Year-End Musings

It's nearly 2011, and I'm reminded of how far I've traveled in this year of change. From San Diego to Idaho to Middlebury, Vermont, and back again. It's a lot of miles on the road and on a plane, but really it's more about a new place inside my head and my heart as I undergo the giant transition from full-time motherhood to being in relationship with adult offspring (calling them my children seems a misnomer). I anticipate another year of travel, change and transition in 2011.

Looking East, for the Last Time

For Poppy, Who I Liked A Lot

I liked his lack of pretension

The way he didn’t distinguish between Minsk and Pinsk

And didn’t remember where he picked up all his carved wood

Statues and masks and buddhas –

Only that he liked them.

I liked that he’d traveled the world with Frieda,

Whom he called “Mi Senora”

Even though he didn’t speak Spanish.

I liked that he spoke Yiddish, but called it Portuguese

Because he thought it was funny.

I liked his stories about growing up in the city,

Working the Polo Grounds,

Cleaning up after the horses,

Buying his first car,

Driving a girlfriend to the country.

I liked how he talked to his plants when he watered them.

I liked his dedication to the Navy,

The Pacific Fleet that shaped him, wounded him,

And caused him to change his name from Rabinowitz,

Because Robbins was less Jewish.

I liked that he changed his family name, too, so they would all be safer

And all belong.

I liked that he said he had a battleship tattoo,

And when I asked to see it,

He bared his naked chest and said it had sunk.

And when I was in college, he gave me his Navy blazer

And said I wore it well, even though it was too big.

I liked that he loved the ocean,

On which he skippered many boats, including Reflections and Pelilu,

On which I fell asleep causing him to believe I had fallen overboard.

And every time he told me that story, he still worried about my safety.

And when he grew old,

I liked sitting with him on a bench by the sea,

Where he watched the seals,

And called it his office,

Because he worked there every day

To remember his stories.

I liked that he cried easily

Because he lost so much,

Because he laughed so hard,

Felt so deeply

For so long.

I liked that he was always a gentleman,

Who opened doors,

And watched his language,

And picked up the check,

Unless I beat him to it.

I liked that he never stopped loving women,

And big breasts,

And his brother, Norman.

I liked that, in his words, life was pretty good until he turned 90,

When he started to slow down,

And we took away his car.

And for four more years, he walked,

Slowly giving up speed,

Then distance,

Then stairs.

I liked that as he neared the end,

He finally let me do things for him,

Like help him stand up,

Put on his hat,

Open his mail,

Pay his bills,

Feed him peanut brittle,

rub lotion on his parched skin.

Farther Away Than Ever

Four kids east of the Mississippi. Why am I here?

Charlotte Gets a Grown-Up Apartment

My feet are killing me, but all the work we did today to set up Charlotte's apartment was so worth it. As she says, it's like a doll house, only for real.

The apartment is on the second floor of a six-unit building on a quiet, tree-lined street, across the street from Charlotte's old dorm. The windows are large and new, there is a nice view, and the sun really lights up Charlotte's bedroom.

This is the living room (hardwood floors!)

The view looking across the street.

The kitchen, as seen from the dining room.

We put together the bed and the six-drawer dresser ourselves!

And here is a great find from an antique store.

Charlotte is in heaven 

(well, really, she's in her closet, but it feels like heaven for her 

to organize all her things in such a big walk-in closet)

Evanston

Hello world!
Charlotte and I have arrived in Evanston and are busy apartment shopping: Ikea; Macy's; Bed, Bath and Beyond and more! But we've also made time for some friends and some yummy food. (See below)

Charlotte and Alli at the Hertz rental center.

Charlotte at Flat Top Grill. Mmmmm...

Vermont Farm Country

You gotta check out this next set of pix, taken en route from Middlebury to Burlington, when Charlotte and I decided to take the back roads. If you look carefully, you'll see that in places, the roads weren't even paved. But, wow, what beautiful countryside!

As they say in Vermont: Peace, Love and Cows!

Where We Live

Here are a few pix of our B&B, the Swift House Inn:

A quaint country New England boarding house. 

Very Laura Ashley.

The places we live also include dorms, and today was move-in day for Hannah. Battell South is an ivy-covered building, white clapboard and stone, with a blue door. Inside, however, it is a typical dorm room, with cinder block walls, heavy-duty light wood furniture, and tight living quarters. Nevertheless, Hannah did her best to make it feel like home.

Doesn't it look great?

Midd Adventure (Day 4)

Today we actually toured the campus and the town of Middlebury, which is so lovely, the best I can do is post the photos, so you can see for yourself.

One of the many grassy quads.

The chapel.

Hannah's dorm.

The library.

Hannah and Charlotte stroll through town. Note the banner welcoming incoming students.

Otter Creek runs through town.

There are even waterfalls.

We stopped at this tea shop in a restored stone building that was originally used to process marble that was mined locally. We enjoyed freshly brewed chai and maple oolong.

Tomorrow is move-in day. Wish us luck!

Midd Adventure (Day 2)

Today was the big dorm shopping day, but we also managed to take in some of Burlington's sites. Here's a brief tour.

I've got hangers, but I still need hooks for all my coats and scarves, don't I?

Lake Champlain is a great place for some R&R after too much shopping.

Refreshment is just a scoop away at Vermont's own Ben & Jerry's.

Midd Adventure (Day 1)

It's a long way from San Diego to Middlebury. But here we are happy to be in Burlington, Vermont, on the first day of Hannah's great college adventure.

We spent our first evening on Church Street, which is a picturesque pedestrian promenade similar to the one in Santa Monica. Crowds of people were dining al fresco, musicians were playing, shoppers were spending money and everyone seemed to be having a great time. I know we were.

It seems all the cows that were in La Jolla last year have returned to the state that made Ben & Jerry's famous.

More to come...

Vermont

No act shouts Heading East as much as our imminent trip to Vermont to take Hannah to college. It truly speaks to the feeling that I have of living on the western edge of the continent with a longing to go east, where something more is happening, or where nothing much is happening, but to a place where one can feel grounded. Some days, it wouldn't surprise me if an earthquake caused all of California to break off from the rest of the continent and drop away into the ocean, like a massive ice chunk breaking free of the polar cap. The farther east my children go, the more I feel the tug to go back there, the more San Diego feels like it is drifting into the sea.

Colony

The week went too fast. I was remiss in my blogging. But that's what happens when you're having too much fun. Seriously, what a great time... two new works read each day, at 3 and 8 pm, followed by nightly outings to James Bar or The Depot for decompression drinking. I haven't laughed so much in many moons. And last Wednesday, a spectacular river float on the Blackfoot. Although they don't do justice to the event, here are a few images of the river float, a reading and a night out at the James Bar (with Bill and Hillary Caisley):

University of Montana

Day 2 of being on the campus of University of Montana for Missoula Colony 15. I'm honored to be here among such acclaimed playwrights as Marsha Norman, James McClure, Roger Heddon, Ron Fitzgerald and Lily Award winner Deb Laufer (my dorm-mate), plus a group of fabulous actors and directors.

I continue to be awed by the beauty of this place, with its sunshine, fresh air and starry skies. This is the center of campus (with a better view of the M).

Here are a couple more campus shots, one while walking to the student center and one inside. I imagine all the interior plantscapes are soothing during the long gray winters.

I'll post more about Colony soon, but in the meantime, here's a photo John sent from his morning walk in North Dakota, a place with its own kind of sparse beauty.

M

One of the must-do activities in Missoula is to hike up to the giant M at the peak of Mount Sentinal. So at eight this morning, before it got too hot, I set out. It's hard to see the M in this photo, but this is what the hill looks like from the bottom.

It's a steep climb on switchbacks cut into the mountain by University of Montana forestry students at the turn of the century. The first M was also built by students, in 1909. Here's a view of the campus from about midway up.

As you can see, the campus and the residential areas surrounding it are beautiful, with lots of trees and lots of green grass. About 9,500 students attend school here, and the mascot is the grizzly bear, so there is an abundance of "Griz" merchandise for sale in town. I didn't meet any grizzlies on my hike, although I did cross paths with a deer, which was very cool.

It took me about 40 minutes to get to the M, and the hike, although arduous, was a lot of fun and well worth the effort to see the magnificent view of the entire valley. This is the view looking northwest towards downtown, and yes, the sky really is that big and that blue here.

In case you're a numbers person, the M is 125 feet tall and 100 feet wide and it is located 620 feet above the valley floor. Hiking to the M is definitely a great way to exercise and enjoy the beauty of Missoula at the same time.

Missoula: An Introduction

Rather than post only photos, I thought you might like some action. Here's what's happening today in Missoula:

If you want to see a bit more of my view from Caras Park, just outside my hotel in downtown Missoula, click on the video below. This river is called the Clark Fork, and it bisects Missoula. Clark Fork originates near Butte and flows northwest through Idaho. Its waters eventually end up in the Columbia River. Had it originated five miles east of its source, the water would have flowed the other way on the eastern side of the continental divide.

Highlights from Idaho

We covered some miles on Tuesday after leaving Salt Lake and heading up the Interstate 15 to Idaho Falls. We arrived about lunchtime and dined on amazing burgers at the Snake Bite. After lunch, we strolled along the Snake River and, of course, admired the falls.

Although John was eager to get a lot more highway behind him (because he has to get to North Dakota by Thursday night), we couldn't resist our usual meanderings off the beaten path, so we left the interstate and headed west on Highway 28 to follow the route of Sacajewea and Lewis and Clark.

 As you can see, taking the backroads was the right decision.

We stopped in Salmon, Idaho, on the Salmon River, which is one of our favorite waterways and the river where Lo caught her first trout. There's not much in Salmon, but we enjoyed the scenery and the low-key vibe.

 Heading up over the mountains and into Montana.

 Next time: Missoula