mama mondays: snow and what we do to survive it

Every year, it seems, I capture the winter scene through visual images of what life is like in Fargo, ND, during the winter months.  But this year, I've been sluggish about taking photos of life in the "southern tundra." I've been too immersed in simply making my way through the white stuff that has overtaken us this year to actually be out in it with a camera. Alas...it's time. Even though I will look back on these photos a few months from now and cringe, wondering how we made it through, and why I felt the need to capture such frigidity, it's life, and trying to will it to be otherwise won't make it go away anytime soon.

It's not always this way. I've lived through dry North Dakota winters too, and summers of drought. But we've had a series of wild, wet ones for quite a few years in a row. This year, it started early and was relentless. I know the East Coast has gotten it bad, but we were dealing with it much earlier. Though it may seem to make less of an impact here, trust me, the opening of the winter skies has created a lot of challenges in the way we move about day to day.

For example, this is was our bedroom window. It will be nice when spring comes and I can open the shades and let in the sun. Right now, it's pretty dark in here.

Our poor little mailbox got dumped on to the point of being nearly buried. It's an adventure just trying to find the mail every day.

This is our view from the garage looking into the back yard. Look at those layers of snow!

Even the evergreens, usually so resilient in the winter, are barely managing to stay above ground.

 

Nevertheless, I look at these little signs of life with a hopeful attitude. These images remind me that winter is not permanent, though it can be debilitating at times. 

I feel the need to describe things I didn't capture here. Our cul-de-sac snow mountain, which typically comes and goes with the snowfall, is more a summit this year and appears here to stay until spring. The snow-removal dudes just couldn't keep up with it. So there's a huge obstruction that we have to work around each day, every time we come and go. 

And once we are out on the streets, the snow is piled so high to make way for roadways that it is very difficult just getting around town. You can't see the oncoming vehicles without pulling out into intersections first. I've nearly gotten into a few accidents just trying to move from place to place. I've seen more people than usual stuck in snowbanks. Whole lanes have been erased by snow. Just doing simple errands has become a hazardous adventure.

But this past week, some melting happened. Now, the white piles have turned brown. I don't like the looks of it, but it's another signal of oncoming spring.

And how do we survive? Honestly, it's not as hard as it might seem. Yes, we have these annoyances to deal with, but we find ways to keep warm. This weekend, for instance, we went to a First Reconciliation event for our second-grader, watched our fifth-grader's basketball tournament, and my son and I, along with two friends and their parents, headed out Saturday night to dinner and then on to our school's Generations Dance.

 

Though I'd heard other parents talk about it before, this was my first Generations Dance, since it's only for high school. The idea is that the son or daughter takes the parent of the opposite gender to the dance. So I had a date with my 15-year-old son. It was a great excuse to hang with him and his friends. Even though he hadn't been planning on going, I decided that since the dance is as much for parents as the kids, we weren't going to miss out. The dinner was nice, and even though he wasn't about to boogie with his mom, my son seemed to enjoy being around his friends. And I danced with some of my friends.

We do have limitations in the winter here in Fargo, ND, but we also have a lot of creative ways to keep life moving forward and enjoyable.

Q4U: How do you beat the Winter Blues?

faith fridays: patti armstrong's review of 'the rite'

Patti Maguire Armstrong

On Monday, I mentioned my fellow mother-writer-faith sister, Patti Armstrong, Bismarck, ND, sharing how she'd had a chance to hang out with actor Anthony Hopkins a few weeks back in anticipation of his latest film, The Rite. The film follows the true story of a priest who performs exorcisms. Patti was part of a press junket -- a small group of press representatives -- who got to talk with all of the actors and others who took part in the film.

After interviewing Patti on Real Presence Radio on Monday, I decided to share more on this topic, which I consider a faith issue that has great relevance to our modern-day lives. A friend of mind who spent a decade as an agnostic recently shared this with me regarding her return to Faith:

"Once I had accepted the fact that evil was an active force in our world and in the human heart, I was much more open to the reality of an opposing, good force."

Interesting, huh? Not that I want to focus on evil -- of course not. And neither does Patti. But failure to recognize that evil exists, and is a real and formidable foe (though not equal to God and His might) has the potential to lead us away from God. Patti shared with me on radio that evil inevitably compels us back into the loving arms of an all-loving God. And every Sunday at Mass, and in churches of many different denominations across the world, we say, "Deliver us from evil," and there's a reason we do.

The Rite Stuff by Patti Maguire Armstrong

There will be two kinds of people who go see the movie, The Rite, Warner Brothers' supernatural thriller about demonic possession; those who believe and those who do not.  But as Fr. Lucas warned his seminarian apprentice, “Choosing NOT to believe in the Devil won't protect you from him."  And that is ultimately what the movie is about -- faith or lack thereof.

The Rite opens in theaters January 28. It is loosely based on true events chronicled in the book, The Rite; The Making of a Modern Exorcist, by journalist Matt Baglio, who followed the training of Fr. Gary Thomas in Rome to become an exorcist for his diocese in the United States.  Fr. Gary was ordained in 1983 but his character is depicted by seminary student Michael Kovak, played by Colin O’Donoghue, who makes his screen debut. Michael feels called to the priesthood but becomes haunted by doubt. His skepticism leads his superiors to team him with Fr. Lucas, an unconventional exorcist played by Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins

When Michael witnesses behaviors during exorcisms such as guttural voices, knowing the unknown, speaking in languages the person never learned, vomiting nails, trances and bizarre physical contortions, he refuses to believe demonic forces are responsible. He befriends Angeline, a journalist played by Brazilian actress Alice Braga, who is intrigued by the phenomena of exorcism.  Her own interest is compelled by a brother who was insane, or perhaps possessed, who committed suicide. Together they confront their own demons, so to speak, as the veil between dimensions is ripped away. 

Keeping it Real

Hollywood’s seeming obsession with exorcism was first born in 1968 with the movie Rosemary’s Baby, followed five years later by The Exorcist. Others followed but The Rite sets itself apart with a soul for realism. Yes, realism.

It was just such a revelation that leading man O’Donoghue said challenged his own beliefs.  He explained during a press conference following the premiere showing of the movie in Los Angeles, “I didn’t think it was going to be so intense.”   While on location in Rome, O’Donoghue and director Mikael Hafstrom spent time in the waiting room of an exorcist, sometimes hearing banging, strange voices, and crying on the other side of the door.

Later, on the movie set, after working on the most intense exorcism scene, O’Donoghue said he approached Fr. Gary. “I said to him, ‘Well this must be quite a Hollywood version of it, right?’ but Fr. Gary said, ‘No, everything that happened here, I’ve seen.’”

In spite of being a practicing Catholic from Ireland, like the character he plays, O’Donoghue said he had doubts about the authenticity of exorcisms. “I’m more convinced now,” he said. “When I was talking to Fr. Gary and another exorcist I met, they didn’t try to convince me of anything. To them it’s real and their ‘take it or leave it’ attitude makes it more believable to me.”  O’Donoghue said his Catholic relatives need no convincing and thus, are not even sure if they will see the movie. “My grandmother said, ‘We’re delighted for you, but I don’t think I’ll see it.’”

It was Warner Brothers' commitment to realism that convinced Fr. Gary to sign off on his character and work as an advisor.  When Fr. Gary was first approached, he was the skeptic.  “I don’t trust you,” he told the producer. “Your industry hates the Catholic Church.” He finally signed a contract but only after seven rewrites, restrictions placed on his character and the requirement that Catholic teaching be accurate.

Anthony Hopkins

On the set, Fr. Gary helped coach Anthony Hopkins, who plays the unorthodox Fr Lucas, representing Fr. Gary’s mentor in Rome. “Hopkins was perfect for this role,” Fr. Gary said. “He gives off a presence of awe and even looks a little like Fr. Carmine.”

Hopkins said, “This role really did grab me; I never played a priest before.”  However, he admitted that initially, he was put off by it. “I thought, oh, I don’t want to do another creepy movie. But my agent said, ‘You really ought to read it.’  I read it and told him, ‘Yeah, I nearly missed it.  It’s a really good script; excellent.’”

Hopkins said that playing this character touched him on a spiritual level. “Fr. Lucas begins to wonder, what is the truth? He opens himself up to something in his own soul that he hadn’t thought about.” Hopkins said that he does not believe that people should ever think they have completely found the truth.  “Personally, I don’t believe in certainty,” he said. “I’m going to question the existence of everything.”  He did however admit to feeling certain about one thing: God. “I was an atheist over thirty years ago. I came into a context in my life that made me know without any doubt that I’m not enough; that there’s something much bigger than myself,” Hopkins said. “It changed my whole life.”

While Hopkins is hesitant to lay claim to specific religious beliefs, he said he respects the beliefs of others.  “I stay open and become informed as an actor.  I think that is why I felt challenged by this part.”

Mutual Respect

The feeling of respect for the beliefs of others permeated the movie set, according to all the participants. Swedish born director, Mikael Hafstrom, is from a Jewish and Protestant background but said, “I believe in believing and I respect other people’s way of finding inner peace.”

Screenwriter, Michael Petroni, who recently co-wrote The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, admitted that the subject matter was hard to shake off at the end of the day. “It definitely followed me home,” he said. “My wife was pregnant with our child and I was highly conscious of what was happening in my own home at the time. It is my nature to be interested in the spiritual side of life.” For Petroni, the movie was not just a story.  “It’s a presentation of a subject matter. If it creates a debate, that’s a good thing.”

The Rite is rated PG13. It has no blood or gore except for some blood in one possession scene. There are four profane words used by the demon during an exorcism.  Given the religious content, it is getting the attention of people who don’t ordinarily watch scary movies. If the devil scares you, then expect to be scared.  However, Fr. Gary sees The Rite as more than just a scary movie. On the last day on the movie set, he prayed with five of the actors and blessed them. Fr. Gary described the whole experience as fun but stated that for him, the greatest value is to get the message out that God is more powerful than the devil.

He said, “We should never fear this. What are you worried about? God is more powerful.  If there is a devil, there is a God and they are not equal.”

Patti Maguire Armstrong is the mother of ten children including two Kenyan AIDS orphans. She is a speaker and the author of Catholic Truths for Our Children: A Parent's Guide (Scepter) Stories for the Homeschool Heart and also the children's book, Dear God, I Don't Get It!" (Bezalel). She was  the managing editor and co-author of Ascension Press's Amazing Gracebook series. Her website is RaisingCatholicKids.com.

Q4U: Any questions for Patti? I'll try to finagle her into coming back to answer!

writing wednesdays: butterfly phoenix writer featured

It's time again. After a few bumps during the holidays, I've revived my monthly guest writer posts on Peace Garden Writer, and am pleased to introduce a local writer friend to be the first guest of 2011.

(Obviously this photo was taken months ago. Note: no snow on ground!)

Does she or does she not look extremely mysterious? I'd say she's either up to no good, or getting ready for something really big and important. I'm hoping the latter!

(Ah, Donna, you know I'm teasing you. Thanks again for the great interview!)

To read Donna's wise and illuminating words, go here.

Happy Writing!

PGM

mama mondays: mom of ten meets anthony hopkins

You know the guy on the left, but you may not know the gal on the right. Let me introduce you to Patti Armstrong, a fellow Peace Garden mama, writer and sister in Christ. Patti and I have a lot in common; we've both lived part of our lives in Montana, have ties to Bismarck, ND (her current home, my parents' current home), and mother large families, only Patti has me beat by five. Yup. She's a mother of ten (which makes my lot sound rather puny), though currently we both have five kids at home, so we're sort of on even terrain for now.

So what am I going on about anyway, and what's with the juxtaposition of Sir Phillip Anthony Hopkins, the famous Welsh actor, and this North Dakota mom? Well, not long ago the two were actually side by side when Patti had the honor of taking part in a press junket in anticipation of the release of the movie, The Rite.

Prior to her time with Hopkins and other actors from the movie, Patti interviewed three exorcists to learn more about what this process entails; not the sensationalized version but the real deal. It's actually quite fascinating. Here's one of the articles she wrote for an online magazine prior to her trip West. 

This morning, I'll be interviewing Patti on Real Presence Radio, live, from 9 to 9:30 a.m. Central Standard Time. I'm really looking forward to hearing what she has to say about the experience of meeting this famed actor, what she learned about how he regarded this particular project, and the truth of exorcism and its necessity in this world.

Sounds a little spooky, I know, but I can assure you that Patti will make this whole topic very approachable. If you can tune in (assuming it's not too late), that would be great! Locals, turn your dial to 1280 AM Moorhead-Fargo, 1370 AM Grand Forks, or 91.3 FM Bismarck-Mandan. You can also catch it through the web here.

Q4U: In the event you didn't get a chance to tune in, do you have any questions about exorcism? If I can't answer them, I'll do my best to find the answer.

faith fridays: prosperity

This may be my shortest Faith Fridays post yet. But that's okay, because it's something I'd rather throw out there and let you ponder rather than expound on it too much myself.

I just finished the book Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. Within that book, this little ditty dropped out and I had to dog-ear it. It's from p. 143:

“Prosperity knits a man to the World. He feels that he is ‘finding his place in it,’ while really it is finding its place in him.”

Lewis really had a fabulous way of making a point. I love how he packs so much profundity into a mere couple of sentences. 

I'd love for this to be more of a discussion than instructional. So let's engage. What does this mean to you? Does it stir you like it does me?

(Pssst! That's my Q4U for today!)

Blessings and Happy Weekend!

writing wednesdays: the writer's soul

Yes, there is such a thing, I would say, as the writer’s soul. If you’re not sure you can believe it, head over to Peace Garden Writer today and tell me if you think such a thing exists.

Later! (But hopefully sooner, too!)

PGM

mama mondays: on a cold, winter's night, hear us roar!

It was a cold winter's night...

My friend Marie and I had gathered at a lovely local restaurant to toast to our fellow blogger-mama-writer friend, Emilie Lemmons, who left our world on Christmas Eve 2008. Emilie would have been 43 on January 16.

Last year, Marie and I drove four hours to the Twin Cities to meet up with a group of Emilie's friends at a restaurant where they'd celebrated her 40th with her just a few years prior. It was a beautiful experience of friends old and new gathered to honor the life of one who lived life well and purposefully. But for Marie and I, the travelers from afar, it included a few glitches, too. On our last day of the trip, Marie's Tom-Tom led us astray and we found ourselves lost in St. Paul. After a few urgent petitions to the heavens, terse words with "Tom-Tom" and finally agreeing to rely on intuition, we did reach our destination, the Cathedral of St. Paul, only 15 minutes late for Mass. That was the first of a few mishaps during our return trip, but all this served to flavor our adventure, make it more real, more memorable.

As the photo at the top indicates, this year, too, the celebratory evening began peacefully, sublimely, even, as we admired the winter wonderland at our backs: the snowy banks of the Red River, the dim light illuminating deer tracks below, snow-heavy tree branches.

When our waitress announced her name -- Emily -- we smiled knowingly at one another. All was well and as it should have been, we knew right then. Enjoying a shared meal of scallops and broiled walleye, we finished it off with warm coffee and cream. It was a nice evening of catching up on the challenges and joys of our lives.

But the night wouldn't have been complete without something out of the ordinary occurring, and the first sign was when we paused for a hug in the parking lot and, as I clicked my remote key, heard no response. Dead battery. What to do? It took a little bit of scraping off ice to open the hood to Marie's car, and acrobatics in my van in an effort to access the jumper cables in the trunk without ready access to it (the key hole was iced over). But eventually, things began to turn around.

"Remember, positive to positive, negative to negative," my husband reminded me during a quick call home. Just when we were about to give up due to a tightly locked cable cover, I was able to pull it free, exposing the connecting spot that promised to liberate me. As Marie clamped the final cable to her battery, sparks flew briefly and immediately my van alarm began to sound. We both jumped as the "Wonk! Wonk! Wonk! Wonk!"sounded. "It's alive!!" Laughing, we couldn't help but feel triumphant at what had taken place. Though we'd almost run inside the restaurant to summon the help of a strong male type, it wasn't necessary. Marie and I had gotten things running again all on our own. We celebrated with High-5s and a few photos so that we wouldn't soon forget the power of determination -- a trait Emilie greatly admired.

  

"Now I know Emilie is with us!" Marie said.

Indeed. If not for the run-down battery fiasco, I might have second-guessed it. But as of last year's trip, we've come to associate our remembrances of our writer friend as incomplete without some sort of mishap occurring. Having gotten the sign, our evening was complete. We'd been properly assured that Emilie was near, giggling with us from her new, and likely much warmer, perch.


Q4U: What made you feel empowered recently?

faith fridays: never alone

I was there once.

At age 22, crammed into the room that had taken what seemed like miles to reach, shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of other tourists, I cranked my neck and head to gaze upon Michelangelo's rendition of God giving life to Adam; an image created nearly 500 years before.

When pondering today's post, this image came to mind despite the fact that I intend to speak not on the beginning of life, but the other end of the spectrum.

Here, in this famous painting, we see God's hand full of robust life reaching out to Adam's, which is more slack, obviously in need of an injection of vitality that only a creator can give. Life springs forth! And yet it is very similar to the image that will be presented at our end. Someday we, in our weakened state with outstretched hand, will grasp for something, knowing that the others who wish so much to help us...cannot. We alone can cross the finish line. They can be there, but they cannot take the final step for us any more than we can do this for others.

Having lost friends my age has forced me to consider things such as this; how even those of us surrounded by dear ones at the point of earthly end will, at some defined point, be required to move into the unknown...alone. 

Recently, I shared these thoughts with a friend, and she found them unsettling. And of course they ARE unsettling; terribly unsettling. Fortunately, though, my thought was not fully formed. I hadn't, as Paul Harvey often said, told "the rest of the story."

The truth of the matter is that we will die alone in earthly terms, whether or not loved ones surround. There's really no avoiding this. And the reason I'd mentioned it to my friend is that we'd been discussing times in which we've felt isolated, when our friends have suddenly felt more distanced, when we've felt disconnected from much of the world around us. My intention was to give my friend courage that these times of feeling isolated are preparing us for our earthly end -- that point at which we will be alone. I wanted her to take heart in those moments of loneliness, help her realize that every suffering has a purpose that can be brought to a good.

But I wasn't able to finish my thought; it ended prematurely. And do you know why? Because we became distracted. A child called out. Someone needed our attention. Food needed to be prepared. The phone rang. We were abruptly drawn to other things, earthly and important all, that needed us more than this unfinished thought. And so the conversation ended on an unresolved, sad note with her saying, "I don't like hearing that." 

And of course not. Who wants to hear they'll end this life alone? I certainly don't. Thankfully, there is more to be said. Because while this is all true, it's also true that just as we are letting go of our loved ones here at that point of departure, others are taking up the slack, picking up where the earthly ones left off.

I really believe that the point at which our earthly world becomes dimmer, the spiritual world that has been waiting on the other side of the thin veil separating this world from the next will be coming into focus, and we will be surrounded by other loved ones on the other side who also have been waiting; relatives, saints, our children, parents, cousins, friends, all those who have been cheering us on toward the finish line. And of course, beyond all of them, a light shining more brightly than all the others, and the intoxicatingly inviting, loving arms of the One who first set our lives in motion.

We will die alone in an earthly sense, yes. There will be a moment at which our loved ones here will not be able to travel alongside us. And that will be the precise moment at which the rest of our dear ones have arrived.

So for you, friend, my unfinished end, my sincere and fervent belief: You are never alone. Not here, and not afterward, either. All is well.

Q4U: How do you fill your empty moments with life?

writing wednesdays: just one!

I’ve got a challenge over on my writing blog, Peace Garden Writer, today. I hope you’ll click on over to see, and make sure to leave your “just one” answer.

See you soon!

PGM

mama mondays: blogiversary and ugly sweater winner!

Today is a day for celebration!

Three years ago to the day, on January 10, 2008, this blog took root and revealed its first small blossom in the form of its inaugural post.

To celebrate, I'm including links to three posts: that initial post, the final post of that same month (in which I extrapolate on having a larger family) and a link to the blog of one of my newest North Dakota blogger buddies, Katie Pinke, who mentioned my children's book, P is for Peace Garden: A North Dakota Alphabet, in one of her recent posts. I can think of no better way to celebrate than with the kind thoughts of another blog-mom who loves children's literature. After all, it was because of that book that I named my blog Peace Garden Mama. Sidenote: Katie and I found one another through Twitter, where she Tweets as "katpinke" and I as "peacegardenmama." I never ceased to be amazed at how we find one another through modern-day connecting methods.

The posts:

How Does Your Garden Grow? (Jan. 10, 2008)
A Vase Full (Jan. 30, 2008)
3 Prairie Dwelling 'Must Have' Children's Books (Jan. 4, 2011)

This post wouldn't be complete, however, without one more celebratory paragraph or two.

It's become an annual tradition among a group of friends and I to break up the winter blues by having an "Ugly Sweater Party." I honestly don't know which of us came up with the idea, though I know it was borrowed. There are similar parties going on all over the country, and should your local thrift store or closet turn up empty, you can browse an online Ugly Sweater Store. For inspiration, listen to this Ugly Sweater Rap on YouTube.

Well, this weekend it was time, again, to gather and sport our finest Ugly Sweaters. Thanks to an announcement Wednesday on Facebook that I had yet to track down my ugliest sweater, and to a friend's response that she had the perfect sweater, I entered the party with great hopes of a win. Much to my delight, I was proclaimed this year's winner. (Note: Not only did the sweater come with Christmas tree, gifts and bows, but with small jingle bells that actually jingled -- I know I got some extra points for that!)

I was honored with a trophy:

As well as "Purdy," a commemorative, rotating wooden treasure bestowed upon the winner each year:

Note: Purdy was named by the 18-month-old son of our first year's winner. When Christine brought her prize home, her young son was taken with it and kept pointing to it saying, "Purdy! Purdy!"

And here we all are wearing our lovely sweaters.

After playing Bunco and gobbling down some treats, we talked about all the crazy styles we've embraced through the years and enjoyed some hearty laughs at the memories.

And isn't that what life is all about -- finding the golden moments, the excuses to share a memory and a laugh, to revel in being alive together?

Q4U: What celebrations have you partaken in recently?

faith fridays: snow angels revisited

Last Friday, I wrote about snow angels. This Friday, I'm revisiting that subject. 

In the post, I'd recounted the story of how God came to my rescue one cold, snowy night after my van ended up in a snowbank, and how an "angel" in a big pickup with a rope arrived, seemingly out of nowhere, and how much that felt like a direct and urgent answer to the prayer I'd just uttered in a moment of worry and even fear. I talked about how I'd bawled all the way home as I allowed myself to realize how God had responded to me, how personal that had felt, how in awe I was of His love for me, how humbled by it.

I know not everyone would interpret that scene the same way. Let's look at some possibilities.

Some would immediately get it, would sense with me that that was, in fact, God's quick response to me, and that this person really was a sort of angel on earth, and I had every right to believe that.

Some might say, well, yeah, it was sort of God, but really, it was more just a man being nice as he passed and saw someone stranded.

Some would say it was total coincidence, but how nice. People do good things all the time. Lucky you!

There are times when I've read such "angel" accounts from others. When you're on the outside, you're more removed from the situation and you don't experience it the same way. If you've had a similar experience that felt like God's response, you might be more likely to trust that that is what the person experienced. But if not, you might question whether it really was a God moment.

I recognize that in the telling of a faith moment, readers and listeners won't always feel what you're trying to convey; it just might not be there. That's why it's faith. Faith requires both reason and emotion. It's a lovely combination of each, and my reliance on this has made my life exponentially more meaningful than if I were only to look at things from the natural level.

But what made this a faith moment for me, and not just a moment of sheer luck or coincidence, is how I processed it from the inside. I looked at it through the eyes of faith. And I felt it through the heart of faith.

Natural things happen all the time. God created the world for us and yet He allows us to have our world. He set it in motion, but He doesn't make us love Him, nor does he control each moment, even while holding it all in His hands.

So did God really send that person to help me? Or did I just get lucky?

Here's what I think. I think God created that person, that God is in that person as God is in each of us. Whether it was a direct response to my prayer or a response to the heart stirrings of a man who was created in God's image, either way, God gets all the credit. Because everything good comes from God. That I recognized it as a gift is where the faith entered in the most strongly. But it was already there, whether or not I would have seen it that way.

Faith...can't always be explained. Words and thoughts fail. At some point, it must be experienced, it must be lived.

All we need to do to experience faith is orient ourselves toward God, to ask Him to give us the vision to see through the eyes of faith. If we do this enough, eventually, our eye-glass prescription will become much clearer.

Q4U: In one sentence, what is faith to you?

writing wednesdays: the bee's knees

Yeah, I'm getting all cute on you today in an effort to lure you over to my writing blog, where I offer a recap of 2010. Let's just say I'm pinching myself and feeling very grateful about now!

Yep, the buzz today is definitely over there and not here.

See you soon!

http://peacegardenwriter.blogspot.com/2011/01/busy-as-bee-recap-of-2010.html

mama mondays: white new year

While looking back on the photos I've taken in the last week, I realized the resounding, repetitive theme could be summed up in one word: white.

It's been one of the whitest Christmas and New Year breaks in my memory. White can be both good and bad.

I'm so grateful the plethora of white paused long enough to allow the boys and I travel to Baxter, Minnesota, a few days after Christmas to visit my friend Mary. This same friend welcomed our flood-weary selves into her home during the big Flood of 2009. We hadn't been there since and, because we'd had so much fun then, we all figured it was time for another visit. (If the snow keeps going like it has been, we may be back a few months from now. Mary said she'll have the banana bread ready.)

A little illness scare had us delayed a few hours, but once the coast and weather were clear, we took off. The only major travel issue was being stopped a few miles out on Highway 10 by a "wide load" house that was being transported. Thankfully, we reached our destination by dinner. Mary and I enjoyed a wonderful meal out at one of her favorite spots while our seven sons stayed home and dined on pizza and Nintendo D.S.

The next day, we gathered up our plethora of snow pants, gloves and stocking caps for a sledding adventure -- a first for my boys. The last time we tried sledding, the day ended in a disaster when our oldest child (around 4 at the time) bit it at the end of the hill and ended up with a bloody face. That kept us away for about a decade. It felt great to bring the littlest two to their first sledding excursion:

There's Adam, my typically timid son (the thinker) raring to go. The hill was much steeper than it looks here, and yet there wasn't a moment of hesitation on his part. He zoomed right down and loved every moment of the thrill!

Here he is again, getting ready for another round...

There's one of Mary's twins (red), along with two of their neighbor friends who lent us some extra sleds and came along for the ride.

This is one of my favorite shots. One of the positives of a steep hill is the extra zip on the way down. One of the negatives is the haul on the way back. Nick, 5, struggled with the return trip each time. In this shot, I snapped just as he was about to lose his footing. Not that I take pleasure in his misfortune but the timing was kind of interesting and unplanned.

Mary caught our backsides here just as I was giving Nick a little nudge on a section that wasn't quite as treacherous.

And here he is on the return. The fellow sledders below offer a bit of perspective.

All in all it was a great experience -- a perfect sledding day with mild temps and a gorgeous sun shining down. The worse part was peeling the boys away from the hill. A little drama ensued on the way home with cries of injustice for not having been given enough time. (By that point, Nick was stopping halfway up the hill and crying for help. We'd both had enough, even though he wasn't willing to concede.)

A couple days later, this is what awaited us. (Hi snowy back deck! Hi Nick!)

The plan had been to stay a couple nights in Baxter, but we ended up changing courses after weather predictions foretold a big storm. If we hadn't left early, our family would have been separated over New Year's. Instead, we ended up trapped in our own home but all together. The benefit was knowing we were all safe and under the same roof, even as our city grew landlocked with no Interstate entrance or exit for two days, and a 100-car pile-up just outside of town which wreaked havoc on all those involved. Thankfully no one died, but eight hours in a vehicle on a North Dakota interstate had to be a real trial.        

       

The next day after that horrid storm (when the coffee shops closed I knew things were bad), the sun shone, wooing the kids outside and me near the window with my camera to capture the snow wall that had erupted on our back patio overnight. (The bubble in the right-hand corner is our metal fire pit.)

Quite an interesting New Year! We rang it in with a feast (thankfully I'd had enough foresight to buy a load of groceries right before the storm blasted) and several rounds of Mexican Train, a game my in-laws taught us over the break -- one in which our whole family was able to take part.

So there were a few bumps over break, but if you can get a snowball snack and a ready-made snow fort out of the deal, it's well worth any inconvenience!

Q4U: Did the New Year bring any unexpected surprises to your world? If so, what?