Dear Family

Mom and Pops, you're so busy giving giving giving.

Thanks Mom for shopping, for the boots, for giving the kids baths.  For washing our clothes and reading the kids books in bed.  Thanks for getting on the sled with them.  Thanks for cleaning, getting  groceries, and preparing everything for our visit - you just don't stop.  Thanks for dinner and breakfast and the use of your car.

Pops, thanks for making the time for us.  I could see you were so busy, and wanted to make the time in spite of other responsibilities, and I really appreciate it.  It seems silly, maybe thanking you both - but I know what you did.  I know that you got the car seats for us, and cleared your schedules, and changed your plans to flex with us.  Thanks for putting on your winter clothes and taking Teoman out on the four-wheeler that first day we were there.

Seth and Libby - thanks for always opening your home to us.  For hosting everyone, always.  Your kids getting so big and are always so beautiful.  They were so sweet with our children.  You both are juggling so many things: a home, a rental  home, a business, school, teaching, and a surgery - you inspire me with your hopes and dreams that are always looking forward.

Josh and Lisa - Josh has met his match with you, both your hearts are so generous.  (Josh, you have more of mom in you than maybe you know).  Lisa, you are always thinking of the kids and your gifts are too much.  I was so happy to finally see you in your element - in your business that is full of health and life.  Josh, thanks for making the effort to come and visit - we missed you.

Aaron and Bethany - thanks for making the trip back up to the cold tundra.  It made me so happy just to see you guys, spend some time as family, and see the kids.  Its hard to have a conversation with anybody these days because our kids are so young and demanding.  Aaron, I wish we would have got up at 11pm and joined you and Seth around the fire.

Sherah and Mike - thanks for the new sheets and welcome basket.  Thanks for organizing the party nd the family photo shoot.  Thanks for trying to get together to do our nails and thanks for bringing over your sweet boy to play.

Dear Minnesota

Brrrrr.
How on earth did I forget how cold you were?
I used to say, "Cold is cold."
But no, I just forgot.  Windchill, negative temperatures.
BITING, suck-the-air-out of you, freeze the snot in you, make you cry cold.

I forgot how lonely the cold can be.  The school bus window rattling - frozen unforgiving metal.  Walking in the quiet howl of the wind and the hard crunch of frozen snow.

I forgot about ice-skating rinks, ponds, and flooded baseball fields now frozen and plowed smooth.  About warming houses and the sound of the puck echoing off the boards or the skates scraping and shaving to a halt.

People used to say to me, "that's 'cause your from Minnesota," when I scoffed at the cold.
Or they'd tell me I shouldn't be cold because "you're from Minnesota!"
But my blood isn't any different.
Cold is cold.

I just forgot how to dress.  I forgot about layering.  How vital it was to layer.  How thermals, and down fillings, and Gortex weren't just name brands.  They were necessary.  Along with shovels, ice scrapers, snow-blowers and snow plows.  I forgot about mittens and face masks and big boots that weren't just for style.

Dear America

I forgot about your Bonnevilles and your GMCs
Your big parking spaces and spacious parking lots and ramps.
Your wide roads, perfect sidewalks and right-turns-on-reds.

I forgot about your child-friendly restaurants.
Crayons, puzzles, chalkboard walls, kids' menus and booster seats.
BOOSTER SEATS!

Your small, medium, and huge homes.
With siding, yards, fences, garages, porches, decks, and stairs.
Stairs with carpet and carpet padding.

Your endless outlets of activities and distractions to invest our time and money:
restaurants, winter festivals, zoos, gardens, coffee shops, huge portions and REFILLS!

Your accommodating structures for different languages, disabilities, and socio-economic statuses.
And yet, My privilege and my neighbors lack.
Your homeless. Your single moms.  Your addictions.
Your inaccessible health care costs.
Your "multicultural"-ness and all its inequalities.
Your programs for every need, that somehow doesn't meet the needs, and so more programs, and volunteers and helpful well-meaninng groups that take on causes and problems that have no end.

Your coupons and discounts and low-interest bend-over-backwards for the customer's business.

Your golf courses!  Your empty malls.  Your crowded restaurants.

Your rules about throwing away garbage in the correct bins on the correct days.  About properly securing car seats at fire stations and using a pool noodle.

Your chiropractors and gyms and diffusers and latest health fads like Greek yogurt and getting my "atlas" adjusted.

All your horrible GMO, red-dye 40, high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oil infused foods that I indulged in for two weeks.

Bacon.

I kind of forgot about your good, your bad, and your mediums.  You aren't my normal anymore, but it was good to see you and remember.

Until next time.

Snow day 4

We are back from America and suffering from some serious get-up-at-midnight-and-stay-up-all-night kind of jet lag.  So, I was very grateful for a snow day today.  I napped, unpacked some more, and enjoyed the snow with this trooper.