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Fiction Friday 9/23/11 »

Fiction Friday, my way of forcing myself to write outside my comfort zone of non-fiction, by backing myself into a corner every Thursday night. Chapter …

My Story »

I’m Keri Riley, a backwoods mom in Ninilchik, Alaska where I shuttle 8 kids around, fighting off moose, mosquitos and middle age.   My husband is …

Where I Live »

View of the Old Ninilchik Village Ninilchik, Alaska, at milepost 135 of the Sterling Highway, is a fishing village about 180 mile south of Anchorage along …

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Three Small Things »

A small brush fire near my home last night brought a trooper to my door saying to prepare for the worst…the wind was taking it …

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A Letter To My Spouse »

I was thinking about us today.  Remembering those years when you had hair and I had a waistline.  Back when we sat, feet to feet …

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The Unfixable »

He was fifteen when he came to me.  And even on the first day I knew he couldn’t stay. I knew it wasn’t the right …

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I Remember Her »

I remember the way her hair smelled when I tucked her in under my arm.  How she snuggled so close, trying to crawl back into …

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I Am From… »

In school this year, Billy was assigned to create a video called, “I Am From” that told the story of who he is.  Each slide …

My Lost Boy »

Written in February, 2007… Edited in June, 2011, for confidentiality…               As I step into the small room I am greeted with the smell of …

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And Justice For Ally »

She felt the pull of death and it was welcome.  She lay silent, worn from screaming, her voice unheard as she lay in the shallow …

This I Believe »

My daughter, Robin, came to us when she was six years old.  We were her tenth family.  This year for a school project she created …

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Sawmill Saga »

In August, shortly after we purchased our 40 acres, we acquired a portable band saw mill with the intent of creating our own lumber with …

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Children Will Remember »

As parents, we spend our lives trying to be good enough.  Trying to keep up.  We worry that we’ve failed.  We worry that we’ve screwed …

Fiction Friday 9/2/11 »

This is the first installment of Fiction Friday, my way of forcing myself to write outside my comfort zone of non-fiction, by backing myself into …

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When They Were Sisters »

Mya and Shawnta 2004   They sit at the tiny table, the two of them. One across from the other Cutching crayons In pink fingers.  …

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Mis-Lead By Example »

This morning I popped Anthony on the butt.  I don’t normally spank my kids…gave it up years ago when I started fostering simply because it …

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What Comes Around »

I’m not a good gift giver.  I show up to parties without a bottle of wine.  I send my kids to birthdays with no bag …

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Anthony The Architect »

Anthony came up from his bedroom yesterday morning with a “blueprint” in hand he’d stayed up half the night creating.  He’s a man with a …

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From The Nest »

“It’s odd,” I said to Destini this morning, “to watch your kids grow up and move on with their lives…I rarely hear from Heather anymore.”  …

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Regrets »

She stood at the counter, baggy jeans hanging from thin hips, hooded sweatshirt tight across her swollen belly. A tight faced DMV worker on the …

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Dear Alaska Tourist »

Welcome to Alaska!  I’m so glad you were able to drive all this way in your motor home to enjoy this fabulous state.  We love …

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Waking To OCD »

I woke this morning to the sound of the clothes dryer flopping a belt around and round.  Rolled over.  5:26 a.m.  What the….I stuck my …

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Role Reversal »

A few years ago Dan left his job and stayed home with the kids for five months so I could finish college. We had 8 …

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Reality Shows…Really? »

I’ve not had television channels for eight years.  I know…weird.  So when my friend Jessica, who gained some notoriety a while back as Sarah Palin’s …

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First Day Of School »

Tuesday was my 19th year of sending kids off on their “First Day Of School”.  And as I slowed down in front of the building …

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Keepsakes Or Crap? »

I’ve collected much junk over the years. Some of it worth keeping around, some of it only here because I can’t bring myself to drop …

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House Rules »

House Rules 1. If it’s not yours…don’t touch it. 2. Remove your shoes at the door.  Not directly in front of the door…off to the …

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Native Youth Olympics »

My boys play basketball with vigor, ride bikes nonstop and roll in the dirt for fun. But their favorite activity…by far…is the Native Youth Olympics. …

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What’s One More? »

This afternoon, as Dan woke for his night shift 800 miles away, he received my text that we were taking in a seven year old …

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For The Birds »

 This time of year in Ninilchik, Alaska, the fishing season is revving up for the summer.  The halibut and king salmon charters are beginning to …

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Feeding A Small Country »

As we piled the groceries onto the conveyor I could see in the cashier’s eyes that he wished we’d gone to another line.  Seven gallons …

I Cry In The Bathroom »

I write these sad stories about my kids…about their survival and their trials. About their successes.  And my readers cry out, “Good job, mom!”…or… “Where …

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Why My Kids Read »

Every kid in my house is a constant reader…though four of them have, or have had at some time, a reading disability.  They didn’t start …

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Shopping For Kids »

I’ve done it again…found myself shopping for kids online. I don’t mean buying gifts for my current children; I mean actually shopping for kids. It’s …

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Moose Attack! »

Object in this photo is closer than it appears… I first noticed her in the distance, blending in to the swampy foliage with her thick …

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Boys and Their Tools »

There are few things more impulsive than a teenage boy when accompanied by other teenage boys.  Put two or more within the same vicinity and …

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Destini “Reads” »

Apparently, children learn via repetition…as demonstrated in this video of Destini at about 2 1/2 years old.  Let me start by saying, Destini had an …

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How I Found Me »

I found my self-worth on a hot May day in 2004 when I crossed the center stage and, holding my head high for perhaps the …

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Bear Bait »

On more than one occasion I’ve wondered just how wise it is to hang out in bear country, eating greasy hotdogs next to a salmon …

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Alaska Log Furniture »

For more than twenty years I wanted to know how to make log furniture…I’m talking cut the tree down, pack it out of the woods, …

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Backwoods Bread »

Backwoods Bread I grew up on homemade bread.  It was thick. It was soft. It was healthy.  It was probably delicious. And I hated it. …

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I’m Not Sick »

For six months the flu has been hovering over my body like Winnie The Pooh’s black cloud, just waiting to descend when I’m most vulnerable. …

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Whaling Away Her Youth »

Photo courtesy Charles Lampe-Kaktovik, Alaska Yesterday Sandi’s daughter, Kendra, climbed into a twenty foot boat with a group of close friends and family.  They pushed …

Fed Up! »

My chiropractor has a chicken nugget sitting on her shelf that is four years old. And it looks like you could dip it in barbecue …

Fiction Friday 9/9/11 »

Fiction Friday, my way of forcing myself to write outside my comfort zone of non-fiction, by backing myself into a corner every Thursday night.  Chapter …

Porcupine Piracy »

When I found a porcupine in my yard a couple of nights ago while videoing the coyotes across the driveway, it never really occurred to …

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I Can Not Tell A Lie… »

I came across this “letter of apology” today. I have dozens of them from Anthony over the past four years.  Whenever he is sent to …

Fiction Friday 9/16/11 »

Fiction Friday, my way of forcing myself to write outside my comfort zone of non-fiction, by backing myself into a corner every Thursday night. To …

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Why Off-Grid? »

We turn the handle, water flows from the faucet.  We flip a switch and a light goes on or off. We flush a toilet, crank …

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On The Kenai »

Ignore the cheesy grin…I’m much better behind the camera! I’ve spent the last two days at the mouth of the Kenai River dip netting Sockey …

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Just Another Scenic Sunday 6/26/11 »

This week I… Witnessed intense concentration… Nearly had a heart attack…but grabbed the camera first… Made a friend…then accidentally squished him and was sad… Visited …