Home for Christmas
I remember last August, when the Sumac berries first began to redden, I saw it as the first sign of fall and the first indication of the coming holidays — soon I would be surrounded by family and old friends. That month, despite being in the midst of probably the best summer of my life, I spent gazing at the Sumacs in anticipation of Thanksgiving, snow, Christmas, and northern Michigan. Thinking back on that now as I am leaving again the month I was home seems too short.
Every time recently that I’ve been home has felt different. I relate to people differently. I’ve been in different stages of maturing, becoming a person. I guess sometimes it’s hard and it takes awhile to learn how to relate to your parents as a fellow adult. I’m lucky to have two sets of parents, and this time I’ve been home I’ve been able to relate to all of them on a deeper level.
I’m in the car right now typing this up on my iPod… ummm, did I just say my iPod? I know, what has the world come to, right? It’s true, I have joined (am joining???) the technologically adept….
Some highlights from my time at home:
1. Lots of good cross-country skiing! Just about the day I got up north was one of the first big snowstorms, covering the world in beautiful fluffy snow. As well as enjoying the skiing I got here just in time for the perfect winter trail-riding days — those first few days of riding through huge falling snow flakes and whitening pine trees before the snow becomes too deep or icy.
2. Annual traditional Van Zoeren Christmas festivities including wandering around in the huge pine forest near my house to find the most beautiful (least ugly) tree, then chop it down with an ax! Unfortunately the woods are planted thick enough that the tree usually breaks, tips, and falls…. Still vertical, unable to break free from the canopy, ready to be chopped again. Not only is this fun because it’s a tradition, but c’mon, hacking into trees repeatedly with an axe is pretty great.
3. On the subject of tree chopping, I helped my Dad to fell a couple trees in the yard that had been leaning over the garden. So he rigged them up by a pulley system to be ratchetted over in a different, safer dirrection. He made the first notch in the front, then just began to cut an inch into the back of the tree. I was stood where the tree was supposed to fall, ratchetting up the slack in the pull-line. Just barely into the cut Dad paused to let me catch up… I continued to ratchet and ratchet and ratchet…. And suddenly feeling the line go limp I looked up to see the Aspen had reached equilibrium. I just gave one final pull on the pulley and stepped back away as the tree in slow-motion leaned… and suddenly came crashing down into exactly the spot we’d hoped! I’ve helped now with 3 trees, and each time I get that that same dizzying, tintilating, “tharn” feeling.
4. My little sister has turned 21! We had a wonderful night out with a yummy filling dinner followed by a fully appropriate amount of drinking and good conversation, and yet we still made I back to the car no problem and the next day wasn’t excruciating. Best of both worlds!
Aside from those highlights, it was just generally fun to see Glen Lake and Lake Michigan, enjoy snow, and mostly to see all the people I love but don’t see often enough recently!
As for the future… in exactly 8 hours and 15 minutes I will be in an airplane on my way to England!
AVZ
Dec 27, '09—3:09 pm
Bon Voyage, Janet. It was fun having you here this past month.
ant
Jan 4, '10—1:35 pm
Blog when you find work! Or when you find magic! Blog blog blog. Okay?
Marijane Boomer
Jan 4, '10—8:10 pm
Just thought to see if you’d written yet… so good to “hear” your voice!