that urge to be somewhere else

Yet another book I've had for a long while... I know I started it way back when, but now I'm beginning it again, and I had forgotten the fabulous first paragraph. It's the kind of paragraph that may not ring a bell with everyone, but if it does with you, you'll know it. Here is a short excerpt from Travels with Charley, in Search of America by John Steinbeck.

When I was very young and the urge to be someplace else was on me, I was assured by mature people that maturity would cure this itch. When years described me as mature, the remedy prescribed was middle age. In middle age I was assured that greater age would calm my fever and now that I am fifty-eight perhaps senility will do the job. Nothing has worked. Four hoarse blasts of a ship's whistle still raise the hair on my neck and set my feet to tapping. The sound of a jet, an engine warming up, even the clopping of shod hooves on pavement brings on the ancient shudder, the dry mouth and vacant eye, the hot palms and the churn of stomach high up under the rib cage. In other words, I don't improve; in further words, once a bum always a bum. I fear the disease is incurable. I set this matter down not to instruct others but to inform myself.

Steinbeck's short introductory chapter contains two more paragraphs, and it's the second paragraph's first line that makes me smile even more.

When the virus of restlessness begins to take possession of a wayward man, and the road away from Here seems broad and straight and sweet, the victim must first find in himself a good and sufficient reason for going.

Don't worry, Mom, I just like a good book. ;)

anticipation

I've been taking the easy road with blog postings lately... using somebody else's words! The following is a short excerpt from Three Weeks with My Brother by Nicholas Sparks and Micah Sparks. I've had the book for a few years (i think I meant to give it to my dad for Christmas way back when), and I've just started it today. So far, so good.

"You're not listening to me, little brother. Never forget that anticipation is an important part of life. Work's important, family's important, but without excitement, you have nothing. You're cheating yourself if you refuse to enjoy what's coming."

winter's spring

36 degrees, sunny, melting slosh such a welcomed sight... Winter's spring fever for a second day. Last night we walked the streets of Bellaire with just sweaters on, grateful for the warm air that wasn't really warm. Ali said our bodies must have adapted for the bitter cold, so that our scale of warmth perception has shifted. We were only outside for one minute between the car and Shorts', but how lovely to not have to sprint through the sharp slivers of icy air.

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude to me is more important than facts.... We cannot change our past...we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our attitudes. "

Dr. Viktor E. Frankl

holiday nostalgia

My first stocking... later got a new one that was a bit wider-- this one would get stuck on the stocking stuffers because it was knitted with threads hanging on the inside. But how I loved it.
This was always at my Grandma and Grandpa Gardner's house.

My favorite wall dec-- notice it is now taped in many spots! Yet my mom still hangs it up. ;)

Probably the most memorable Christmas decorations-- I played with these endlessly... the deer pulled the sleigh below, attached by my favorite piece of red yarn.

And all of these trees would come to life.

A rather hideous sleigh, but it certainly flew well, launching off of Dad's recliner!

Santa's boots

While playing a card game this Christmas, my mom asked, "Did you see what Dad hid by the mean tree?" And (because I am a big dork I knew what she meant), I immediately looked to "the mean tree" (it was always the bad guy in my christmas decoration playtime), and there was a hideous elfin creature lurking in the shadows! Clever, Dad, clever.

snow watchers

Grommit and Harley at Greta & Nicole's house

The last 20 minutes of my drive home from downstate-- it got worse!

winter woods

A delightful snow day afternoon with my dad, Bryce, and Cosmo snowshoeing... topheavy branches, psycho snow dog, catamount-ready Dad armed with spear/ski pole.

Couldn't ask for anything more!