimes people comment on a post which is way in the past. There is no way that I know of for most of us to keep track of new comments, except by clicking again on the comments section of each post. So it is best for people who want to make comments to do so by clicking on the comments section of the most recent post on this site. Gary is the techie here and is renovating the “About” section of this site to reflect what Chena is now writing. (Maybe!) Perhaps in the future we will have a “What Friends Say” or similar section just for y’all; I simply don’t know right now. We are trying our best to keep you up to date and really love to hear from you via this site or any other method. Thanks for caring so much.
–Chena
Songs to Be Sung In Case of Emergency
I had heard that Niilo wasn’t well, but had no idea he was in the hospital! That’s a bit more than unwell. I’m REALLY glad he’s going to be coming home soon.
I’ve had a manuscript that he gave me, a collection by the above title, with a copy of The Finale Song (“Glory, glory Prudhoe Bay”) and a promise that he would write the Chena Ridge Saga–when he could see a bit of the wood on his writing table–dunno if he ever got the best of the pile of paper. I was hoping to get members of the Chena Ridge Militia to chip in with their reminiscences and publish a somewhat beefier version of the songbook, with a short history of the Chena Ridge Militia and some anecdotes from its members. I’d been feeling badly because I hadn’t gotten to it yet, either…
Please give Niilo my love and tell him I shall proceed posthaste on this project.
I still vividly remember introducing him to George back in grammar school. I was a bit nervous to be in the principal’s office, so I brought him with me. Helps to have a dragon as a friend, even if he was invisible. Niilo was quite gracious. It’s not everybody can deal politely with a dragon.
Ken from Douglas posting here. Just heard about this blog.
Thanks for setting this up. Niilo deserves something like this. And Niilo, I hope you’re still telling stories and passing on your experiences to everyone. You’ve been a quiet force of nature and a symbol of hope, dignity and courage to a lot of us.
I hope all of you who are there with Niilo are getting the support you need as well.
Ken, thanks for the hope of support for us. For many years Ron Kovalik has cleaned up after sauna: sweeping the kitchen floor, washing dishes, clearing the table and counters. For me this has been so helpful because on Mondays I wash towels, vacuum, clean toilets, etc. Not having to face a mound of dishes has been a plus! I live on the other side of town, and do not go to sauna, so if I am wrong that it is Ron, I’ll give him credit anyway because he has helped us in other ways too. –Chena