Dear readers and sometimes friends:
“ It is only the empty mind that can see clarity”………………………………………………………………..Jiddu Krishnamurti
“ You can observe a lot by watching”………………………………………………………………………………..Yogi Berra
A middle aged married couple from New York go to Hawaii for the first time. The husband asks the wife on the flight if she thinks it is really supposed to be called Hawaii or Havaii- as he wants to not seem like a tourist, which she says she does not know. As they are getting their baggage claims in Honolulu, they see an elderly tanned man in a gaudy Hawaiian shirt, and the husband goes up to ask him whether the proper local pronunciation is Hawaii or Havaii to which he responds……” it is Havaii”. The relieved husband tells him thank you very much…to which he relies………”You’re Velcome.”
And that my friends, sums up our return to the heartland for the winter. Never an easy transition, this one was fraught with the usual sets of perils, with a variety of house related issues, the predictable cable company woes and trying to re-acclimate to the savage parkway lights outside out window all night long. But my home of 32 years, still feels like a sacred place with some comfort and appeal (probably only to me) in its familiarity.
So…THE BLOG…as you know I’m not really all that inclined to think that tales of life in Central Ohio have the same gravitas as those of the Mountain Greens ( as in, who really cares anyway)…but so many of you made the case for having some continued Sunday morning amusement (I know it’s a little late in the day, but I have been traveling a lot- so my times zones are confused) that I felt compelled to bore both you and myself with some form of diatribe.
So…brief it will be…but better than nothing…maybe……
The Selected Highlights of The Ups for living in the winter Heartland
• Spending time with Tess and Jake who are an hour away
• The new grand baby two hours away
• Seeing friends we’ve known since the 70s
• The hot tub on the deck
• The YMCA eight minutes away
• Take out Chinese five minutes away
• The airport 25 minutes away
• The Bunty Station boys playing the unique brand of Country and Eastern music every Monday night
• A plethora of accessible Ethnic restaurant
• A plethora of people of different colors
• Watching all the Cavs b-ball games on local TV
• Movies, movies, movies
• Grocery and Walmart five minutes away
The Highlights of The Downs of not being in the Greens
• Enough already with seeing our kids and grand kids
• Where are the mountains?
• Where is THE POND?
• The beloved inn at Scum Pond
• Sunday dinners at East
• Lunch at Java Baba
• Dirt roads and aimless drives and walks through them
• Sunshine more than once a week
• Darkness on the edge of town
• Community spirit
• Farmer’s markets
• Organic foods
• Our king size bed that we all three can fit in
• Walks in the woods everywhere you look
• The JPF, the JFM, the dump master, the masseuse in the trailer, the trout king…well, you get the picture
Have I mentioned that returning to the heartland seems to result in my making lots of lists?
So…we have much new bedding and nightly reports on available pickup trucks (some things are relatively the same wherever you are)
Since we have gotten back, I have been to Houston, Toledo, Minneapolis, Camden and Minneapolis again……all highlight destinations for winter travel
We had a lovely Thanksgiving at Jake’s grandparents with the whole extended family…. Grandpa is a retired Methodist minister so the celebration is in the re-assembled church basement in their house…..long folding tables, folding chairs, big coffee urns, industrial china…and prayerful chanting..…but we feel most welcome there….. and I believe they truly value having a token lapsed Jew in the mix
Lucy has adjusted to her other home and spends most of the frigid days perched on the top of the couch where she can stare out the window at the passing deer and motorists on the beloved parkway. She also seems to enjoy taking two thirds of the queen sized bed…effectively leaving Jenn and I to share a twin
So…life goes on…the holidays are approaching and Christmas cheer is everywhere (Have you been out shopping to experience the joy on people’s faces?)…and I think I have run dry…..got to go do some Bah Humbug bullshit as I am traveling next two weeks………and may talk to my children who are gathered together out in smoky San Diego…..and maybe see if we can get the house warmed over 65 degrees…
I might be back with Blogging at some point…but after this fiasco…who knows
Peace on you…..Preacher-Stu