Is home a relative term? Is that why I'm so confused? Or maybe it's just that the word has so many meanings and emotions that when you crash into all of them at once, it can make a bit of a mess of your heart. or mine anyway. We're back home now. We just left the place that feels like home for a million reasons, and now I'm in our place, the one we call home for hundreds of different reasons. and all the people and places collide in my dreams and make a very happy, if slightly confusing fusion of both places.
Have you ever been in transit for 36 hours? I don't think I had either. That was the way we saw out the year 2005. Only about half of those hours were actually in the sky. The rest of them were the hurry-up-and-wait kind. Rush over there, stand in line again, take off your shoes, stand in line again, rush over there, find a space on the floor and wait some more... oh it was fun. (in a roll-your-eyes sort of way). There were heaps of other people swarming around to wait with us. In the LA airport, we actually met a couple of girls on their way to Antarctica! they were college students who've been studying rocks on the ice. They were happy to answer my hungry questions about it. I felt kindof vicariously adventurous just talking to them. :) Those are the kinds of things about even the airports of travel that are fascinating to me. and then there are things that just make every part of your body sore and tired...but i don't need to talk about that.
Now I would just like to put out there into the great void of the web and to anyone I know who might read this, that we had a really really good time in Minnesota. "good" isn't good enough. It was encouraging and fun and comforting and safe and beautiful....maybe good is enough. Thanks to everybody we got to see and talk to and spend time with in any way that we usually can't. :)
And I would like to wish you all a very Happy New Year! Whatdaya reckon about New year's resolutions? Have you made any? do you still call them resolutions? Or is that sortof passe' now? I think I'm calling them goals. Maybe that way it doesn't sound like such a binding commitment. Maybe "goals" leave a bit of a back door open...just in case something goes wrong and I don't achieve them, I don't have to feel quite as guilty about it. but I probably would anyway :)
So do you want to hear some of my goals for the year? here's just 2 of them....
- to read 25 books. No - to actually finish 25 books. This year i started 21, but i've only actually finished 17. yes, I am still trying to finish 4 books that i'm about 1/2way through. strangely enough, I rather enjoy savouring 4 books slowly over the course of 2 months. but maybe I can speed things up a bit in the next few weeks before i start teaching again.
-to learn to dance with danny. Lots of steps. Ballroom stuff. And not to step on his feet too much. :)
Ok - a quick recount of the last 2 weeks of our trip: We spent some fantastic days with Michelle & Josh and their brilliant son Toby. He's probably still learning new words and phrases every day. Danny taught him "Nice." (as in "Wow, look at that puzzle you did by yourself Toby! Nice.") And I taught him "Oh dear!" And he taught me that I am indeed, without a doubt, extremely clucky.
I got to visit baby Alicia again, and I took some pictures through the glass or whatever exactly it is, but they didn't turn out so well. she's still improving slowly. there's still good days and harder days. but she's off the ventilator and most of her tubes and she's steadily gaining weight. I'm really glad I got to see her again before we left. Finally got to meet Joy's baby Kalyn too. It was a good night with friends.
We got to share the most beautiful Christmas with my Thurber family. 12 grownups and a baby circled around my parents' living room at crazy o'clock in the morning. We were all a bit sleep-deprived and silly, and just really happy to be there. Jay proposed to Audra, down on his knee in front of the whole family. Extra points for guts! There were sisters crying and lots of hugging and congratulating. They're finally engaged! It's about time. We're soo happy for you guys.
I really wanted to put some photos up here, but for some reason I'm really struggling to make that work today. I'll try them again on a more fortunate day.
So a happy new year to you all. May you find peace and lots of laughter in your home -- wherever it is, and however many you claim as yours.
:)
5 comments:
I miss you two so greatly. Good time spent with family is never enough time spent with family.
Happy New Year! I've made the same resolution today as I've made the past 4 years - to be a better person. It is intentionally vague. I find when I set very specific goals I either a)don't meet them and feel crappy, or b) meet them and then feel bored. So every year I (simply?) challenge myself to be a better person than I was last year. It is a reminder that no matter how proud I am of where or who I am right now, I know I can be better. It keeps me humble and honest and continues growth and change. And it's one less list to keep track of.
Anyway, that's my rambling thoughts on the matter. Love you!
And I believe you do become a better person all the time. thanks for that.
yeah, not enough time...that's how i feel. it couldn't possibly have been enough time!
I miss you all so much. I've just been thinking how coming back to Australia this time does feel a whole lot different than when i first moved here. i don't feel all the different waves of culture shock. i do feel really comfortable here. i just still miss my family so incredibly much.
Hey y'all down there..
Just to repeat the sediment/sentiment/emotions of the hour, we miss you guys already. It was "comfortable" having everyone around for the Holidays, especially our newest (official) son. Hopefully Danny, and Adam, will have more brothers in the near future!
Don't forget, I'm waiting on a couple of addresses..Dom and family, and Bec & Jeremy.
Our love to you,
Dad and Mom
I think I have a new year's resolution post in me. Or it could be last night's seafood penne. Watch the blog and find out. Anyway, maybe this year I'l resolve to count how many books I read. KP read 93. I didn't know people kept track. So a year from now, maybe I'll know how many to resolve to read in 2007.
Hello Alicia! Glad to hear you had such a great time in MN! I'll bet it is hard to have two "homes" at the same time, but I can sense the great happiness that you have with both of them! I am happy for you! I am starting to try to make Wimbledon feel like home, but its hard when I have no family or friends here, just work (which is satisfying).
I found out that there is a colombian restaurante in town, so I am going to go there on Sunday. I will also check out the salsa scene too. When I hear Salsa music, I feel at home, no matter where I am. With salsa music, a somber day becomes bright!
My new year's resolution is to similar to Brittany's, I want to be a better person by trying to help as many people as possible. I want to try to teach and assist as many as I can. Whether they are less fotunate or a lot fortunate, I just want to help.
Also to try to stay true to myself by doing and being the person who I really am. As may parents say, I have now entered a new stage in life, "New Beginnings".
Hope you and Danny are doing well! I wish I could have seen you both before you left! I wish you both a fabulous 2006!
cheers, Joshua
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