Home Again, Home Again . . Jiggity Jig

Happy 2009! We're back after about a week and a half in Kansas. I kind of thought I might write while we were traveling, but I didn't. Somehow, this seems to be an Iowa activity for me.

I'm having writer's issues here, the primary one being that I am uncertain of my primary purpose for this blog. I originally set this up thinking it would be a good way for all our friends (especially our NJ friends) to find out what's going on in our lives without my having to send out 50 carbon copy emails every week. But as time has passed, this has turned into more of a "public journal" for me--a place for me to write about whatever comes to my mind. And as such, it's been rather therapeutic. However, I'm well aware that some of my friends -- kind as they are -- really aren't interested in reading my brain farts. They just want to know how the family's managing in a new place.

What to do, what to do? Well, here's my conclusion: one of the advantages to the written word is that your readers can choose if they want to read or not with less chance of offending than they would have, say, in a phone conversation. That means, if you're not interested in what I'm writing, you're welcome to skim and just absorb the facts you are interested in. Deal? Good.

So, the holiday family update: we left a little after noon on Christmas Eve (when Keith could get away from work) and drove to Lindsborg. Christmas Day was spent in Lindsborg, as always, and we drove down to Wichita the next day for an afternoon get-together with my family. A good time was had by all, and far too many gifts received as well.

We spent the weekend in Lindsborg, a couple more days in Wichita, and New Year's Eve in Lindsborg again. Then a leisurely drive home to Sioux City today. Keith goes back to work tomorrow.

Now the therapeutic stuff: So, I'm watching the Times Square party last night at Keith's sister's house, waiting for the ball to drop. Oddly enough, I found myself feeling like 2009 actually began at that point -- at midnight Eastern Time, not Central. Hmph. Whatever.

I also realized that I had a rather peculiar feeling about what I was watching . . a small ache, a little longing . . almost a feeling of homesickness. Now, understand, even while we were only an hour away in Jersey, we rarely went to New York City--maybe 3 or 4 times during our 10 years on the East Coast. And we were never there for New Year's. Nor did I ever really WANT to be there -- huge crowds, lots of booze, freezing cold temperatures, wee morning hours . . none of these are really my cup of tea. I might have been willing to go once for the experience, but it was never a longing of mine.

That's why I didn't understand this feeling that for some reason, I belonged there, and wanted to be there. Weird.

Leslie seems to feel similarly. Every time, during our trip, when we would mention "going home", she would let us know that she wasn't going home until spring (our trip back to New Jersey). She was very stubborn about it -- to the point of annoying her sister. After one such comment in the car today, Eastin rolled her eyes and exclaimed, "Girl! You have got to let go of that!"

I expect it will be a long time before Leslie lets go of that. Especially with her sister bugging her to do so. I, on the other hand, am over it now. I'm home in my house in Sioux City . . though I'm looking forward to a nice visit to Jersey in the spring!