Do We Really Stand Together With Our Sisters?

So does anyone remember the signs being held up around the country that said things like, "I hope to see all of you nice white women at the next Black Lives Matter event." ? There were many articles written about how many women of color were put off by the Women's March, and how it came from a place of privilege. Women of color did show up, but not in the same ratio as whites. Many of them chose to stay home, their own strike of sorts. In my google search of the topic my take away was that they didn't feel that white people were going to be out for more than that one day, or that we wouldn't put ourselves out there any farther than our own personal self interest.

To be honest, it was a lot harder than I thought it would be to get women of color to join the team for the Anchorage Women's March. We worked really hard to be "inclusive." We wanted to represent as much of the diversity of this state as we could. We got wonderful people to join us, but we had way more people ignore or decline our invitations. In the end, it was mostly white women steering, and who came out. We were still "successful," It was wonderful, but we know we fell short of our goals. Maybe it was because we didn't have experience with doing this sort of thing before, maybe we just needed more time to get it right. I don't know.

So about five weeks ago when I heard about a commemoration march for the Selma, that was being led by Women of Color, I was so excited. Here was the end of the call to action.

*****Throughout history, black women have been instrumental in gaining civil rights for all Americans. We worked to gain the right to vote in the Suffrage Movement and was asked to march behind white women. We worked to gain civil rights in the Civil Rights Movement and was asked to march behind black men.

Now, we are leading our way to change. We are asking our allies to stand WITH us or stand BEHIND us.

Where will you stand on March 5th?

*****

I thought, now is our chance to show women of color that we white women have got their backs. The cause is righteous. People from all over the country came to Selma in 1965 to peacefully walk together to protest racial equality, to promote the right to vote for every American. It was a peaceful protest, marked with two murders, and many more casualties. The patriots that marched helped to bring about the Civil Rights Act. Most of the slogging and hard work years before was done by African Americans. Now our democracy is being threatened on multiple fronts, and the teeth of the civil rights act are slowly being extracted. That and gerrymandering are destroying our Democracy. We need to stand together now more than ever.

So I waited to hear about how National for the Women's March was going to support the march in Selma. I waited for 2 weeks, and nothing. I started checking in and asking, and heard more crickets. Then I started to push. We are not an exclusive movement. Women's Rights are human rights. We all rise together.. Those are all great slogans, right?! But why was nothing happening?

I found a few other women at National who were also in shock at the lack of support they were witnessing. That and other issues started Women's March National to fracture.

Then I decided to search for women in Anchorage who would be willing to organize the Salute March here. Again, I was shocked at the reticence in African American women to put themselves out there. But they did. An amazing group of women decided to take up the call.

Now we are a week into the campaign, and we have only 15 shares of the fund raiser. I am wondering where are the thousand Anchorage women that were supporting the the Anchorage Women's March at this time? Well I am assuming that we just haven't reached them yet. You are reading this, and you know.

Can you please help us out and spread the word, save the date.. Also please share the campaign fundraising page. . The statistics work out to $5,000 for every 1,000 shares in all campaigns. So even if you can't donate, each share turns out to be worth 5.00. For the Anchorage Women's March, the average donation was 50.00. We raised 13,000 that way. The cost for the Selma Salute is just over a third of that. As of right now we have 15 shares, and wouldn't you know it, we have 150.00.

I think that we can do this. Please join me in standing behind my sisters. Lets show America where we stand, and what we believe in;

Liberty, and Justice, for ALL.

campaign fund raiser.
Facebook Event Listing, March 5th, Anchorage Town Square 2 pm

Don't Get Weary Children

Don't get Weary Children

Please follow this above link, listen. The patriots honored in this video have a lot of wisdom to share with us in our fight.

"It did not happen in a month." "The work was bone wearying." It is amazing.

I know that people don't want to keep reading these blogs and posts. We are all tired. It is overwhelming.

We are only a month into the new administration. Really, just a month. It feels like a year. Every day is a new affront. We are actively fighting to protect our public schools, the EPA, voting rights, religious freedom, free press, and the reality of science and the scientific method. Sadly there are many of our neighbors that find those things threatening. It is surreal.

We are in Alaska. We want to be doing our winter crafts and sports. We want to be in our homes with our families and friends without worry. We are all tired, but we aren't done. Those working to hijack our democracy aren't done.

In 1965 patriots worked so hard and succeeded in laying down the foundation for civil rights in America. Many of us thought the work was done. We thought we could rest, happy in our pursuits.

The last ten years men have been working to chip away at the Civil Rights act. More laws are being passed all the time. They have been successful at suppressing and negating votes of Americans through gerrymandering. Our democracy is truly under attack.

It has been picking from many directions. Now they are bringing out the sledgehammers, to weaken our foundation. The four walls of our civil society are under attack; Law and Order, Separation of Powers, Separation of Church and State, and true Democratic Process. Students of history can see down that dark tunnel they are steering us down. I do want to fight the return of those darkest days in America. I know that I have to resist. We have to fight. This effects all of us.

We have to protect our foundation. We have to stay awake and engaged.

Let their words inspire you. Let's "Suck it up," "Keep on Keepin On."

"Don't you get Weary Children"

"We are the foot soldiers and the sergeants."

Please join us at the rally this Sunday.

Civil Rights Rally, Salute to Selma, Sunday March 5th, Anchorage Town Square, 2pm

Editing 12/16/17
That cold Selma Rights Rally has passed, but our perdicament has not changed. We know now our fears were not exaggerated. Our hard work continues. Right now I am asking my fellow weary advocates to consider putting some of their work into the Poor People's Campaign.

"In the Spring of 2018, the Campaign will launch with 40 days of moral action (from May 13th until June 21st) in at least 25 states and Washington D.C. By engaging in coordinated and collective nonviolent civil disobedience and direct action across the nation, we will confront the enmeshed and inseparable evils of systemic racism and other forms of discrimination, poverty, the war economy, and ecological devastation, begin to shift the distorted moral narrative of our nation, advance common demands for transformative change, and build power to continue this fight long after June 2018."  Rev Barber, 

This is a resumption of work initiated by Martin Luther King. This is what he was working on when he was assassinated; a year to the day after coming out against the war in Vietnam. He was connecting the war economy with white supremacy, poverty, and fermented racial unrest. He was working to unite the working poor of all races to become the leading voice for moral social change. Meaning the poor would be the voice for change. That is the goal of the Poor People's Movement. 

Coming up in January there is going to be training in Rally, North Carolina for some of the team. It will be musicologists, and an artist, and video historian, January 25 until Sunday, January 28, 2018. for a Theomusicology and Cultural Arts Convening. We believe we have the theomusicologist identified, but are still not settled for artist and videographer activists. This will be a training on the music, visual representation, art of this movement, and civil disobedience strategies. We need to be on message and coordinated.  I attended a training with Dr. Rev Barber in Seattle last month. The training was no charge, but I paid for travel and housing on my own. My understanding is that we are looking for ways to pay for the travel and lodging for those attending this training.   

We will be looking for 1000 people to participate per state in civil disobedience in the 40 days. We will be looking for people to travel to Washington in a caravan across the country like they did 50 years ago. We need a single Alaskan Lawyer who will coordinate the national team of lawyers assisting in maintaining legality, and helping manage our civil disobedience plan in the state. We will be looking for people to assist in a myriad of ways. It is going to be big.

We especially need to expand our First Alaskans leadership core. That is our biggest deficit. We can not lead and represent First Alaskans without their guidance. So any and all connections you can help foster will be helpful. We are about to identify a date for an informational meeting. I will pass that on as soon as I get it. In the meantime, I have tons of literature and information I can share. 

I was motivated to be engaged and assisted in organizing the local Women's March, and the March for Science because I do not believe that my country is standing up to its ideal of Liberty and Justice for All. I feel that National Poor People's campaign has the potential to do more in the fight for lasting change in the social structure of our country. At this time of protracted war, lack of moral leadership, and expanding poverty, we the people are looking for viable ways to enact change.

Even if you aren't able to participate in organizing, please pass on the information. 

Here is the specific link to a form you can fill out to volunteer. This will add your information to our state and national database. 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScTvNlethQeIs9LTH2PNaesZ-xUYQIsvtM_oVhjZFpfJeQgbQ/viewform

Success

I recently participated in organizing the Anchorage Women's March. One of my responsibilities was running the fund raising campaign. We ended up being very successful.
This is the letter I sent to the contributors to the campaign.

It is the morning after. I am writing to check in with my co-conspirators. In the next week I will do the exact math and report back to let you know how the money was dispersed. In the meantime, I wanted to let you know that we have been successful. We have meet and exceeded so many of our goals.

• We raised enough money to cover all  of our expenses, both predicted and un-predicted. 
• We raised enough money to cover the permitting expenses of our Sister Marches.
• We had a single generous donor pay for all the food in the Williwaw concert venue. It was such an unexpected and generous gift. 
• We gathered 3500 people in a snow storm to represent our concerns. 
• We all collectively participated in the largest organized event our planet has ever seen.  There were over four million of us.
• We lifted our own spirits and the spirits of our neighbors.
• We were inspired by our elders, and our up and coming leaders.

I am so thankful to have been able to be a part of this process. It was so uplifting, and empowering.  It is what we needed, because we have a long road ahead.

The pundits are saying we are going to fall by the wayside like the Occupy Movement. They did not fall by the wayside in my opinion. I think that perhaps they  re-grouped and learned. Like in any war there are battles that are won and lost. We are not done. We have not been defeated. We are not in-power right now, but we are empowered now.

We must keep our feet on the ground and moving forward.

I had an interview today with a right leaning journalist who told me he had a similar interview with people from the Tea Party movement when they were getting started. I asked for comparisons. He mentioned that the Tea party movement wasn’t really amalgamated until a year into the Obama administration.  He noted our energy passion. In comparison, we are boots on the ground, organized and are exponential in numbers compared to them on day one (my words).

He said they had an organized message, measurable goals, talking points, and plans of action to meet those goals. They were successful in making the most obstructive congress ever and eventually electing the mess we are dealing with today. He felt that we were not as clear. He noticed that every speaker spoke about something different. Like we were, “all over the map.” We want reproductive rights, respect, health care, environmental protection, native rights, science, equality... I got his point, he feels we want a lot. To him, the message is muddied. My response to this concern is:

1.   Women have been multi-tasking for centuries, because we have to.

2.   With our exponential numbers, we can divide and conquer. We have the numbers on our side.

3.   All the above can be condensed into one single desire: Liberty and Justice for All. We are ready to fight for it.  

When we met in the Williwaw venue, we had gathered a small portion of the social justice working groups in Anchorage. We could not fit everyone who wanted to be there, but we tried to get a good representation of the options you have available to you. You can connect with the cause that speaks to you the strongest. 

If you want to become more politically active, get a hold of Alaska Women for Political Action. If you want to protect our salmon and other wildlife, here is a link to 11 different environmentally active groups in Alaska that you can choose from. If you want to work to promote Native Rights, you can work with First Alaskans Institute. If you don’t think companies should have person-hood rights, connect with Move to Amend . If you want to protect our public schools, please work with Great Alaska Schools. If you would like to help support refugees, you can pair with Catholic Social Services. If you want to work within a religious organization, the two local churches that actively supported our march were the Anchorage Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, and the Anchorage Lutheran churches. Don’t get overwhelmed. Pick one and act. If you can, give.

We have to remember that we are the majority. We are stronger together. We must follow up on our pledges to act. We must vote. We must attend political meetings.  We must connect with people who aren’t voting. We must learn how to communicate effectively with people we don’t agree with. We have to re-learn civil discourse and teach it to our children.

So, it remains to be seen if we will be successful with the biggest and most important goals of all.

·        Will we stand fast in the face of the upcoming onslaught?

·        Will we work together to defend our neighbors?

·        Will we back up our words and marches with action?

·        Will we turn around the congress in the next election?

·        Will we protect our environment?

·        Will we bring a wave of women into public office?

·        Will we make our country and world the place we want it to be?

·        Will our daughters and granddaughters be safer than we were?

We know we have not been defeated. We know that we are not in-power right now, but we are empowered now. They know we are coming.

It is up to us. It is up to you.

You have your marching orders.

• 49 Moons-. Local Clearing house for events, and information to get through the next 49 moons.
• Indivisible-National Clearing house for resistance to the Trump/Pence agenda. 
• Planned Parenthood.
• First Alaskans Institute
• Identity Alaska
• Alaska Women for Political Action
• Black Lives Matter
• 11 different environmentally active groups in Alaska
• Move to Amend 
• Bridge Builders of Alaska
• Great Alaska Schools.
• AWAIC
• Catholic Social Services
• Anchorage Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
• Anchorage Lutheran churches

Should we get off the streets?

Yep. I am so not in the, lets just accept the election results group. "You people marching in the streets and blocking traffic....." Really. Blocking traffic?

I don't really know what you mean by "accepting the results." You may accept it.

I don't accept what a lot of people feel as part of the results. As a victim of sexual assault. I feel victimized. How should I accept that? As a woman I am offended that such a blatant bully and sexist is about to be in charge of my country. As a human being I hurt for the children who feel afraid in their homes and schools that DT is coming for them. These are people with brown skin, and parents of gay and transgender parents.

We are not making this stuff up. I was at a dinner last night with a dozen women, and most of the women taking a turn to tell of the pain, tears, and agony they have personally seen and experiences due to the rise of blatant racism and sexism.

I want to stand with the people who are afraid in their homes. Crying, feeling vulnerable. People wailing in the streets, because this vote told them they were not safe in this country. We aren't even talking illegal immigrants here. I want to stand in the streets and tell the people who are hurting that they aren't alone. We are going to fight to keep them from being railroaded. This isn't about Democrat and Republican. It is about simple basic humanity.

Simple basic humanity.

I mean that isn't even mentioning the fact he is an unstable, insecure, man that is more interested in resolving pissing matches than helping people. What did Ted Cruz say about him? A "pathological liar," "utterly amoral," "a narcissist" and "a serial philanderer".  But apparently none of that matters. He doesn't care about people in Flint Michigan. He just wanted to win. He is going to empower the big banks and insiders in Washington. He is going to keep making money for himself and screwing the little guy, but I am digressing from my point.

I am against violence, period.

People complaining about violence against Trump supporters. I totally agree with you. It is wrong. But I will tell you, that is one picture, one action. It is wrong. In Portland, 20 people were violent, while thousands were in the streets. The people in the streets were actively trying to stop the Anarchists who were being violent. They helped the police.

This is a peaceful movement, with humans losing it in the midst. Those people are the periphery, the fringe, not leading the march. They are wrong, and we are calling them on it.

If you have a problem with people marching in the streets, please think of it another way. Don't think of it as whining, don't think of it as poor sportsmanship. This is not a game. This is our country. Those of us who are on the streets want to stand with our brothers and sisters who are real targets of hate and violence; People of different colored skin who have had increased bullying and hate attacks. We want to stand with the police, and our veterans. We are against violence. We are against bullying.

We are standing on the side of love, standing on the side of peace, standing on the side of humanity, standing on the side of decency, standing on the side of victims of sexual violence. We are standing to tell them they aren't alone. We are with them. We will not stand by and let the KKK have their day in the sun. They are celebrating, but we want to let them know we aren't going to lay down and let them intimidate people. We are not going to lay down. We aren't going to get over it.

Our voices were heard. We got the majority vote. We did not win. We will be sure our voices are still heard. We want peace and justice. We are coming. We will be using the roads. We will use the ballot boxes. We will use the judiciary.

You are all welcome to join us to stand on the side of love.

The Evils of Pokeman Go.

As a PT I am always trying to find ways to motivate people to move more. I find myself crusading against video games, cell phones in the hands of kids, and the evils of social media time wasters. In the new Pokemon Go mobile application, we have a combination of all the above. Surprisingly,  I am in the group of people that are really tickled with the new Pokeman Go phenomena. I really didn’t expect it.

 It is an amazing tool for movement. I read a blog post the other day about an obese hermit that walked 10 miles a day his first day of Pokeman Go. Granted, I would have never advised anyone to start their program at 10 miles the first day.  I’m sure he was very sore the next day.  I hope he doesn’t give up. The hardest part is starting, and he did that. I work very hard to motivate people to move more, and I have never come close to motivating someone into a 10 mile walk. I am Gob smacked.

Other than athletes getting injured, the largest group of patients I have are people that are too sedentary and have started to have pain with basic functional activities. They are watching too much TV, playing too many video games, spending too much time texting people on their phones, or working too many hours. Pokemon Go seems to be a real antidote to this problem. For the people fussing about having more important things to do, I would argue though that we need to weigh the benefits. I am not just talking about physical health, but also emotional and societal health.

It is even helping me to drag my family outside more. Recently, they have been hunting Pokeman while I hunt and pick berries. I spend a lot of my time outside the clinic harvesting and processing plants. In the last 2 weeks I have seen so many more people outside and moving with me.

Last year at this time when we went to the central square in down town it was mostly over run with homeless kids and drug deals. It was pretty “unsavory,” and not a place you would want to hang out with your kids. This weekend there were easily a hundred people down there at a time. My daughter walked up to 5 different strangers, with me by her side, and had great Pokémon conversations with all of them. There were people organizing food drives, and trash cleanups. Really. That is an amazing down town turn around. The city didn’t make that happen, Pokemon did.  Downtown Anchorage City Park on Pokemon Go, versus drugs. 

Last week I saw a crowd of people at a park down from my house, grouping together to take a picture in front of the Cheney Lake Park sign. They looked like they had nothing in coming. Different ages, races, styles of dress. I'm not even sure where they all might have met in another setting. There was a tall older paunchy Caucasian guy, looks pale like he works in an office, a young Asian kid, a few other nationalities, clothes styles, and fitness levels. They were doing group hugs and selfies together. I saw another group of adults in a car across the street at a Pokestop gathering Pokeballs, with a similar "unmatched" aesthetic; business, nerdy, grungy. It really warmed my heart to see their joy and their camaraderie.

To be honest. I think it is something that the country and the world really need right now. Strangers that have nothing in common but a new hobby they has them making new friends, walking miles a day, breathing fresh air, trying to improve their communities,  and seeing the world around them.

Walls have become very popular of late. It worries me. I worry that the tribal mindset of “us and them” is the greatest instigator of social unrest we have. The more people we meet, and different circles we overlap into, the better our empathy for one another. The more people socialize, they better they feel. I am seeing it in the smiles.

The more we talk and socialize with each other, the better we feel about society. Maybe it will help people to stop seeing each other as the enemy. Maybe people will be able to talk  more openly. Maybe this will encourage true discourse. This has me a little excited. A little glimmer of unexpected goodness from a “stupid video game.” A possible antidote, on a small level, for our current state of agitation and fear. From what I am seeing and reading, small barriers are being broken down. Social groups are becoming porous. Pokémon probably won’t tear down the biggest boundaries between us. But this happy porousness is something we need right now.

What if I have less patients because people are more fit because they are walking 10 miles a week? What if people have better mental health because they aren’t playing so many hours of first person shooter video games? What if Pokémon Go brings Jews and Palestinians together in the West Bank? A girl can dream.

Make fun if want. Roll your eyes, but I have definitely found some rose colored glasses to see this game through. I like the view.  

Drowsy trying to get away.

Feeling our Pulse.

So here we are again. A country confused in the the aftermath of another mass execution of innocent citizens. Another situation, where people armed with automatic weapons, decide to make a statement with murder. It keeps happening. My daughter is 9 years old, and I won’t be able to protect her from this sort of violence for much longer.  I don’t know how I will explain it, or why we let it keep happening. As a culture, it appears we have decided there is nothing that we can do to stop it, except to have more weapons.

I am sad. I am angry, and I am sad again.

For me, the pain is more intense this time. The Pulse massacre has hit me deeper.  It is harder for me to turn off the reality of the event in my mind. I am having a hard time turning my mind to my work and family. It is coloring my daily interactions.

Last night I had a girls’ night out with my daughter. The man selling me my shoes, pretty gay and fabulous. The apparent manager at the art gallery we stopped in, pretty gay. So are they targets? When we were set down to our table at dinner, I was going through exit and protection strategies in my head. Is my crowded restaurant a target?  Where would the most defensible position be? Crap, I don’t have a weapon, how could I defend myself. The same thing happened in the bathroom. There is only one entrance/exit to the bathroom. Crap. We did not stay long.

Part of it, I am sure, is that the pain and trauma is cumulative. Something that should never happen, keeps happening. I wonder if the gun advocates think that we are supposed to get used to it? I don’t want my children to have to get used to it. I don’t want my daughter to have to live like this.

Another part of my difficulty with “moving on” this time, is I have more empathy for the young lives that were lost in this atrocity. I feel that I could have been there. I realize the Pulse night club is more than four thousand miles away from us here in Alaska. And to be honest, I actively avoid all conferences and events there, and prefer to go anywhere that is closer. The thing is, if I were in Orlando, during Pride week; The Pulse is where I would want to be.

No, I am not a member of the LGBTQ community, but I am an ally. I frequent gay establishments and events. Granted it’s only about once or twice a year that I go to a club now that I’m in my 40’s, but it is where I am comfortable and have fun.

I had always felt uncomfortable in “straight establishments” where there is the constant worry about the toxic mix of “dominance testosterone” and alcohol. In a straight bar, if you accidentally bump into someone, you can get a glare, a push, a punch. In a straight bar, when a girl is offered a drink or a dance, there are risks and repercussions to each option of response.  It is tiring and I don’t enjoy myself.

I discovered gay bars about 15 years ago, and found a very different experience. Everyone seems more relaxed. I have never been hassled or given an attitude because I am straight, and neither has my husband. We have been warmly welcomed.

Walking into a gay club is like walking into a smile. When I bump into someone, I get a compliment on my shoes.  If I do happen to get a compliment on my body, it isn’t with a leer. I take it as a compliment, and not a pick up line. I can dance with girlfriends. I can dance with guy friends.  Yes, I get “hit on” by girls. Yes my husband gets hit on by guys. And you know what? Its ok.  We smile, we are flattered, and we politely decline, and maybe chat for a while. No big deal. It’s like being invited to a party, “I’m sorry. I can’t make it, but thanks for the invitation.” We still might chat if the music is not too loud.

I think one of the reasons that gay clubs are so welcoming is that they are sort of like a VFW. People have seen a lot of crap, and don't want to deal with any more, unless their hand is forced. All the regulars; the Queers, Dykes, Gays, Transvestites, Lesbians, and “Yet to be decided’s” are all veterans of a domestic war. They’ve had to survive 21 years in a society that doesn’t accept them, where they physically don’t feel safe, to be able to get in the door. It’s their sanctuary, refuge, and community center. It's a safe place to commiserate, revel in life, and throw pretty great parties.

People that frequent these refuges, have come to refer to each other as family. I have heard the word morph from meaning someone who is gay, to slowly umbrella-ing people under the LGBTQ banner. A person who is family, is someone who has traveled their path of struggle. I don't know how many times I have heard the term "they're family," settle everyone's nerves. 

So I want it to be clear to the Heterosexual community, that the attack on the Pulse night club was attack on a sanctuary. This was not 50 random strangers in an airport or other club. It was Latin night. The people celebrating were a doubly marginalized group of Family. Can you imagine the overwhelming sadness you would feel if someone murdered 50 people at your family re-union, or at a veterans memorial? I think that is something that most of us couldn’t process. On top of that grief, our gay friends are feeling the targets expand on their backs.

So if you have notices some of your LGBTQ friends not being a little uptight, you should realize they are under a lot of pressure. It’s still widely socially ok to tell “gay” jokes, and insult a person for being “gay”. Politicians are aggressively working to pass laws making it legal to discriminate against them  and segregateus into "us and them-the unsafe". They are under attack.

I am not LGBTQ. I am human being, and an ally. I still have a pulse, but I do not feel well.
We don’t know when and where hate will explode again. The flames are being fueled by our politicians. I have a need to act in some way. I want to do something to try and make the world a safer place for all of us.

The national chapter or my church has a campaign called Standing on the Side of Love. It is the spirit of what I am trying to do with my time and energy to manage my anxiety. I am working in my church to try and make sure our response to this atrocity is significant and sustained. I plan to be out and seen at my local Pride Parade this weekend. With my writing, my attempts at advocacy, and with my feet; I am working to stand on the side of love as publicly and visibly as I can. 

I still have a pulse.
So do you.
Where do you stand?

Are You Staying Healthy This Winter? (How are you getting your Vitamin D?)

 

Here we are, neck deep in another Alaskan winter. For some of us this is the best part of living in the state. From many, I hear grumbling about the cold, the dark, the aches, and the pains that come with winter. Those complaints, plus depression, are a real part of the season we experience. As our environment changes we become deconditioned, get dehydrated, and most Alaskans become deficient in Vitamin D.

Vitamin D deficiency is a common winter problem everywhere, but much more of a problem for us in the far north.  Symptoms can be aches, pains, fatigue, frequent infection, and depression. To combat this many local researchers and physicians recommend that all Alaskans take a supplement with 5X the recommended daily allowance. I thought that sounded extreme, until I started to research why.

Due to our latitude, we only get Ultraviolet B/UVB rays May through August. We cannot produce Vitamin D without UVB rays. That leaves us with eight months out of the year that we cannot create Vitamin D at all.

Most experts feel it’s almost impossible to get enough Vitamin D in food. No plants contain it, and few animal products do. We are fortunate because oily fish, like salmon, are one of the best sources. I like salmon, but don’t think I could eat it the 5-7 days per week it would take to get enough. That is why we have fortified foods, like milk, orange juice, and cereals. You would still need to eat 5-8 servings of the fortified foods to get your recommended daily allowance. So it is possible, but I am just taking the supplement; One tiny little capsule, with 5x the recommended daily allowance.

Our long cold winters lead to dehydration as well. Our cold outdoor air holds less moisture than warm air.  All the heating we do indoors dries the air out even more. Our sinuses and our skin are where we notice the most problems, but it affects all of the systems of the body, to include our immune system. So we are more prone to getting sick.

We need to get more fluid in our air and in our food. The tendency to make more soups, cocoa, and tea in the winter helps more than just warming us up. Using a humidifier or a pot of water on the fireplace helps reduce the dryness of the inside air. This will help manage bloody noses and allergy problems for many. Some more sensitive people need to resort to saline rinses for their sinuses. For the skin I recommend buying lotions that are low in water content. Coconut oil is an amazing natural product for healing, soothing, and protecting skin. It is expensive as a cooking product, but cheap compared to other skin products.

Please don’t let the news about the lack of UVB in the winter give you an excuse for not getting outside. We still get benefit from the sunlight. When it hits our eyes it stimulates the production of dopamine, our body’s natural “happy drug.” We need all the happiness we can get in the winter time.

Whether this is your first Alaskan winter or your 50^th, you will get through it better if you stay active, get your Vitamin D, and stay hydrated. This could be your best winter yet.

What’s your plan to stay healthy?