I'm back! Safely returned from a two-day journey into the seclusion of the wintry wilderness. My dad's side of the family (minus Dad, of course), and a few friends rang in the New Year together in a semi-rustic cabin. We "roughed-it" in our long underwear, sleeping bags, sweatshirts, boots, hats and gloves. Most of us skipped out on technology and the fanciness of city life the entire time.
The place we stayed at is located on the grounds of a camp that was established in 1904. My grandmother, who turned 87 during our trip, was the camp nurse for some 30 or more years there. A legend in her own right. She took my brother and I there every August when we were kids, and it always brings back fond memories. Simply hiking the snow-covered trails, and snapping pictures of the birch trees while searching for driftwood, brings me a simplistic joy that I look forward to.
We shared many laughs. Some at the expense of my sauced-up brother, and others at the thought of eating the "poisonous" meatballs that had been left out over night. I got to spend some quality time with my three younger cousins, which was probably my favorite part of the trip. They are smart, talented, and very personable. However, we are so far apart in age, that life circumstances hadn't allowed us to spend much time together. The last night of the trip, two of them joined me in trying to spook the relatives that were inside with an illuminated resuscitation dummy head. (That's the "ghost" in the photo.) We were crawling through the snow, sneaking around corners, and trying not to giggle too loud. Just plain silly fun.
I debated posting a "recap" of 2008... but I decided to just let it be. It wasn't the best year for most of us, and 2009 is likely to be a bit of a challenge as well. I've decided to make the popular choice of hoping for the best and start this year fresh and new. In fact, I haven't made any concrete decisions, or resolutions, for this New Year of ours. I have some vague goals... and that's about it!
My immediate plans for January are to meet with the necessary people at the college to sort out my financial aid and select either "Human Services," or "Paralegal," for my path of study. I'll also likely be enrolling in the ceramics class I had taken previously. My remodelling "client" has asked me to work on a recently vacated apartment, and also assist her in marketing the one I had just finished. So... I have some things to look forward to!
I'm releasing the "ghost" of 2008, and I will not let it haunt me. I may reflect on the strange and funny things that happened, but I'm making a conscious effort not to dwell on the negative, or live in the past. Time continues to move forward, and I'm going to hop on board.
The place we stayed at is located on the grounds of a camp that was established in 1904. My grandmother, who turned 87 during our trip, was the camp nurse for some 30 or more years there. A legend in her own right. She took my brother and I there every August when we were kids, and it always brings back fond memories. Simply hiking the snow-covered trails, and snapping pictures of the birch trees while searching for driftwood, brings me a simplistic joy that I look forward to.
We shared many laughs. Some at the expense of my sauced-up brother, and others at the thought of eating the "poisonous" meatballs that had been left out over night. I got to spend some quality time with my three younger cousins, which was probably my favorite part of the trip. They are smart, talented, and very personable. However, we are so far apart in age, that life circumstances hadn't allowed us to spend much time together. The last night of the trip, two of them joined me in trying to spook the relatives that were inside with an illuminated resuscitation dummy head. (That's the "ghost" in the photo.) We were crawling through the snow, sneaking around corners, and trying not to giggle too loud. Just plain silly fun.
I debated posting a "recap" of 2008... but I decided to just let it be. It wasn't the best year for most of us, and 2009 is likely to be a bit of a challenge as well. I've decided to make the popular choice of hoping for the best and start this year fresh and new. In fact, I haven't made any concrete decisions, or resolutions, for this New Year of ours. I have some vague goals... and that's about it!
My immediate plans for January are to meet with the necessary people at the college to sort out my financial aid and select either "Human Services," or "Paralegal," for my path of study. I'll also likely be enrolling in the ceramics class I had taken previously. My remodelling "client" has asked me to work on a recently vacated apartment, and also assist her in marketing the one I had just finished. So... I have some things to look forward to!
I'm releasing the "ghost" of 2008, and I will not let it haunt me. I may reflect on the strange and funny things that happened, but I'm making a conscious effort not to dwell on the negative, or live in the past. Time continues to move forward, and I'm going to hop on board.
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