Going home

A week ago today, my youngest nephew died.  It was sudden and unexpected.

It's a bit surreal to think that it's already been a week.  He was funny and bright, a daredevil and trickster.  He had so many friends that the funeral home had to put many of them in the 'overflow' room.  His sister gave the funniest, boldest and somewhat irreverent speech I've ever heard at a funeral--she didn't hold back at all and I loved it. My sister, his mother, was as strong as I've ever seen her be.  His dad was as broken as I've ever seen him.

He left behind his grandparents, parents, sister and brother, two daughters and a son, and a gazillion other kids that loved him.  Why? Because he totally adored them.  He made them feel important and brave.

He made me laugh.  He gave great hugs.  He was awesome, and I miss him.   I had planned to be home in a few weeks, for a much happier occasion.  Instead, I had the opportunity to be a support to my sister, to help where I could, to laugh at his antics and to sob at his loss, and to receive a hug from his 2 year old son that reminded me so much of him that I ached inside because of it.

Find peace, sweet Jessi.  Find peace.

A few more thoughts

Sometimes there is so much to capture on a trip, that when I go back later and reread the post (and correct the name of the hotel) I realize what I forgot.  Here's what comes to mind right now....

1. It amuses me that my screaming-guitar loving man, and my give-me-anything-BUT-screaming- guitars-self can actually survive a road trip quite nicely if we set the radio to newer country.  My grandpa would be so proud of me. 
2. Out hotel was great because the people who work there made it so.  It's also quirky.  While it's a bit hard to see from the picture, there is the oddest angle at one end of the hotel.  When it was built in 1927, the builders added the corner so that the front of the hotel looked grander.  Now, that little end piece holds storage closets.  You can see the angle a bit better by looking at this picture, taken from across the street.Last year on our road trip, we bought a whole whack of saltwater taffy.  We started putting the wrappers in a 500 ml water bottle.  It fits nicely in the door of the car.  We have been adding wrappers to it for a year now, and it still isn't quite full.  We had to top up our supply of taffy before we had to throw out the bottle.  When we do throw it out, it's going to be solid, like a brick. 
3. Every time we passed an old barn that was falling to pieces, I wondered if there were barn owls inside.  He wondered if there was an old Mach 1 in great shape that someone wanted to sell.  
4. Nope, I still haven't figured out why there is a fireplace and chimney on a nice lawn.  There's a driveway, and another structure with a house number on it.    
5. We like to visit "foreign" grocery stores.  I don't mean Asian or German or Dutch, necessarily.  I mean that when we go visit the States, we like to go to the store.  There's lots of things there that we can't get here, like fire-roasted tomatoes.    This is going to be on our menu very soon, just because we stocked up, and also because it is so good! 
6. My in-laws like to come and visit the cat when we go away.  Lynxy likes it because they give her treats.  And they put ice in her water.  We're lucky she remembers us when we come home.

Skinny Atlas

We decided to leave for the weekend, since we had four days.  That is enough to actually feel like a holiday!  So we are here in Syracuse because

• there's a great little outlet mall (so we now have birthday pjs for all the little kidlets)
• oh, and clothes for us too. 
• and one little Christmas gift for a friend. 

We're staying at the Jefferson Clinton hotel, which has been just lovely.  Why?  Because

• they upgraded us, to a suite! 
• Susan, who makes made-to-order omelettes makes them really well
• the two ladies at the front desk are very charming
• they let us stay an extra night in the same upgraded room for the same price
• it's located in the Armory District, where there are also lots of funky restaurants and more beer choices than you can imagine.  My German husband can imagine a lot so he is happy! 

And also, it's within walking distance of the Dinosaur, which makes me think of a writer friend who has a book coming out about a woman who gets a divine nudge to go buy a harley and see where it takes her.  You can pre-order it here. 

The Dinosaur also makes the German husband super happy.  See? 

We are having such a nice time, that we decided to stay a bit longer.  We had read about a lakeside village that was one of our options for the day, but Susan said it's great.  So did the lady who runs the Freedom of Espresso (and makes an awesome latte).  So we went. 

The place is called Skaneateles.  We did spend some time trying to figure out how to pronounce it.  Was it Skan-eat-els?  Skan-e-a-tels? Skane-at-el-es?  Nope.  The locals call it Skin-e-at-las.  

And it's a lovely little spot.  A lakeside village, lots of cute boutique shops, some antique corners, benches to sit on so you can watch the sailboats.  There is a church that has a lovely little corner, on the beach but hidden from the rest, for prayer and meditation. It was lovely. 

The drive there had dozens of wild splashes of these

which just made me miss my mom. Here's a few other pictures of the day

Jo March's Hat

When the writer's conference was over, a group of us were sitting on the patio discussing all the reasons why we couldn't write.  One of the reasons was family members who interrupted the work in progress, though it was often innocently so.  I mentioned that Jo March had a writing hat...and I only just now found the quote.

Here it is for all of us:

Every few weeks she would shut herself up in her room, put on her scribbling suit, and "fall into a vortex" as she expressed it, writing away at her novel with all her heart and soul, for till that was finished she could find no peace.  Her "scribbling suit" consisted of a black woollen pinafore on which she could wipe her pen at will, and a cap of the same material, adorned with a cheerful red bow, into which she bundled her hair when the decks were cleared for action.  This cap was a beacon to the inquiring eyes of her family, who during these periods kept their distance, merely popping in their heads semi-occasionally, to ask, with interest, "Does genius burn, Jo?"  They did not always venture even to ask this question, but took an observation of the cap, and judged accordingly.  If this expressive article of dress was drawn low upon the forehead, it was a sign that hard work was going on; in exciting moments it was pushed rakishly askew; and when despair seized the author it was plucked wholly off, and cast upon the floor.  At such times the intruder silently withdrew; and not until the red bow was seen gayly erect upon the gifted brow, did any one dare address Jo. 

Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888)

Little Women

Ah, the ocean!

The one regular reader of this blog (my mom--and only because we shamelessly set her computer up that way) knows that I tend to update it only when I travel.

This is a picture that I took last night.  Isn't it lovely?  Don't you wish you were here?  The soothing sound of the surf, the lovely orange glow from the sun...how gorgeous is that?

Yes, you might be wondering how I managed to get here after yesterday's post.   Boy, that girl travels a LOT you might even be thinking.

Yeah, right. Double click on the photo, and look at the very bottom.   I'm vacationing in my spare room.  While I was gone, my husband exchanged the digital box in the guest room to one that is HD, just like the tv.  And this...is a picture of the Sunset channel.  Sounds just like being at the ocean.

I might be here awhile.

A tale of two castles

The writing conference wrapped up yesterday.  I was humbled by many of the people I met, and awed by what they could do (Angela Hunt, Kathy Mackel, Nancy Rue and James Scott Bell are brilliant and gifted teachers, and my writing buddy Amy rocked).  After our classes were over, many people headed out right away.  My new Canadian friends and I stayed over, and it was lovely just to get to know them better.  People are fascinating, make no mistake.

This morning after rising bright and early, I took one more walk around the promenade loop.  This is probably the easiest of all the trails, but hey, I had my cane, so I was okay with that.  I actually saw the eagles on the nest this time, and took the best picture that I could, without a tripod.

The only thing not enjoyable at the castle was the wretched cold I picked up.  I was blessed by more people than ever before in my life, thanks to all my sneezing (and yes, just because, too).  Then there was the coughing, the sputtering and all of that fun stuff.  And who needs to breathe, I ask?  Apparently not me.

It was a dreadful trip home.  I was feeling pretty conspicuous with all my coughing, hacking, and sneezing.  In the aftermath of H1N1, I can understand why people were glaring at me, and I know what kind of incubators planes can be.  There wasn't any hot water on the first flight (so no tea for me) and no air conditioning on the second flight (which made the vast amount of space one is given on an RJ200 even more delightful).  I thought the cold was out of my ears and into my chest, but alas, as we gained altitude I soon realized that it had put a downpayment  for both places.   By the time I landed at home, I knew I was twice as sick as when I started the day.

Know what makes my life so great?  My super guy met me at the gate, grabbed all my stuff and brought me home.  Then he sent me to bed, brought me some tea, tucked me in and took care of all the unpacking for me.  He's already doing the laundry and there are fresh flowers in the only spot of the house where Lynxy won't eat them.

Glen Eyrie was great but it doesn't hold a candle to the castle I have here.

Day Two at the Castle

Yesterday was intense.  I'm learning a lot, being teased, making new friends.  I'm finding new people to respect and learn from, and a whole whack of books that I want to take home.  It's a great group and a great location.

Last night I went to bed early, and actually fell asleep.  I slept four hours in one stretch--and then slept for another couple.  That was pretty much the most sleep I got in one night since, well, forever.  I woke up super early though (4:30!) so spent some time talking to people at home, and then went for a walk.  It's a lovely time of the morning...quiet and peaceful.

This is a place for solitude.  Solitude is a grand thing!  I may just have to make this an annual affair.