over my winter break, but now that I am back in Alaska, I will be more
regular with my adventures.
The winter break was wonderful; I wish I could say that I was able to
do everything I had planned before heading south, but it was still
fulfilling and revitalizing to have been home for so long. It was so
good to see my family, lover and friends. Staying with Mom was
rejuvenating, with merciless morning games of Scrabble and long life
talks over coffee. I hadn't had the luxury of such a long stay home
since high school; traveling different places during the summer and
living at college made staying any longer than a week at home tricky.
Trading time between Mom's and Boyfriend's was relatively simple, and
I relished both households. Charlie's family is wonderful, and I am
ever-so-grateful for their presence in my life.
on THAT note, I am back to drinking skim milk up here instead of the
Chapman household's raw variety, and I am deeply unfulfilled by that
change in my life up here.
and on THAT note, changing back to skim will probably be a good thing,
because any thoughts of contiuuing my weight loss back home went right
out the window. The mother-son duo of Gaylene and Charlie made sure
that the meals were hearty and delicious, with emphasis on the hearty.
: )
and on THAT note, this morning I enjoyed a bowl of oatmeal with
multigrains, a banana and Craisins for breakfast.
Anyway, break. I didn't get a chance to see many of the people I was
dying to, like my friends up in the Duluth/Bayfield area, but the
folks close to home were delightful and I was sorry to leave before we
got to spend more time together. Lani, Mom and I went to Monk's
Secondhand in Pipestone for an afternoon of antiquing, and we came
home with the store's selection of antique costume jewelry, books,
bowls and trinket boxes. SO much fun to try on gems with Lani, and it
was neat playing with the old cameras and tools. Spent a lot of time
in Marshall, of course, and got to see most of my friends up there
with trips to the Bistro, the Varsity Pub and my alma mater, SMSU.
Got to see Dad for a couple days, which was awesome; so good to see
him after months of being away, and we had a brilliant Christmas
together with good food, fun presents and the infamous Scooter Pie and
the kitties running about his pretty home in Brainerd. There were
many Christmases with Mom and Boyfriend's sides too...one early with
brother Charlie and Kaylee before they left for Las Vegas, one with
Boyfriend's immediate family, one with his extended family, one with
Mom's extended family...as awesome as it was to meet new people and
love up on my own family, it was nice for the schedule to settle down
as we approached the new year. The presents from all sides were
awesome and I cannot believe both the usefulness and thoughtfulness
behind each gift.
Most of all, though, it was amazing being home with Boyfriend. I'll
spare the mushy-mushies, but in meeting his extended family, waking up
and greeting each day with him, taking trips together and hanging out
with our respective friends and families, it was clear to see and feel
that I have something incredibly special with this guy. It was a
tearful morning when I had to leave (on my end, of course, because men
don't cry or anything) and we both are going to be incredibly
intentional and deliberate with keeping our relationship on the
forefront of our priorities. Not a day goes by that I take him for
granted, and I look forward to growing and loving as I spend time away
again. Mom gave us an amazing Christmas present: a weekend away at a
bed & breakfast in Lanesboro, MN, and we had a ball driving through
the countryside, checking out farms, laughing along with talk radio,
going out to a beautiful dinner at a local restaurant, enjoying the
perks of our carriage house and taking a detour home through Owatonna
to hit Cabela's before heading back to Slayton. Yay love.
Now, though, I am back in Alaska. My trip home went well; I left
Friday night from Minneapolis after Mom and Gaylene dropped me off at
the airport, and I flew through Phoenix and Seattle on my way to
Anchorage. All three flights were deliciously low on people, and I
got to stretch out and nap for most of my journey north. It was
awesome waking up and looking out the window Saturday morning on my
flight from Seattle to Anchorage--the sun was peeking over the horizon
and the mountains were gorgeous below the plane. My friend Bill
picked me up in Anchorage, and on the drive out of the airport, two
moose were standing next to the road! : ) We had a nice trip back up
to Palmer, stopping to get groceries, and we found my house in
excellent condition.
Sassy the truck, however, was not in the best of shape. Upon scooping
away the snow that the plow had pushed up against her (yeah, had my
driveway plowed before getting home...so nice!) I found she had a flat
tire that demanded changing. I tried doing it myself, but it wasn't
coming off anytime soon with the tools or muscles I was working with.
However, she turned over on the first try without even having to plug
in my block or battery heaters; it was like I'd been gone a week
instead of ten. Matanuska Towing came out and changed the tire out
for me, and soon I was on the road out to the farm to check on how
things were going out there. All the dogs ran out to say hi and we
nuzzled hello, and everything is the same and pretty with all the snow
on the ground.
It is good to be back in my house; it is warm and comfortable, and I
slept well last night even though I was missing Boyfriend's presence.
Today I will be readying my lesson plans for Farm School tomorrow and
cleaning; it is pretty dusty and my nose is letting me know how
unacceptable that is. I will see Alaska friends soon as school starts
tomorrow...my classes this semester should be sweet, and of course my
colleagues are far more than tolerable. : )
Love to everyone back home, and again, my endless thanks for such a
wonderful and comforting break back home.
2 comments:
Glad to see you made it back and that you had a wonderful time in your old stomping grounds.
Looking forward to some more Alaska updates.
Do you ever wonder why they make that thing you are supposed to type in to verify your comments so difficult to read?
Was that the Flora Guy, or a different Bill?
Looks like I'll be up your way in a few weeks, by the way.
Finally, my comment verification word is "sinfulsq." Who is sq, and how do I meet her?
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