While it’s nice not to have to bundle up so vigorously when going somewhere, Niilo & Joan have not been as excited about the warm spell as you might expect: The -38 weather did not stop them from going bowling or to the library or to Quaker Meeting, despite the soupy ice fog. Luckily, no vehicular problems!
Weatherization work continues on the house. Grouse and moose have been close to the house occasionally. Mom has been able to harvest basil from her indoor mini-garden.
Niilo is recovering from a bout of bronchitis and putts around in his wheelchair in the evening. He and Mom enjoy watching movies together, even if his head sometimes droops.
It has been a treat to get cards and letters. We read them out loud for Niilo.
Thanks!
Heather K.

Dad and Mom got a few Christmas greetings that were sent to Dad’s post office box. Please note that we are not renewing the box rental. Kind of sad, as we know Dad has had that address for decades.
Send mail for Dad and Mom to 710 Chena Ridge Road, Fairbanks, AK 99709.
Quick note: Dad and Mom seem to be doing pretty good lately. Dad’s been fairly talkative and Mom’s been doing a lot of bowling, movies, and knitting. This 40 below stuff seems harder on the car than on her!
It’s been great to hear from folks. Thanks!
–Chena

   Yum!  Thanks to Leslye & Dick for the visit and gift of pulla, Finnish-style braided cardamom bread.  It goes well with the soft snowfall, browsing through news and catalogs, decorative lights, and Joan’s appreciation of the play “A Christmas Carol” which she saw last night with DeVonne.

  Other recent visitors have also been greatly appreciated by Niilo:  Jose, Peggy, Dave.  And all at Quaker Meeting, to which wheelchair access was finished just in time.  Martha, who just turned 12, always serves Niilo his hot beverage afterward, and other young Friends open the door and otherwise help.

   Joan is enjoying going bowling twice a week and movies with Alex and Dane, and shopping and other activities with Chena, and cards and board games and puzzles with Heather, Nancy E., and Alicia.  Rob makes french toast on Saturdays and Joan enjoys conversation with him.

   Niilo hasn’t used the walker in months but has been transfering himself without help on occasion lately.  Last night some conversation and songs including seasonal carols.

Heather

Nonni says to write something.  Dad danced his feet and sang the other morning as he got ready to get out of bed.  He seems pretty happy, or at least doing fine.  On Mondays Diane gives him a massage.  I don’t see him fiddle with his mail so much anymore, but maybe I just don’t watch so carefully.  When I see him, he is at the table eating in a slow and detached manner, or sort of watching people do puzzles, knit, talk, clean, or otherwise do the business of not so busy living.  Or he is snoozing in his comfy chair.

Meanwhile others in the household do laundry, wash dishes and floors and clothes, or try to keep the house warm.  This winter we are doing another round of insulating, starting with some of the log walls with old Fairbanks Exploration Co. windows, and hopefully soon getting on with the breezy basement.  We have moved a mass of toy trains from the furnace room in order to add R value, and wow did Dad love trains.

I particularly enjoy the 2 page paper (exquisite handwriting)  I came across in the basement:  “Details of Hornby ‘O’ Gauge Railway Equipment sold to N. E. Koponen….sent from Leeds, Yorkshire, to Godaluming (sic?), Surrey, by Bristich Road Services, 17th Nov. 1958.”  My own memories of our year in England (I was three) are slight, and mostly from Mom recalling that the kids ran the taps (water from a spigot?!  oh my!) in such awe and abstraction that the floor below was subjected also to the awareness of water’s availability…and Nonni returning to Fairbanks with a British accent (much to the delight of school mates).

Dad’s love and interest in networking (as we say these days) between groups has been remarked upon by friends we have seen recently during the elections.  He seemed to do it not to enjoy political advantage, but in genuine interest in furthering understanding and compassion among people in forwarding a growth of our condition.  We hope that the commitment toward bettering our world is renewed once again.  This has been–and remains as elections have still not ended here in Alaska–a very exciting fall.

–Chena

This has been a more active weekend for Niilo and Joan: A morning visit by Etuk and Nana then a zero-degree but sparkling, sunny, snowy ride on the Tanana Valley Railroad steam Engine No. 1 (built in 1899), followed by cookies and cider in the railroad museum on Saturday; then Max and Rob sharing breakfast, Potluck Sunday at Friends Meeting (Quakers) for Niilo and Heather, and a movie for Joan and Alex.  

Niilo laughed when the little engine had trouble with a frozen brake on an uphill grade, not at all distressed by the unplanned stop.

We have discussed elections lots, and Joan has marked her sample ballot;  Niilo hasn’t figured out Proposition A nor the retention of judges, but he is voting too.

Heather

Niilo has been talkative lately…He recently observed, “The Civic Railroad Lines are still in existence.  They run past the…east of the Kentucky…east of the RedTop Railroad.”  It seemed that the music that was playing, a Celtic Confusion CD, reminded him of this fact.  Does anyone know these railroads?  (For those who don’t Celtic Confusion, we love their music…You probably would too!)

Moose cow and twin calves and others have been recurrent visitors lately, trimming the wild rose hedges, grass, and crabapple tree.  Niilo, Joan, and all here delight in their visits right outside the window.

We have about 3 inches of snow.

Chena Ridge Friends Meeting Quakers have been building a wheelchair ramp and other accommodations to the gthering cabin, and are glad that Niilo’s need has been an impetus to getting it going.  It is great so far! though not yet complete.  (If anyone cares to donate to the cause, it would of course be welcomed.)

Heather

About a week ago, Joan and Heather had the treat of watching and hearing 4 moose for half an hour – in and right near the garden.  Within minutes after the last cabbages were harvested, a cow, two calves, and a young bull discussed their bad luck in missing the choicest meals but worked away at the stalks of broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, and a few bites of other vegetables and wild rose bushes.  “Better than a movie,” Joan said.  Although she has been enjoying the garden and bringing in the harvest, she does not begrudge the moose some treats.

One hard frost so far, and much gorgeous clear weather; Niilo has spent time outdoors some days.  Dane’s dog, Shijaa, probably 15 years old and mostly deaf and of poor eyesight, got herself under a car wheel, so there are now no family domesticated animals.

Niilo and Joan had 3 visitors from Finland: Olavi, Eva, and Markus.  Although he didn’t talk much Finnish with them at the time, Niilo enjoyed telling Nancy D. in the evening about their visit.

Niilo is doing pretty well this week, talking a bit sometimes and sleeping less than some periods in the past 2 months; however, his body often doesn’t cooperate for transfers and it’s been weeks since he walked with the walker.  Sometimes he needs more than one person to help him transfer from bed to chair, et al, so a hoyer (mechanical) lift has been ordered to help.  Despite cranberry pills and lots of fluids, he has another urinary tract infection, so we’re offering more yogurt to off-set the potential side effects of the antibiotic.

Ben Newman is in Ohio for a semester at Kent State; his brother Max is back in Fairbanks through the November election, working on a campaign more than full-time, so family don’t see as much of him as they would like.  Dane has been back from wildland firefighting for a few weeks.          Heather

Dad got a nice package today in the mail.  Thanks!  It went to his Post Office box, which is currently in forwarding mode to Chena.  We will, we think, close down Dad’s P.O. box in December when the next fee is due.  So all of you nice people who send Dad mail, please change his address to 710 Chena Ridge Road, Fairbanks, AK  99709.

I will bring up the package to the Ridge soon.  Mail is fun for all of us.   Dad gets tangible mail still, but it is unknown to me how much of it he processes.  Dad doesn’t check his electronic mail at all anymore, so that should also be deleted from your sendings.

We sure appreciate Dad’s afternoon caregiver, Dot, who loves the outdoors and is so good to all of us.  The new morning caregivers Rachel and Nancy seem to be wonderful too.  I like them so much, and am so appreciative of how helpful they are.

The time of year is splendid.  Love, Chena

Niilo has not had major events lately, but less energy and alertness, possibly but not necessarily related to: A recent urinary infection, antibiotics, side effects from antibiotics. 

He gets outdoors in the wheelchair most days now that it’s been sunny much of the time for a while, and lets us know he enjoys it.  He also still looks at news and magazines a bit, but has more to say about family photo albums.

No, Niilo did not have comments about the primary election today.  And for the first time he didn’t vote, because he has not been able to read, write or to answer questions clearly lately.  Sometimes he says something to indicate he understood an item of conversation, but not predictably.

Thanks to you who call or write or visit. 

Heather

Is it due to the ongoing overcast and rain and subsequent fewer outings that there seems to be a little less energy, or something else?

Thank goodness Joan and Niilo chose to homestead on top of a hill rather than along the river – despite the problems for horse carriages and trains – At least the house is dry…whereas numerous families along the local rivers have been flooded, as has the whole town of Nenana.

Koponens have made it past bad colds and are carrying on with puzzles, knitting, meals, news, occasional outings,  and Dad stayed for Friends Meeting with Attention to Business today.