Dixie Alms:  

LIFE Wow! What a life! And, it's just taken another major turn! After getting married right out of grad school, I worked in the Hoopeston/Rankin, Illinois schools for two years before moving to Conrad, Montana where I lived, worked and drove the wheels off my car(s) for 11 years. I loved it there and intended to die there! But, my practice spouse had always wanted to move to Alaska . . . so we did in 1988 . . . I accepted a job after a telephone interview, and we moved to Juneau less than two months later. I walked out of my marriage in 1991 . . . the divorce was final in 1992 . . . he returned to Illinois, and I stayed in Juneau. I met my current husband in 1997 and we married in 1998. We celebrated our 10th anniversary in Hawaii! And, I suddenly and unexpectedly became a widow on 12-14-09. I currently live "out the road" on a cliff above the water where our vacation life-style is regularly interrupted by work. We finally got city water in mid-November, 2007 which ended the task of keeping the roof catch system working, and we no longer have to be concerned with how much water is in the cistern. I've lived here in the rain forest long enough that I've come to love the rain! It's my favorite time to go walking or hiking. Why? Because there aren't many people out, and I can own the beach or trail or wherever we've gone! I love it!!! And? Speaking of hiking? We have miles and miles of trails in the area, and the beautiful vistas available from all of them are incredible! It was difficult to get used to the short winter days, but the long summer days are wonderful! Our shortest day in winter is about 6.5 hours . . . our longest summer day is nearly 18.5 hours. The only downside to living here? Sometimes the end of the road isn't far enough to go when you need to get out of "dodge". That, and it takes a lot of advance planning and money to make air or ferry arrangements since there is no road out of here. SCHOOL - I'M FINALLY OUT!!!!! School years. What can I say about them? I guess the best thing I can say is that they were good enough that I went on to become a speech-language pathologist who worked in the schools for 34 years! After "going to school" for a total of 51 years, I finally retired. Mom tells me I cried (daily . . . for about half of the year) when they sent me to a private kindergarten (long before the days when kindergarten became a part of the public schools). But, that was when they sent a child to school when s/he was old enough to go. My birthday, November 30th, was the day before the cut off, so I was old enough to go to first grade before I turned 6 . . . which means I graduated high school before I turned 18. School came easily for me. I studied . . . or thought I did. I guess I should say I did the work, turned it in and passed everything with flying colors. I attended elementary school at Columbian which has since been torn down. My teachers were Miss Tipton, Mrs. Mingus, Miss Smith, Mrs. Warner, Miss Hackley and Mrs. Hill. I'll never forget the day in third grade when I got caught sucking my thumb! That was the day I quit! Nor will I forget the day President Kennedy was shot! We were doing art in Mrs. Hill's sixth grade class that afternoon when the announcement was made at about 1:30 pm. I also went to Central Junior High . . . which has also been torn down. Teachers that stand out in my memory there were Mr. Thomas (math), Mr. Waltrip (science), Mrs. Vanlandingham, Mr. Jacobs (English & yearbook), and others. Mattoon Senior High was getting such a face lift the last time I was there that it didn't even look the same! I think the most inspiring teacher I had there was Mr. Don Shields, who sponsored the yearbook. Being on the yearbook staff kept me from taking some classes I would have enjoyed, but I wouldn't give up those memories for anything! The deadlines . . . and all the work we had to do. I'll also never forget when they found brown recluse spiders in the school and we got a three day weekend while they fumigated! COLLEGE College was much tougher than all my prior school years! I almost flunked myself out without really trying! I started out as a chemistry major. First thing I learned? I didn't know how to study! I found out in short order that the "studying" I did in high school was basically "osmosing the information". Can't do that in college! Second problem? As a 17 year old first quarter freshman, I didn't know I could drop a class I was failing (Philosophy)! I got a "D" . . . the first and only "D" I've ever received! Then, second quarter, I proficiencied my way into a math class I couldn't handle . . . more bad news. I also ended up in a chemistry class that I'd never been exposed to. So, I undeclared my major and was told I'd have two years to find a new one. That summer, when I was taking rifle and pistol and shooting trap and skeet an...Expand for more