Best Monday Ever

So I haven't talked about this on my blog yet, but Michael's been campaigning for Obama. He went out and signed up voters and then he canvassed, and basically, has been getting really involved. I don't know if any of you knew Michael 6 1/2 years ago, but he was an uninvolved Republican. Then we argued about stuff a lot. Then finally I brought him over to my side. Now he's a really involved Democrat. I've created a (good) monster. Anyway, I'm really proud of him. However, I was beginning to miss him and resent the campaign for taking away my husband.

Until today. At about 3:00 this afternoon Michael came into my office and said, "There's a 90% chance that Obama will be in Reading in 30 minutes, do you want to go?" So I unplugged my computer, we ran home, I got my camera and we drove like a bat out of hell to get there in time. It seemed like we hit every red light, and of course the schools were getting out right at that time of day... Anyway, we got there in time. We went into this little diner and got a table in the back. And waited. Everyone there was so excited, and wearing an Obama button. After 15 or 20 minutes a big bus pulled up and the crowd went wild. All the security and reporters came into this tiny restaurant, and then Obama came in. He just said a few sentences, thank you for your support, etc. Then he walked around and shook everyone's hand. So he came up to Michael and asked how he was, what was his name, where did he go to school... So Michael corrected him and said that he's not a student, he's a teacher. Obama remarked how young Michael looked. Then he moved on to me. I got to shake Obama's hand! He asked me how I was, what my name is, what I do. He remaked about how young I look. He had a nice firm handshake. Although his hand seemed small. It was quite an exciting moment.

Then I looked behind me and there was this older gentleman in a trenchcoat. He looked strangely familiar. I asked Michael, "Is that Dan Rather?" He said, "I don't know." So I convinced him to go ask. Michael, "Are you who I think you are?" Dan Rather, "That depends who you think I am, I'm Dan Rather." So Dan Rather was very nice and we got our pictures with him. He was kind of like a grandfather. Friendly, and joking a little and just kind. He told me it was an honor to meet me. What a nice guy. So here follow some photos and maybe a video-if it will work with me. Of our exciting moments in the presence of (hopefully) our future president. And Dan Rather.

Supercalifabulous

My siblings have been visiting in the last week. Kirk came and went and came again and went again. Christa came and stayed for awhile and then went. We had a good time together. It's interesting how those sibling bonds stick even when you don't see each other very often. It's so easy to be together and feels so natural and we easily slip back into our childhood roles, good or bad. Hopefully, we don't slip all the way back.

We made the journey to Hawk Mountain, which is the first sanctuary made for predatory birds. One can see many birds there in the fall because of migratory patterns, and before it was made into a sanctuary, 3,000-5,000 birds were killed in the area every year. One book called it one of the top 50 places to go bird watching before you die. And since we come from a family of birders, we went. We saw some vultures, but no other birds of prey. Apparently September to early December is the best time to come. However, we did get to see the River of Rocks, which is basically what it sounds like. In some ice age or another, a glacier moved down the valley, and left in its wake a river formation of rocks. We could see it from probably a mile above. It was quite impressive. Then we hiked down to a boulder field which was pretty cool also.

I made fruit soup and black bean soup and Christa and I made crepes. So we ate well, even without a mother to make the food for us. Kirk left on Sunday, and Christa and I went to see Mary Poppins on Broadway. It was amazing. We both loved it. Of course, we grew up on the movie, so the similar parts were enjoyable, but they also added new songs and scenes from the books that were great too. They developed the Mrs. Banks character nicely and Bert was great. There were a few parts that we wished they had included from the movie, but they were small and definitely not necessary. And they really went all out, the set and costumes were fantastic, the singing-fabulous, the dancing was beyond my words. Mary actually lost a shoe into the audience at one point. Mary flew and Bert danced on the ceiling. So I highly recommend it. Of the seven shows I've seen, it was definitely one of the biggest, most colorful and amazing. Probably this one and Wicked were the most amazing.



So now back to the grind stone. I am starting to believe that spring will come. And trying to accept that it will probably still snow again. And that I'll probably live here for at least one more year. Sometimes I don't understand why God puts me in a place where it's so cold and so far from family and friends, things that make it more difficult to maintain emotional stability. But I hope and want to believe that God has a reason for it. Maybe it's the thorn in my side. It's a fight that I may never win, my struggle, my cross to bear. I don't want to believe that I may never be well on my own, but there's a lesson in that too. Learning to depend wholly on God, leaning on others and learning to ask for the help I need. I hate that.

Pounce is getting spayed today. I hope she doesn't hate me when she comes back. I want her to still be my happy little cat.

God Loves That Guy

..

Oh, alright

We arrived in Louisville just in time for the snow storm. I got out of there like a bat out of hell in order to reach Nashville before I got snowed in. The irony was that last weekend in PA, it was in the 50s. Oh well, it was great to be with family. And as it snowed on Friday night, we sat around the fire, turned out the lights, watched the snow fall and talked about grandma. Other things too, but a lot about grandma. That sadness just lingers. I keep having dreams about her in which she is alive, which seems weird to me, but I suppose it's just my mind catching up to reality and letting itself grieve when I don't always let myself do it consciously.

So I spent a few lovely days in Nashville, then Michael and I headed to Gatlinburg where we enjoyed the great outdoors, the pancake pantry (raspberry, wildberry and peach crepes. Oh. My. Goodness. I wanted to cry, they were so good. And I don't like pancakes.), our time share (we had a kitchen, dining area, living room, bedroom with huge jacuzzi, separate bathroom, and a balcony that looked out into the woods and a little streamlet) and each other. It's really nice to spend time together after boarding school. It kind of reminds us why we got married in the first place. We actually like each other. Imagine.

While in Nashville with the family we made delicious brunches. For one of these I made fruit soup. It was my second attempt, and I have to tell you, I think I'm only getting better at it. And it was good the first time. Christa made hashbrowns in the wafflemaker with nice spices and stuff. The day before, Dino made snow ice cream, and mom and Christa made crepes. It was some good eatin'. We also went to Radnor Lake on a cold Saturday and saw some deer. Some people played with the snow. I did not.


On the trail

Little ol' me

Deer!

Fruit soup

Our early Easter Brunch

Now we're home again, and that's nice too. And only a quarter left until school is over. I'm not sure how three-fourths of the school year got by so quickly, but it seems to be true. Still, I'm preparing myself for it to snow again. Because it probably will. But I can imagine spring after seeing some things turning green and/or blooming down south. Winter might not last forever, after all.