Warning: Irony-free zone ahead…

Yesterday morning we flew up to the Great Northwest to convene in my parent’s little Northern Idaho town with all my siblings and neices and nephew — from Ashland & Portland, Oregon and Sydney, Australia — to celebrate Christmas, but also Mom & Dad’s 50th wedding anniversary.

This retreat was the pin light at the end of the tunnel for both Thor and I this month. Sometimes you really do just need to escape. I know everything will still be there when we get back, but hey it’ll be New Year’s and then 2007. A new year always feels like a clean slate to me. I don’t really make new year’s resolutions — those never seem to stick. But Thor & I do come up with a theme for each year — just one word — and then we focus our energy throughout the year on that theme. Kind of like a mantra. Except less Buddhist. Works every time.

So for now we’re here. Up in the land of ridiculously nice people. Thor and I and my brothers and sisters-in-law are all staying at a B&B near my parent’s place. The grandkids are staying at “Goggy and Papa’s”. And that’s exactly how Goggy and Papa like it. Besides the grandkids are 13 - 21 plus Quinn. Four of them lovely and doting teenage girls. Yeah, Quinn will be in hog heaven.

We were the first to arrive and got to spend a quiet day at my parents yesterday. Quinn’s excitement reminded me of the same excitement I experienced when I’d first arrive at my grandparent’s house as a chlld. My eyes would survey all the familiar things that never changed — the green shag carpet, the organ in the corner, the wall of owl art. There was always a candy dish to raid, the dog to play with, the box of toys and art supplies they kept for me. It still brings back very palpable memories. I imagine that Quinn is in the process of making similar ones.

My brother and his family (with the three of the four grand-daughters) from Sydney arrived late last night. Thor & I crashed early so we haven’t seen them yet. Quinn has surely woken up by now at my parents’ and is excitedly trying to get his cousins to do the same. It’s been two years since we’ve seen them and Quinn has very little memory of them. But he does have a strong sense of the value of family and has been eagerly waiting to reunite with his cousins.

I smell breakfast. And I think it’s french toast. Amazing I can get that through the congestion in my head. Oh yeah, did I mention that my head nearly exploded as were descending on the plane yesterday? I’ve got the disease that will not go away. Thor’s got some version of it too. Who decided December was a good month for holidays and family gatherings? It’s like some cruel joke. Well, unless you live in the Southern Hemisphere.