up north

i woke up with the excitement of a child today here in minneapolis; the light outside had that certain value to it that can only mean one thing - falling snow. indeed, it is still coming down outside, but life is going on out there. it isn't like on the east coast, where people would have heaved a sigh of relief and gone back under the covers for a snowday. here, the buses are rolling by, the planes are roaring overhead, and i've already driven s to work, where her third graders will be arriving shortly. these kids know nothing of a day off because of snow, or because of cold. i should mention the car thermometer climbed from five degrees to six as i drove back to the house this morning. our family is arriving here in the north during the first real cold snap of the season. there's barely any snow on the ground, other than what's fallen this morning, but it is indeed winter here.

with a true day off ahead of me i feel there is so much to do - not being at home has the benefit of giving me so many options that are new and different. in all my travels i rarely take a day of true vacation - a day to relax and refresh a bit. today is it. what's on the agenda? shortly i'll motivate myself off the couch and don my warmest running clothes to take a lap around lake harriet. i'll follow that with getting dressed for the rest of the day and perhaps a trip to a local coffee shop for a hot drink and some quality time with my book. there are a couple of local stores i'd like to explore, but i would be just as happy not spending any money, sitting and reading my book all morning. we'll see which one wins out. then there's lunch with the third graders - hustle and bustle and food everywhere and lots of excited kids because it is friday - and a couple of hours before the work day is finished. i'll take some time to practice reading what i've written for tomorrow and then the winter darkness will be here. maybe there will be a chance for a nap in there somewhere - i don't know, the planning of a true day off is serious stuff. at least we had our ice cream last night. it isn't a real vacation if you don't fill the ice cream stomach at least once. the goods were 20% off because of the cold. perfect timing.

i am in town for grandpa's memorial service and the rest of the clan is due to arrive later today. i am not anticipating a particularly sad affair. that is not to say it won't be emotional, but there has been some time to digest his passing now, and to think and reflect upon his very richly lived life. i have spent some time in the past years reflecting upon my own mortality and about death in general and what how it is dealt with in our culture; too often it is viewed as a terrible and scary thing (and i do still harbor a fear of it happening so early) but it is indeed the only thing we are all promised upon arriving here on earth. we all know, in a way, how it will end. to have lived 90 years - almost a century - through the great depression, to have fought in world war two, to have raised a family as america was evolving, to have worked for one company during a long career, to have finally retired to time at the lake and time to travel... these are things that should be celebrated and remembered.

for me coming to minnesota is in a way coming home. it has always felt that way to me. we moved away from here when i was only eight years old, but somehow it has hung on in my heart as home. maybe it was the fact we did come back each year to visit grandma and grandpa, or maybe it is the pace of life here in this city that doesn't feel quite like a city, or maybe it is my time at the lake; more than likely it is a combination of all these factors. this is a place in which it always feels good to just be. to sit and watch the snow right now, or to watch the sailboats on the lake in the summer. i'll enjoy the time here before heading on in my travels.