the wee peeps and i embarked on a 5-week road trip.

what? travelling alone, for five weeks, with your preschooler and toddler? cray, homeslice…cray.

except for it’s terrific and dreamy.

even the ROAD trip part.

1st night in Nebraska. comments galore on the odor outside. it was indelible (if that word can be used with the sense of smell). the same visceral response that made me absolutely certain that i could not ride my bike through the backroads of Kansas. somewhat the olfactory equivalent to the visual stimuli present in much of Northeastern PA today.

it’s a turn-off. i feel a reaction to arm my defenses against it.

i have learned that i like it best when there is little compromise on harmonious living with all senses.

i need to challenge that. somewhat frequently. a pattern of mine is to frazzle under my perceived burden intense frequencies.

we grew up on a quiet street, and moved to an even quieter one.

and there were heaps of places to go right there. up trees, through fields, on bikes, on foot, down the river, up the cliffs, through the creeks, off the waterfalls, in the leaves, on the moss, skate the pond, sled the hill, crawl through the rhododendron…

and when we stayed at my Nanny’s house on Potter Street in Dunmore, i was up all night with anxiety. of course i did not know that then…

the sound of the traffic never relented. but all the viewing areas to that side of the road were blocked. with the intensely intricate block of glass in the bathroom, the sights of the lights were all blurry. lots of red brake lights as they came to the top of Potter Street.

Nanny’s final wrasp, at the end of eachandeveryday, was “See you in the morning, with the help of God”. and it kind of took the rest of my shortened-from-sights-and-sounds of the street, and the cemetery, and Mack’s, and Spock, and the smell of the cellar and the mothball closet, breath away.

Seemed like a lot of pressure for a 9-year old to have to go to bed each night wondering would tomorrow might look like without the-help-of-god.

i felt rather brave and a certain degree of tough when i stayed there alone…or without adults around.

So i want the wee peeps to know what the sights-and-sounds of cities looks and sounds and feels like.

so we went to hug and hang with cousins in the big city of Chicago. and Betty wheeled her luggage down the city street to the cheers and giggles of our wound-up-to-see -the-pioneercousins-cousins. and day in the life visits are my favorite. i only wish we had planned for it to be longer.

and we drove into the skyscrapers in the morning. at rush hour, of course. and planned to get out at the parks and walk around a bit before the drive to Pittsburgh. Only the sole place to park was underground, with a 6 foot clearance…and we were travelling with my bike on the roof. womp womp homies…

so we took a couple laps around a few city blocks with the windows down and looked for what we could see, then boogied outta there and on to PA.

and we got lost in the dark in the streets of Southside, Pittsburgh. After following the full moon along the horizon the way into town. We had a bet going for the first one to see the moon. winner was to get an olive at dinner. we all got olives.

and perogies, and salads, and wings, and beers, and young-professional-bar-food, and it was great…after several days of cooler and dried fruits and nuts eating.

and Betty wheeled her luggage across the streets, and down the sidewalks, and had help carrying it up the back steps, into Leen’s first-adult-apartment. and it was SWANK! what a night we had with Tyler and Kathleen! DreamYourLifeLiveYourDreamers.

and then we arrived in beloved Frederick. we visited the parks…many many of them.

and my 38+ week pregnant sister, took me to my LASIK appointment. and despite the waves of doubt and wonder on the way there, i took the valium, and went through with it. i was reassured by good ol’ army doc Bowers and his trusty sidekick Yuri.

and while i was under the blanket of recovery, in swept Mooch and Kathleen with a batch of pumpkins, apple cider, and a bottle of rum. voila. nailed it.

and mooch drove me back to my follow-up the next day. and i could see. like all the highway signs. without contacts in. and i felt lighter. like someone had taken a laser and shaved part of me away…

and No-Noggins and Ariel hit the hood with a Care Bear, a baseball player, a college kid, and a hippy (hehe).

and we hung out. and ate meat and vegetables. and mac and cheese. and squeezy yogurt. and tapas.

and painted pottery. and sprinkled.

and then we packed up some of our stuff, and left some of our stuff, and headed north.

stopped in Pine Grove for more hugs, and tea and milk, and dark pretzels and hummus, and fresh tomatoes with dill havarti, and goldfish, and, of course, pumpkin cookies. and synchronized eye dropping.

and then the red carpet unrolled to the opening doors of the Subaru when we arrived at the top-of-Foster-hill on a Thursday afternoon. Prosecco was chilled. Beers were stocked. Wine box was backed up. Fire was lit. Lights were plugged in. Music was humming. We were most certainly welcomed home.

which made friday rough. and the Burnett’s played hooky and we went for a hike and ate 8 bagels. which was actually just-what-the-doctor-ordered.

We stayed with them for the weekend. My missions of attending yoga and SPINNING classes while im here, kept the rest of the weekend in check.

Made a batch of cards, prepped the turkey shirts, printed some disks and cards, started an etsy site, and now updating blog. check check…booya, check!

been skate/scootering around town with the rascals. lots of time at the church parking lot. Dev and i stridered to Stewie’s this week. couple of yoga class. one SPIN class. couple of bike rides to the beer store and such. and one from Matamoras to Malibu.

a night out for dinner with my childhood Be Fri, a happy hour with Shane, and another with Angelo and Brigit. a night at Len and Jo’s with Matt and Frank and Barb, and a night in Nell’s kitchen with Sue.

two evenings with the Fitz’s of Bloom Road Farm.

and tomorrow Pa comes home.

and any minute we have a new human to add!!!

It’s hard to be away from home. hard to break the unit up so much for so long. hard to find the norm. hard to seemlessly iron the endless transitions. hard to sleep well, eat well, move well, create well, breath well, and even always love well.

so we keep practicing. cause we sure aren’t going to get better at it always hiding in the comfort of our tranquility.

we practice composure and we work to find sthira and sukshma at the edge of our comfort. exploring our healthy limits.

and like lying on my back, with eyes wide open, in those sleepless hours on Potter Street…i know it is worth it. it is worth it to spend the time with your family and your friends.

it is all that is worth it. and it is worth it all.