As promised. Click on the photo badge, go to Flickr and see the photos.
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Monthly Archive for December, 2005
First of all, I want to say that I did virtually no shopping this year. And so I give a huge thank you to my family (especially my husband) for making sure that Christmas happened in wonderfully fine style.
On the other hand, I received what I consider to be the best gift (others will disagree, and that’s as it should be): an iPod Nano. Engraved, too: "Merry Christmas 2005 (from the kids and me)" Very cool.
Most astonishing gift had to be Suze’s life-size cardboard standup of James Dean. In color.
Brunch on Christmas Eve at Nance and John’s house was special. But then it always is. Missed our Monroe sister, but then we always do. (See you on New Year’s Eve, Mart!) Starbucks beans and a coffee grinder from the folks — Mom knows I’m always on the hunt for good coffee.
Christmas evening at the in-laws was cozy and everyone enjoyed their gifts (my husband is planning to grill steaks tonight, I believe, on the new George Foreman). It was nice to see newlyweds Joe and Erin at my folks’ house later that night.
Daughter Meg started coming down with something on Christmas Eve. She is still not feeling well.
I started feeling vaguely unwell soon after and today I feel really punk. Think I’m getting what Meg has, whatever it is.
JDog got three stuffed toys to destuff (one is nearly complete) the cats have scattered various colorful toy mice everywhere. (I wish they’d take on the brown one that I saw scuttle from under the woodpile in the garage last night, but I suppose that’s too much to ask.)
Photos coming soon on Flickr.
Next up: New Year’s in Kalamazoo.
She had to have a bath before her Christmas visit to Grandma and Grandpa. So said Suze. And afterwards? She had to go out, of course. (Even though we made sure she went out before coaxing her into the tub.) The getup was Meg’s solution for sending a slightly miffed wet dog into the cold to do her duty.
After shuttering his corporate blog about two weeks ago, my friend and yours, Figure 8 (aka an Englishman in Michigan, and if you still don’t know who I’m talking about, sorry, that’s all I can say) is back on track.
His new blog, Figure 8 Racing News, will cover his auto wreck of a hobby almost exclusively, something the former site touched on periodically. Postings might be spotty, by his own admission. But as Fig. 8 gets prepping in earnest for next race season, I expect to see more.
Yeah, it’s cold. In the 20s the past few days, but a couple of weeks ago it was consistently down in the teens. And snow! Seems like we get a fresh layer of the stuff every other day or so. It’s the first year in recent memory that we haven’t been wondering if Christmas will be white. (For most of us Northerners, it just ain’t Christmas if there’s no snow, ya know.)
I wouldn’t mind it so much if not for the high cost of heating this year. Freeze season has barely begun and already we’ve had a bill higher than most of last year’s coldest months. It figures I’d pick this winter to be home all day. I’m keeping the thermostat turned down, but I’m afraid 68 degrees still won’t be low enough. Most days I’m wearing a T-shirt, sweater and sweatshirt, plus I’ve got my down throw wrapped around me wherever I am. At least I got the wireless working now for the PowerBook, so I can work upstairs instead of having to sit for hours in the stone-cold basement in front of the desktop PC.
And then there’s the minivan … earlier this fall, the heater fan began working only on high. Then one day we noticed steam billowing out from under the hood when we turned the engine off. A few days later, on one of those really bitter mornings, I noticed the air blowing on me was getting cooler … and cooler. By the end of my morning taxi run (I take Clay to work at 6:30, Meg to school at 7:20 and Suze to school at 7:40) I had no heat at all. For the afternoon run (Meg at 2:30, Suze at 3, husband at 3:30) I bundled up as best I could and brought blankets along for all passengers. That hour and a half was one of the most miserable I’ve spent in a car, I’ll tell you what.
The following morning, taxi mom was decked out in ski pants, snowmobile boots, my down jacket over layers of sweatshirts, hat, gloves, and the ever-present down throw now across my lap and wrapped around my legs. I felt like I was riding in an open sleigh (sans horse), but at least the trip was tolerable.
Next day, the thing overheated on me – the antifreeze had all pretty much fast-leaked from somewhere, and today the van sits in the garage while we look at expenses and figure out a day — during Christmas break, probably – when we can spring for repairs.
So now we’ve been forced to cram ourselves into the little Ranger truck as best we can. I won’t even tell you what kind of undrivable shape that thing is in since Drew and his friend ran into and over god-knows-what awhile back. (I hear we’ll get money from the guilty parties to repair that mess sometime after the first of the year. So far I’m not holding my breath.) But at least the truck has heat. Hmmm … and the fan only works on high …
Looks like a (compact-size) rental car is in our future for the Christmas trek to Muskegon and back. At least we’ll be warm and (relatively) safe. I just hope there’s room for the dog. And that there’s no big lake-effect snowstorm in the forecast. On second thought, it might be kinda nice to get snowed in at home. Hot cocoa in front of a roaring fire is one of the best things I know for beating the cold.
Entrance to Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, 7 a.m.
I drive past here every weekday morning. And every weekday morning I say, "Oh, I need to bring the camera out here," (having obviously forgotten it again.)
On this day I remembered, and so I pulled into the entrance, found a spot where I thought I could get a decent shot,and climbed out of the van into the 15-degree cold.
Then I looked around me. Virtually all the pines surrounding the entrance to the Gardens are lit: thousands of lights, some red, some white, some green. The spectacle probably covers a quarter mile along the East Beltline, tucked a little back from the road, and it is glorious to see.
It is also practically impossible (for me, anyway) to photograph. To get a decent angle on it, I probably should have parked on the other side of the four-lane divided highway. But then there’d be even more poles and wires and cute little street lamps in the way of the lighted trees.
So I had to settle for capturing just parts of the display. To get your own eyeful, I recommend visiting the Gardens yourself this holiday. Their annual Christmas and Holiday Traditions Around the World should not be missed. The light display at the entrance is only a prelude to the magical things you’ll see inside.
I’m standing in the doorway of the garage, drinking my last cup of coffee for the morning and watching the snow drift slowly down through the trees. Snow’s a little early this year and so is the numbing cold. For nearly a week now temps have stayed below 20 degrees. In fact, yesterday the thermometer hovered stubbornly at 14 degrees almost all day. Too cold to walk the dog (so I tell her when she approaches me hopefully). Too cold to walk myself. Almost too cold to sit in the basement at the computer, although with an extra sweatshirt plus my down throw over my knees, I can sit here almost comfortably, thinking, writing, composing inquiry letters, refining my "strategy" for finding work.
It’s been a month now since I left corporate life. I’ve spent much of that time polishing my resume and getting in touch with old friends and former colleagues. "I’ve decided to do what you all have been doing so well for years," I told some of them. " … you can add another hungry writer to that local and talented freelance pool … " Several of them have graciously come through with solid leads — even offers to take work off their own plates — which I have confidence will lead to work and eventually more work. Three of the best writers I know tell me they have more work than they can handle and that there’s plenty out there for all. "You’re good," they tell me. "You won’t have any trouble." And the most comforting, from a former boss who’s been on the freelance circuit now for 11 years: "Once you get your feet wet, I have every confidence you’ll be fine."
In the meantime, daughter Suze has made the family Christmas her pet project and I must say she has it pretty well under control. I took delivery on a cord of hardwood Monday, so we can look forward to warm, cozy evenings in front of the fireplace. I’ve begun actually cooking again (such as I am able), even planning ahead once in awhile and starting dinner early in the day (although this is hard to get used to and I’m not quite regular about it yet). The family was startled to be served a meatloaf one day last week and I’ve made cookies twice now, and even though they were the frozen, preshaped dough sort, I feel that some honest-to-god, from scratch, rolled-out-dough- cookie-cutter sugar cookies are in our very near future. Several holiday concerts are coming up that daughters and I will be participating in, and for once, I’ll be able to enjoy the glory of the music without feeling pressured or unduly rushed.
I feel more relaxed, less stressed than I have in a long time. I know the money’s going to get tight here pretty soon, but we’ll figure out ways to cope. I’m not sure what’s ahead — in so many areas of my life — but I’m meeting the challenges as they come, and I know things will be OK. For right now, I’m enjoying getting reacquainted with old friends, being with family, rediscovering a modicum of domesticity, just thinking and being. I’m enjoying being home.
