Getaway and Zip (with Pictures)

Ziplining is fun.

Climbing up ladders and waiting for your turn to go is less fun, but a couple of personable guides and great views of the Shenandoah River help pass the time. Also, pretending to be in an Ewok tree village.

You're always tethered to something, so you're not going to fall. There's nothing to worry about. So when you're standing on a 4x4-foot platform looking down at the tops of the trees, and there's no way off except by a cable that ends somewhere out of sight, there's absolutely nothing to worry about. Who was worried?

Deidre and I went with River Riders in Harper's Ferry. It was definitely more fun going with a friend. The guides went over safety rules with us, then asked which of our group of seven would sign the form attesting that, yes, we'd heard the safety rules. I signed it, at which point they announced, "Congratulations! By signing this form, you've also adopted our newest guide!" As another explained, "River Riders has a deal with the local orphanage. Every time you pay for a Canopy Tour package, you get a new child!" But I left him there after all. He told very bad West Virginia jokes.

The rest of my weekend was all mine, and all good. On Sunday, I spent eight hours writing. And let me tell you, two hours stuck in the house with fractious kids lasts a whole lot longer than eight hours spent in wordcraft. The only break I took from writing was when I drove Addi to 4H camp, and that didn't take a whole lot out of my day because she dismissed me as soon as she was settled on her top bunk.

I can't say I was rarin' to get back home, but this morning I did play tea party with Daphne and read an Encyclopedia Brown story aloud to Stuart. So I must have recharged a little. And maybe I was feeling a lack of Darren.

But I figure I could stand a few more weekends like this in my life.

(The following pictures are all blurry because the guide's camera was on the wrong setting. On the upside, we got them free.)

Deidre (the grin wearing the Battlestar Gallactica shirt on the far left) and I (wearing the green shirt) pose with our group before setting out.

I hated the helmet. My hair afterward was beyond Medusa Hair. Deige's looked just fine, not that I noticed.

This is the point where I felt Darren freaking out in spirit. But I was absolutely fine. P.S. Dear Deidre, good call not to jump up and down on the bridge. Our friendship would have ended twenty feet in the air.

Here we are, with Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia in view behind us.

Yes, Doofenshmirtz fans, that's right: It was THE TRI-STATE AREA!

Deige goes flying.

See the trees, how high up we are? See how the picture is taken from a HIGHER spot? Yes, we're one level down from where we actually zipped. 

The actual moments that you're flying down the cable are pure heaven. It goes by so fast, though. It really made me wish I could do that scene in the novel Divergent, where they zipline off what used to be Chicago's Sears Tower. Maybe my next weekend alone.

-- SJ

Escape!

Darren, being a husband far above rubies and liberally decorated with gold stars, has helped me arrange a weekend getaway for myself in August.

(By "helped me arrange," I mean "agreed to keep the kids." The rest is pleasant work on my part.)

I've got a pretty full schedule for that weekend. There's so much I want to get to, that I simply can't do on a daily basis. So far, the lineup looks like this:

1. Write
2. Sleep late
3. Not worry about anybody's meals except my own
4. Write
5. Not clean anything up
6. Not listen to any conversations I don't want to hear
7. Write
8. Sit beside the river and look at the clouds
9. Sit beside the river in the moonlight
10. Write
11. Go ziplining with Deidre
12. Finish a story

Yeah, obviously I'm striking out into new horizons here... finishing a story! Seriously!

Oh, right, and that ziplining thing. I read about it in the airplane magazine last month when flying down to Mississippi, and thought it sounded fun. I've always wanted to fly. When we drove past this place recently, I exclaimed to Darren, "Look! A zipline! Wouldn't that be the coolest thing?"

Profound silence from his side of the van. His sense of adventure was being strangled by his intense dislike of heights. Okay, fine. I called Deidre instead.

I will, of course, blog about the experience. I mean, if I can fit it into my schedule.

-- SJ

GWL Pictures

Here are pictures (see, see, Deidre!) to go along with the post below.


The indoor water park was a grand place. This doesn't show the wave pool or any of the slides.


Happy kids with some of their new Stuff: Great Wolf Lodge wolves, a dragon, and a dragon cape.


Happy Darren, who planned this getaway and had the satisfaction of watching his whole family enjoy it.

Happy Sara, so glad to be somewhere fun in February that she didn't even mind having Medusa hair the whole time, due to letting it air dry.


We offered Pip some good, nourishing, yummy lunch. Here, he thinks he's hiding as he eats the Special Vacation Cereal Lucky Charms instead.



Gearing up for "the beach," as Pip referred to it.


Happy big kids at "the beach."

Great! Wolf! Lodge!

Two Christmases ago, my mom sent us money as our gift. Darren and I excitedly planned to use it to take the kids to an indoor water park about an hour away -- during February, the draggiest and grayest month of the year. Well, last February struck back with its withered hands and raking claws: someone in the family was sick every single day of the month. No water park for us.

This past Christmas, my mom sent money again -- as she says, money is a color scheme that goes with anything. We'd already been adding a little every month to her last year's gift, and were in the mood to really sock it to February this year. So we skipped the day-trip water park, and went for the real glitz: two nights at Great Wolf Lodge.

(Or, as the kids referred to it, Great! Wolf! Lodge! (x24) )

The only *only* way we could even consider going was because our friend, Geni, advised us to find out when the Homeschool Week discounts were. Normally, rooms at GWL go for $380/night. During Homeschool Week (which GWL does in conjunction with nearby Williamsburg), the rooms are discounted to $139/night. A splurge, but doable. So, we did it.

It was two and a half days of nonstop fun. There was always something to do: the huge indoor water park with six slides, the arcade, the miniature bowling alley, the candy shop, the teen space with movies and video games, and (this was a major reason why we wanted to go in the first place) a MagiQuest game built into the hotel itself. We first discovered MagiQuest three years ago in Tennessee. I wrote about it, saying, "...it's not like it was worth the seven-hour drive down there just to play it or anything. Three or four hours, however, is entirely justifiable." Um, right, so as I was saying, we drove four hours down to Great Wolf Lodge, where there was a MagiQuest...

All six of us had a grand time. Addi and Stuart could come and go as they pleased, playing MagiQuest in the hallways until it shut down at 10. We didn't let Daphne wander around the hotel by herself, but since the water park provided floaties for children, she could go nearly wherever she wanted in the water park. And Pip was so comfortable with the setup that on the last day I took my eyes off him for seven seconds and he vanished. Addi spotted him ten minutes later in the glass elevator, apparently enjoying the ride.

The entire experience was just a little surreal, to be honest. Here we were, in a self-contained world of Fun. We slept there. We could eat there. We had nothing to do but have fun! Even money wasn't a problem! All we had to do was swipe our computerized wristbands (which everyone was required to wear the entire stay), and the charge automatically went on our credit card! If I needed a snack, or a souvenir, or even more tokens for the arcade, just a little swipe would get me whatever I wanted. You got the feeling that pretty soon the Nice People In Charge would turn out to have very dire designs on the happy, hapless revelers.

But if so, we escaped unscathed. Relatively so, although the credit card statement is going to be a little hot to the touch, I'm afraid. Doesn't matter. We kicked February in the teeth, and had fun too!

Notes:

1. Don't even think of booking rooms at GWL unless it's a discount week (which they don't advertise on their website).

2. Our kids were good ages for it. Two years is the youngest that I'd enjoy having there; they wear out so quickly, and can't really appreciate all the Fun Stuff. Daphne (5) had a good time. Addi and Stuart (10 and 9) were in heaven.

3. Also on the advice of Geni, we didn't try to combine GWL with Williamsburg. Far too much to cram into two or three days.

4. We bought the three older kids a "Paw Pass." They were $50 each, so weren't cheap; but they gave the kids things like a stuff-your-own animal, a hair extension, a Kandy Kup (literally, a cup full of candy), tokens for the arcade, and a discount on a MagiQuest wand and game. It was worth the money.

There were posters up informing us that we'd save money if we booked another stay before we left. We didn't show these posters to the kids, but it doesn't matter. They've got our family vacation inked in for next year anyway.

-- SJ

2011 in Review - DJ

Questions provided by Queen of Carrots.

1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?

Pretty much skipped my birthday, due to Sara being long-term sick and me being short-term sick.

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I don’t usually make resolutions, and I don’t remember making any specifically last year.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth or get pregnant?

Not in my immediate family. Several in Sara's.

4. Did anyone close to you get married?

No one really close, although again, Sara's family and friends had some action on this front.

5. Did anyone close to you die?

No.

6. Travel?

A very fun family trip up to Maine and Nova Scotia this summer. We went by train and had a fantastic time.
Also lots of work travel, which is kind of fun for me but no fun at all for the five left at home.

7. Did you move anywhere?

No. After moving the last time (almost 10 years ago now), Sara and I decided that we didn’t ever want to move again. And that was with only one child and less than two years of marriage to accumulate stuff.

8. What was the best month?

June, with the trip North.

9. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?

A healthier family.

10. What date(s) from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

I really can’t think of any particular dates.

11. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

I did a case in California from beginning to end, and won! That was a blast.

12. What was your biggest failure?

The church that we’ve been attending for 6 years had to stop renting the space we’ve had because we aren’t growing. No, it wasn’t just my failure, but as one of two families who helped start it up, it feels bad. So now we’re meeting in a home, which I’m not at all a fan of, at least long-term.

13. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Oh, my, yes. Many, many colds for everyone; Sara’s 3 week bout with fever; Stuart was sick with a fever for about 2 or 3 weeks. It was not a nice healthy year.

14. What was the best thing you bought?

Dungeons and Dragons. We’ve had a lot of fun as a family playing together.

15. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Sara, for getting several articles published and GETTING PAID FOR THEM! Yay, Sara!

16. Whose behavior made you appalled and/or depressed?

I try to avoid being political on my blog, but I’m not sure whether I’m more appalled or depressed at the current executive and legislative branches of our federal government. Probably both words apply depending on the day.

17. Where did most of your money go?

Housing and food. Not in the bank. And regarding the money that is in the 401(k) plan, thankfully not much of it went anywhere. Flat is better than plummeting.

18. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Going to a worship leader conference. Winning a case.

19. What song will always remind you of 2011?

“Mean” by Taylor Swift.

20. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder?
ii. richer or poorer?

i. Hmmm. Good question. I would say probably sadder, due to the afore-mentioned church move.
ii. Thankfully, a little richer. Mostly due to Sara’s doing the budget. She’s really good at it.

21. What do you wish you'd done more of?

House repairs. I’m not at all good at them, so I tend to do what Dad and I call our “ostrich act” – just bury our heads in the sand and ignore them.

22. What do you wish you'd done less of?

Eating. I’m still the same weight I was last New Year’s (ok, I lost 2 whole pounds over the course of the year, but it’s basically the same).

23. How will you be spending New Year's Eve/Day?

We spent them enjoying my vacation from work. I took two whole weeks off, and that was great. And dinner with the Shaw family included homemade pasta, which is terrific.

24. What was an unexpected surprise?

Getting to go to the HSLDA National Conference for the first time in 10 years. My legal assistant leaving on short notice. The Virginia earthquake.

25. Did you fall in love in 2011?

Nope, but stayed in love with my best friend Sara. Marriage to her gets better every year.

26. What was the best concert you've been to this year?

None that I can think of, but Matt Maher is coming to this area soon, and I hope to go see him.

27. What was your favorite TV program?

Heroes, Season 1. Loved it!

28. Do you dislike anyone now that you didn't dislike this time last year?

No.

29. What was the best book you read?

I think probably Spellbound by Larry Correia. David Weber’s Out of the Dark was pretty good too.
For non-fiction, Two Years Before the Mast by Richard Henry Dana. Many thanks to Will Estrada for recommending it to me.

30. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Taylor Swift.

31. What did you want and get?

A new cross necklace for Christmas. Better organized at work.

32. What did you want and not get?

A new minivan. Maybe this year?

33. What was your favorite film of this year?

X-Men:First Class and Captain America were top notch. I also really liked The Three Musketeers.

34. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I was 38, and I got sick. It was not a stellar birthday.

35. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

More time to spend with Sara.

36. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?

Fashion? Ha! I don't really care enough to have a "fashion concept," I'm afraid.

37. What kept you sane?

Reading and going out for drives BY MYSELF WITH NO LITTLE VOICES TALKING TO ME.

38. What political issue stirred you the most?

The national debt crisis.

39. Who did you miss?

Sara and the kids, when I was on business travels.

40. Random Memories from 2011?

Having a great time with Addi and Stuart at Virginia’s inclusive homeschool convention. Sitting in a welfare office for 2 hours waiting for my case to be called. Driving a bright yellow car called Ferdinand, listening to Modern Scholar CDs. Our tenth annual All Saints Day party. Getting to meet with some good friends in person instead of just talking over the phone. Flying to Los Angeles and then immediately coming back, because the hearing got postponed while I was in the air. Listening to a CD of "yellow songs" that my friends the Morgans made for me to listen to while driving my yellow car.

2011 in Review -- SJ

Borrowed from Queen of Carrots.

1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?
Rode a train. Related question: What did you resolve to do again as soon as you can?

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don’t make resolutions. I’m not that type of person. No, really, there are people who don’t feel the need to make and accomplish goals. I know, right? Like, ‘Seriously? I’m going to make it a goal to meet five of these people this year!’

3. Did anyone close to you give birth or get pregnant?
I’m always nervous about this question because I’m afraid I’ll forget someone important. Like in 2010 when I forgot that I was the one who’d had the baby in 2009. Anyway, one sister had a baby and the other sister has one on the way.

4. Did anyone close to you get married?
My oldest niece, Courtney. My good friend Jessica.

5. Did anyone close to you die?
No.

6. Travel?
Just a couple thousand miles north to Maine and Canada and back (add another couple thousand miles there).

And I went to California by myself for a friend’s wedding, which was a big deal for Darren and me both.

7. Did you move anywhere?
No. And that’s good, because I’ve finally put down roots here.

8. What was the best month?
June/July/August. We took our trip North to see cousins and grandparents and siblings and aunts and uncles. (It still startles me that I have such a vast array of Northern relatives now.) Then in August, my niece Katie visited. Her visit overlapped with my mother’s visit. My life here is good but very lacking in Family, so this summer was particularly good in that respect.

9. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
Easy, enjoyable Sundays.

10. What date(s) from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
If I can’t remember, does that answer the question? I’ll have to say September 28 – October 19, when I was sick with a fever and ate ibuprofen like candy.

11. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Educating three children while dealing with a toddler. Also, picking up a regular column with Child Guide magazine.

12. What was your biggest failure?
Not dealing with a conflict in a forthright manner, but rather sulkily. Which hasn’t improved the situation, in case anyone is wondering.

13. Did you suffer illness or injury?
The month of February was jolly because there was someone sick every day of that month. Pretty much all of October and November, thanks to The Fever and the cold that came along afterward.

14. What was the best thing you bought?
This netbook that I’m typing on. Now I don’t have to fight the kids for the computer, plus I can be on Facebook like ALL DAY, so obviously my life is much better.

15. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Darren, who was swamped at work at the same time that the household was falling in because I spent every day on a mattress in the dining room, eating ibuprofen.

Stuart and Daphne, who formerly couldn’t be in the same room without fighting, but this past year have grown into being able to play together sometimes. Our neighbor Evan, who is friends with both Stuart and Daphne, helps bridge the gap.

Addi, who cooks her own breakfast, can do some grocery shopping on her own, and once let me nap while she cleaned up an awful diaper mess of Pip’s.

Pip, whose self-potty-training efforts have improved dramatically.

16. Whose behavior made you appalled and/or depressed?
Oh, who knows? Obviously nothing I want to think about.

17. Where did most of your money go?
Food, I think. An unreasonable amount on clothes for my CA trip (I was willing to spend a lot to feel pretty and confident). Oh, and also a pretty good chunk toward that trip North.

18. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Going to California for Jessica’s wedding, where I was reunited with good friends for a weekend.

Continuing to freelance for Child Guide, including the regular columns about NAMES!

Christmas, because Darren got to take a good long vacation from work.

A summer full of family, as mentioned.

19. What song will always remind you of 2011?
How will I know, until years later when I hear a song and realize, “That makes me think of….” But probably “Rhythm of Love” by Plain White T’s. I first heard it on a slideshow of Jessica’s wedding pictures, and have listened to it about twenty-five dozen times since.

20. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder?
ii. richer or poorer?

i. Happier. The kids are getting older. Pip is out of the worst of the toddler stage. Darren and I did nothing for our eleventh anniversary (I was sick, he was busy) and discovered that it didn’t really matter too much because we’re happy to be together every day.

ii. Hm. I haven’t tackled the budget since Christmas, ask me later... I think after a few big expenses this year, we’re a little poorer, but I’m darn sure not complaining.

21. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Concentrated writing. Community events. Volunteer work. Read more books. Gotten to hang out with my family, who is so far away from me.

22. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Cleaned up awful diaper messes. Making lunch. Shouted. Passively waited for something I didn’t like to change itself.

23. How will you be spending New Year's Eve/Day?
We did it already. We spent New Year’s at the Shaws, something we do many holidays.

24. What was an unexpected surprise?
Aren’t all surprises unexpected? I was surprised how much I, who am not a “beach person” or a "Northern person," loved gray sky and red sand of the Nova Scotia coast.

25. Did you fall in love in 2011?
Yes, every day with a man who has a red beard and blue eyes and a quietly mischievous sense of humor.

26. What was the best concert you've been to this year?
DJ and I got to see a favorite band, L’Angelus, twice in one weekend. Um, wait. That might have been the summer before. Oh, well, it warrants a mention anyway.

27. What was your favorite TV program?
I don’t watch TV shows. But I glanced over Darren’s shoulder occasionally as he watched Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Heroes.

28. Do you dislike anyone now that you didn't dislike this time last year?
Possibly, but unless it’s a fictional character or a celebrity, it’s not like I’m going to spill details on my blog.

29. What was the best book you read?
Lost Communities of Virginia by Terri Fisher and Kirsten Sparenborg. It traced the history of thirty has-been communities in the state, along with photographs of sagging buildings and interviews with the remaining elderly residents. I wallowed in it.

30. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Pandora!

31. What did you want and get?
A netbook.

32. What did you want and not get?
A writing project with a guaranteed success if I finish it.

33. What was your favorite film of this year?
The Help. I thought it did justice to the book, and it was visually pleasing to watch. Oh, but TinTin was so much fun too.

34. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 34. I threw myself a party, invited four or five good friends, and we all read aloud from some of our favorite books. My friend Deidre planned it for me. My sister Rosemary said I was a nerd and had nerdy friends.

35. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
That persistent situation that I keep making veiled references to, if it had resolved or gone away instead of doing neither.

36. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
Comfortable, improved on average, less stuffy.

37. What kept you sane?
Writing, blogging, Facebooking, friends, seeing family, escaping with my netbook to our grocery store – it has a small café, wifi, and is open all night.

38. What political issue stirred you the most?
The concept of civil rights – thoughts inspired by The Help – and how it applies or not to today’s gay marriage movement.

39. Who did you miss?
My sisters. My grandmother, who died many years ago but showed up in a dream a few weeks ago and hugged me.

40. Random Memories from 2011?
The beach with Grandpa and Nana.

Going contra-dancing finally with Darren.

Trying my first margarita.

Watching Addi get her long, thick hair cut off up above her ears.

Pip at the train station when Mam was leaving, hands over his ears and unable to take his eyes off the big, loud choo-choo rushing toward us.

Playing D&D as a family, with even Daphne participating.

Stuart wanting to be a Golden Snitch for Halloween – and Mom and I making the costume.

Darren kissing me goodnight on our anniversary, as I lay burning up with fever.

The Joneses Go North, Part 1

It had been six years since we were last in Nova Scotia, so a trip north was in order.

(If I had read that sentence anytime before November 1999, I'd have thought, "It's been twenty-two years since I was last in Nova Scotia, and who cares?" There's a lot more to my life since Darren became part of it.)

We actually fit two trips into one -- which, by the way, I highly recommend doing if you enjoy packing, repacking, shipping a box of clothes up ahead of you, shuffling, driving, repacking, gambling on the weather, and living out of backpacks for ten days. We gathered with all of Darren's immediate family and some of his extended family in Maine. Then we drove across the Canadian border, stayed with his parents, and visited his grandparents.

Then we came home.

The trip home took a total of twenty-one hours (split into two days), so I gave that line its own paragraph.

This time we tried something new: we took the train from D.C. to Boston:

Boarded and ready to roll.

We are now officially Train People. It costs about the same as flying, but it's half the hassle. Technically it takes longer, yes, but you can read a book, stretch your legs, take a nap, or shift in your seat without violating four other people's personal space. And there's so much to look at outside! Even the industrial areas of cities is more interesting than clouds. I now see why my mom always takes the train up to see us.

Happily speeding along the tracks.

(From Boston to Portland, we took the bus. That was far less enchanting and I didn't take any pictures.)

In Maine, we stayed at Shiloh. For Darren's side of the family, that's all you have to say. For the rest of the world, "Shiloh" needs more explanation. Shiloh is a large, rambling building built in 1897 (96? 98? Sometime around then). Its most distinctive feature is the square tower with a crown on top. (Here are some pictures of Shiloh as it was in the past. Now only the front building remains.)

It was built as a church and a missionary school, so as you climb the narrow spiral staircases, you keep happening upon bedrooms. Those bedrooms open into more bedrooms, and you look around the corner and find yet more bedrooms. I was delighted with Shiloh the first time I saw it, and our kids certainly weren't disappointed either. The cousins got to choose their own rooms, and four of them (Tucker, Jack, Stuart, and Daphne) liked the idea of dorm life:

The Cousin Dorm


While in Maine, we started out for the zoo but got rained out. So we went to the Children's Museum of Maine instead. It was an acceptable substitute:

Chloe looking at the honey bees. Phillip is in the background. We didn't have to say "No, don't touch that!" at this museum.


Tucker dressed as a firefighter! His hands are, anyway.

Stuart obligingly smiling for the camera. Note the long sleeves. It was, after all, only June. (A little Southern sarcasm there.)

Phillip in the toddler playground, a fun and stimulating enclosed area that kept him amused for about six minutes.


Also while in Maine, everyone went to Uncle Rick and Aunt Kath's place on the lake. I don't have pictures because "everyone" doesn't include Darren, me, or Pip. Travel-weary (and fighting a cold, in Darren's case), we stayed at Shiloh. We were grateful for family who allowed our older three to enjoy kayaking, boat rides, and fishing despite our exhaustion.

I don't have pictures, but I do have a haiku from the last time we visited Uncle Rick and Aunt Kath, in 2004:

Life Is Bitter: A Poem in Haiku
Inspired by Addie Jones

I stand on the shore
As they sail away from me.
My tears stream freely.

They would not take me
They said there was no more room.
But Jed got to go.

Ah, life is bitter,
For I wanted to be there,
In the boat with them.

I stand on the shore
As they sail away from me.
I see Jed waving.

(This time, not only did all the cousins get to go out a couple of times, but they all got to steer the boat.)

More to come...

Four Friends

If you're a person who never takes pictures, you do well to make friends with a photographer. Thanks for the picture, Danielle.

Left to right: Marti, Jessica (the bride), Danielle, Sara

Wedding in the West

I went to a wedding this weekend. The wedding was in California, and the weekend lasted four days. It's something I definitely could see my way to doing again.

The fact that I went was a pretty big deal, in the same way that the Grand Canyon is a pretty big ditch. I've never left Darren with the kids for more than two overnights. Not that I doubted him: he of course handled things splendidly and I'm not sure that Pip ever really noticed I was gone. It's just not something I'm accustomed to thinking of as, you know, possible.

This was an event I couldn't miss, though. Fifteen years ago, five of us shared a house during our six-month HSLDA internship. Lots of things have changed since then: homes and jobs and beliefs and marriages and kids and opinions. But we're still basically the same girls who survived six months in close quarters with our friendship intact. This weekend, Jessica got married, and Marti and Danielle and I were there to celebrate with her (Jenna was the only one missing).

Since Jessica married a man as socially enthusiastic as she is, they turned their wedding into a weekend vacation for all their guests. The actual ceremony took up only 35 minutes of the three-day event. (The actual ceremony also included a Dachshund, in a tuxedo, as ring-bearer, a mariachi band providing the music, and the groom's sister in a tux as the best man.) I'm not sure what everybody else did during the rest of the time. I know I spent a lot of time by myself, writing or listening to an audiobook, savoring the hours when I didn't have to take care of anybody except myself.

I wouldn't make a good travel writer. For one thing, I don't much like to travel. Even once I got all the way out to the West Coast, I found a cozy little routine and stayed in it. I even sat at the same table for breakfast and lunch every day. Secondly, I had to make a conscious effort to tell Darren about the food I ate. It was all very good food: quinoa and asparagus salad, rosemary potatoes, rotisserie chicken, breaded bass, cream of asparagus soup, barbecue brisket... all marvelous. I just don't care that much about food.

Thanks to Jessica, I did a wine-tasting. We were in wine country, driving past acres and acres of vineyards. I've developed enough of a taste for wine to know that what we tried was really good. It's a good thing for me that they were dry instead of sweet.

(The chocolate and rum martini, on the other hand... oh yum. Fortunately I have an acute anxiety about getting tipsy and acting stupid, so was able to limit my intake.)

Thanks to Marti and Danielle, I hiked about five miles mostly uphill. It was supposed to be a leisurely walk through the redwood forest, but somehow (by which I mean "Marti") we ended up on the long trail. I should have known better: Marti-and-Derik and Danielle-and-Josh are all prone to the particular madness known as "hiking." I was the only one winded. Heck, Danielle had her six-month-old baby strapped to her chest the whole time, and wasn't even breathing hard.

Redwood trees are as amazing as the pictures make them out to be. As we stood in front of a 1400-year-old tree, Derik remarked, "This one is only three hundred and eight feet tall. That's two feet shorter than that other one. It's not as awesome." Redwoods like a damp environment: the whole forest was spongy. It got less spongy the higher up you got, as I inadvertently discovered.

Jessica has led a varied life, and in each phase she collects friends who love her. We all hear about the other friends, so this weekend we were all delighted to meet each other. When we all gathered in an old apple orchard to watch Jessica and Derek exchange vows, it felt good to be one of those who are lucky to call her a friend.

Danielle and Josh took me back to the airport with them, which was a nice way to end a fun trip. I was glad to get back to the East Coast: the California landscape is beautiful, but I'm a Southern girl, and I like my mountains small and blue.

Four kids and a husband welcomed me home. It was good to go, and good to come back.

-- SJ

P.S. Of course I don't have any pictures. I lost my camera three weeks ago. I'm hoping Danielle will have a couple I can beg off her.

Solitude

Once upon a time, there was a husband who earned serious Gold Stars by giving his wife a weekend by herself.

(I'm talking about my husband. I'm the wife. He got the Gold Stars and I got the weekend away.)

We'd planned this since the beginning of the year -- as soon as Phillip didn't need me for all his nutritional needs, I'd get to go away overnight. As the weekend approached, I told Darren to remind me to make reservations at a hotel so I wouldn't get up to the day and find that I had to sleep in the stable out back.

Darren, who does up everything spiffy, said, "Why not look into Bed and Breakfasts?"

Oh. OH! What a good idea!

I found one in the middle of town, in a house originally built in 1840. I was there to write and rest, not to take pictures; so I finished three stories but took only a couple of pictures. What I have, I share here:




I stayed in a room that was once a study, where men gathered to debate politics. Here's the entrance to my room. It was set back into a deep arch, and you practically had to turn sideways to get in. I loved it.



My room was paneled entirely with carved wood. You can see my little black dana there on the bed. It was my constant companion all weekend.

What did I do? I found a creek, and sat on a rock with my feet in the water and wrote for over an hour. I walked around the neighborhood, where the houses are large and beautiful... and sometimes a little overdone:


I called my mom from an antique/junk store to tell her, "I've discovered that what I'm most interested in is furniture -- especially the furniture that's used to display wares. Thanks for that genetic bequest." Mom laughed at me.

Deidre, who also got many Gold Stars, offered to watch our kids so Darren could meet me for supper. I'd told Darren I'd love for him to visit me, but then he had to go away again.

I came home this morning in time for all of us to go to church together. (That in itself is bloggable: we almost never get to go to church as a sixsome, since Darren usually has to be there an hour early.)

Mostly, I spent the weekend savoring the solitude and quiet. It was what I needed. Dear Darren: Thank you, thank you, thank you.


How about let's do it again sometime?

-- SJ

Picture Potpourri

A book, a tree, a girl. (And Darren's Daughter)




An update from this picture from 2007 (three pictures down). L-R Aaron, Daphne, Mollie, Addie, Evan, Danny, Stuart.



Wow, the glow of a job well done! This picture mirrors his sister's accomplishment in the post linked to above (first picture).



We went to Tennessee, found a creek, and got our picture taken.



We went to Tennessee and found a cool tree with the cutest little girl inside of it.




We went to Tennessee, went to MagiQuest, and got a cool dragon topper for the cool magic wand, which Stuart is displaying with the utmost coolness.




Three little monkeys in a whirlpool tub. The fourth little monkey said, "Hey, hey, what about me too?"



How do you know when a baby's been in the refrigerator? There are knee prints in the jello.




I found this shadow painting on my wall the other day.



That's all!

-- SJ

7 Quick Takes, March 5, 2010

Today’s Seven Quick Takes post is brought to you by Jim Sammons, who encouraged us to “always listen to the cautions of your wife.” And with that cryptic comment, off we go!

1. Philip Jenkins wrote a book several years ago called The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity that I found fascinating. The major premise of the book was that Christianity is rapidly becoming non-Western, and that by 2050, only about one-fifth of Christians will be non-Hispanic Caucasian. As I belong to a church communion that exists mostly in Africa and Brazil, I agreed with many of his conclusions. However, I found his most recent book The Lost History of Christianity to be much less compelling. While it was an interesting story of the Nestorian churches in Africa and Asia, the writing was nowhere near as good. The main problem, however, was that I disagreed with his basic foundation – that non-Nicene/Chalcedonian Christianity is as theologically valid as that which won out at those Councils. As he argues, “Even on an issue as basic as the Person of Christ, what we today call mainstream historical orthodoxy looks more like the view that happened to gain power in Europe, and which therefore survived.” (p. 27) Even though I think that much of the Nestorian controversy was the result of flawed and sinful individuals not understanding what each other meant by certain terms (a view I somewhat hold about the Reformation, but that’s opening another can of worms), I question Jenkins’ view that theological victory is determined only by being “the last men standing.”

2. A book I liked much better (and which was far better written) is Going Dutch in Beijing. Subtitled “How to Behave Properly When Far Away From Home,” this book by an English travel writer has hilarious (and eye-opening) chapters on what hand signals to use (and which to avoid) in various countries (hint: the extended middle finger is never appropriate in any country); the etiquette of giving gifts; and how to participate in various holidays around the world. My favorite chapter was a discussion of the importance (or non-existence) of punctuality in different cultures. I don’t think I would do well in the Arab world, but insha’Allah, I won’t have to do business there for the foreseeable future.

3. You can’t always judge a book by its cover. And with that trite phrase out of the way, we move to a book whose premise sounded great – the marvelous variety of English synonyms or near-synonyms and how to use them properly. When Is a Pig a Hog?: A Guide to Confoundingly Related English Words looks great on the outside, and has an amusing picture of a pig (hog?) on a scale on the cover. But it’s BORING. Even for a reference book, which apparently it is, although it’s marketed more as entertainment, it’s bland. Too bad. I could see a book like this being hilarious. After all, “English doesn't borrow from other languages. English follows other languages down dark alleys, knocks them unconscious, and goes through their pockets for loose grammar.” (paraphrase of James Nicoll)

4. Last weekend I had the pleasure of going on a retreat up in New Hampshire put together by my friend Joel, and hosted by several Rhode Island churches. Pastor Jack Osteen (I doubt any relation to yet another Joel) gave several very inspiring (and short – yay!) talks on Scripture, and then we met in small groups to discuss and pray for each other. Lots of free time to do reading and praying on our own, good mature Christian men to get advice from, and great food. Well worth the 12 hour drive up and 10 hour drive back.

5. I recently saw a movie that I very much enjoyed called “Push.” If you like movies about paranormal people pursued by shadowy and corrupt government agencies, it’s well worth watching. Unfortunately, I’m pretty sure mine is a minority opinion (I think the best word to apply to movie critics’ reviews of “Push” is “panned), so I’m not thinking there will be a sequel. Too bad.

6. Anyone want to come to Virginia for vacation? The Virginia Department of Tourism is holding a family vacation contest where you can enter for four different trips – Williamsburg, a water park, cool stuff like that.

7. And if you have several days to waste, how better to do so than by enjoying a hysterical webcomic? One of my friends (yet a third Joel in one post) introduced me to Schlock Mercenary a few months ago. I’m not sure whether to thank him or not for getting me addicted. But just to pass on the addiction, here's the first strip.

--DJ

Home Again

It's a long way from Mississippi to Virginia.

Multiply that by four kids and it runs into the astronomical.

Divide that by four kids who are super good travelers, and it's a far piece.

Add a baby who wins the Mr. Golden Baby Award for smiles and absence of crying, and you're back down to a long way.

It's supposed to be warm in Mississippi during the winter. I certainly packed for warm weather. Instead, we got cold weather. So cold, the pipes froze more than once in one week. So cold, that although family and friends greeted me with, "Glad you're here!" or "So good to see you!", mostly what they said was, "Why did you bring this weather down with you?"

I saw mother and uncle and brothers and sisters and nieces and nephews and friends and familiar places and lots of pine trees. It was great fun.

Still, we're glad to be back! All five and a half of us!

(The other half of me is still a thousand miles away in Mississippi.)

-- SJ

We Went to Tennessee

The Baby's arrival is only three weeks away. We wanted to do something special as a family before "special" devolved into "Mama and Daddy staying awake, and Baby not crying, long enough to eat ice cream together before bed." So we went to Tennessee.

Normally it wouldn't be something we could do in a budget-friendly way, but this time we were invited by Wyndham Resorts. They WANTED us to come. They promised us a discount on a hotel suite, a gift card to a restaurant, and $25 in cash to spend how we liked. All we had to do was come in for a two-hour sales presentation to find out why we wanted to buy a timeshare from them. We really wanted a vacation, if not a timeshare, so we agreed to come.

It was 420 miles to Pigeon Forge, TN. The kids were good travelers -- hardly any whining or crying. That's because we have such stellar children. Also it's because we listened to Daphne's CDs until we wanted to pitch them out the window, and because we let Addie and Stuart play their new (used) Nintendo DS in fifteen-minute intervals for like five hours straight. A drive like that is no time for high standards.

The fateful sales pitch was scheduled for the very next morning. We went in resolved to say no. We dropped A&S off at the kids' room, and brought Daphne with us, where she played with random toys and watched the DVD player. Then we sat down to let the salesman talk himself out so we could say no.

Unfortunately, we really liked our salesman. He can't have had high hopes for us from the outset: we don't travel much, and when we do travel, we don't want to do anything. But he showed us how the program could work even for us. And we actually considered it seriously. The program is based on a point system, like frequent-flyer miles, and some points can even go toward airfare and car rentals. We toured the model condos and everything. Then we got to financing, and he even managed to get our monthly payments -- over seven years -- to $150/month. We could do that, right?

Until Darren pulled out his cell phone calculator when the salesman was gone for a few minutes. He did a quick run of the numbers, which included 15% interest. We'd end up paying $4,000 extra over that seven years. Our resolution, which had softened at the edges, firmed up again.

We said No.

We took our gift cards, our cash, and went back to our very comfortable suite. The sales pitch was over, and we could relax and enjoy the vacation in our very Jonesish sort of way. That involved a splurge on an attraction called MagiQuest. It was basically a live-action fantasy video game. It was fun, although it's not like it was worth the seven-hour drive down there just to play it or anything. Three or four hours, however, is entirely justifiable.

In an attempt to be frugal, I packed lots of food so we wouldn't spend a lot on eating out. What I didn't realize is that the hotel room provided a free breakfast, including waffles and an omelet bar. And then there were the gift cards that meant we could eat out without paying much. All that together meant that I WAY overprepared. Darren snickered a little bit as he unpacked three loaves of bread and two bottles of juice and yogurt and pasta and more snacks than we could eat in two weeks. But he appreciated the effort.

My favorite outing was to the Museum of Appalachia, where my family used to visit during our Knoxville trips. It's set up as a farm community a hundred years ago, with authentic cabins, chickens and turkeys, and a museum of interesting and quirky collections. Mostly the kids just liked the peacocks roaming around, which weren't exactly in keeping with the hard-scrabble Appalachian farm life. Darren and I had visited the museum during our honeymoon, so he was glad to be back there, too. Of course, on that trip, I was there to see the museum, while Darren just wanted to get me off in deserted corners so he could kiss me. Lots of fond memories.

The trip back was a little longer and a little crankier. Music and Nintendo came to the rescue. Darren and I listened to some of the Narnia CDs that Evan and Jill gave us for Christmas a couple of years ago, which we enjoyed thoroughly despite the active and vociferous protests from the toddler who wanted to hear her own CDs.

We got home in the evening, and were grateful to be back in our own beds. Our cat was fed and cared-for, thanks to our neighbors. A good trip was had by all. We highly recommend: 1) the Tennessee mountains; 2) MagiQuest; 3) Nintendo DS; and 4) cell phone calculators to rescue you from disaster.

-- SJ

To the South and Back Again

Highlights, Comments, and Observations from a two-week visit to Mississippi ("The Tropical Vacation That Fits Your Budget!"):

* We stayed in a cottage owned by my former boss, the editor of the newspaper. The kids were thrilled with the accomodation when we arrived: "This is cool! That is neat! Look at this! THAT IS A ROACH!" Not that they'd ever seen a roach, but Stuart was still horrified to the very core of his being. He refused to sleep in the room where Daddy killed the roach, and he made us go in first every night to check for more. Fortunately, he didn't see any more roaches. I saw one, and Darren saw one, but we didn't tell Stuart that.

* My best-friend-since-sixth-grade, Deb, got special dispensation from her husband, and stayed a night with me and the kids while my husband was gone to a church conference. She spoke into the life of Daphne, her namesake, by coaching her on how to crawl. She also provided me with a very tempting response to the increasingly irritating question, "Three kids? Are you done?": "So, how much money do you and your husband make?"

* My sister Rose's husband is about halfway done constructing an elaborate playhouse for the cousins. This playhouse has real windows, a second-story loft, and a small air conditioner. Deb and I sat in the loft and bemoaned the fact that we didn't have this playhouse in our younger days. We spent our teenage years talking, talking, talking, and had to make do with front porches and trees.

* We arrived on a Sunday night. The following night, Lauren's baby arrived. So I got to spend two weeks with a new nephew, and watching my sister turn into a mother.

* Evidently the Randomizer's comments are legend among the family, so everyone drew her out to hear more of her famous remarks. Her greatest hits include:

On a trip to Wal-Mart, when Aunt Jessica told her she could pick out more than one toy to get: "Mama says we have to get just one. The Jones family is very poor."

After a disciplinary session: "You are the harshest woman I know!"

Uncle Matt, teasing: "Hey, you have butter on your roll. Did you steal my butter?"
Addie: "No! I hate stealing!"
Aunt Jessica: "That's right. You're an angel, aren't you?"
Addie (laughing): "No! I'm just a mortal!"

* During Darren's five-day trip to the conference, Stuart was surrounded by entirely too many females. Whenever an uncle appeared, Stuart wouldn't let him out of his sight. Uncle Carroll could make the bird whistle: he was neat. Uncle Matt M built the playhouse: that was cool. Uncle Neil had a pool, and Uncle Jamie talked about tractors: good stuff. But Stuart came home dazzled by Uncle Matt, my brother. Uncle Matt told jokes, did magic tricks, let him ride a tractor, and took him walking in the woods. Not just on the path, but in the WOODS. Cutting a path with a MACHETE. And then Uncle Matt pushed down a tree! "How did you do that?" Stuart asked, starry-eyed and not able to recognize a dead tree when he saw one. "I don't think my daddy could do that." Uncle Matt is pretty much a superhero.

* Darren had a jolly trip to KS for the conference. He got to Atlanta airport at 2:30pm. He didn't leave it until 12:45am. My mother calls Atlanta "the Flypaper of the South."

* Mom cooked enough food to feed all of us and half the county in the event of a famine, admired my children, and only once or twice daily remarked on how far away I live.

* I was sorting pictures for her, and she told me to keep any pictures I wanted. This generous offer, I discovered, did not extend to any of the rare snapshots of my dad, who died when I was three. Not that I can blame her, but now I know where they are and next time I'm getting copies.

* It was hard to leave. I spent two weeks moving among my family again, watching my sister's girls for her, eating at the family restaurant, making phone calls to say, "Are you going into town this morning? Because I need some yogurt for Daph." Family, kids, babies, playing in the hose, cooking, ordinary life: I reveled in it while I had it. That's where my roots are, and they're still deep. It's been a mournful transition back to my generic suburban life a thousand miles away.

But Stuart woke up this morning, smiled, and said, "It's good to be home again." And that reminded me that they are putting down roots here, and there's nothing generic about home.

-- SJ