Friday, December 27, 2013

Over The River And Through The Woods...


I rarely (if ever) travel for the holidays. I avoid crowds and traffic whenever possible. But this Christmas was different; perhaps the last Christmas of its kind, so we went.

The drive was horrendous, taking two hours longer than the normal four to get there. Snow covered the highway with a layer of slush causing the car to fish-tail through the first few hours and requiring me to drive at speeds so slow, I feared someone would slam into the back of me if they weren't paying attention. I stopped several times to call everyone I knew and ask for advice on what to do. I would be absolutely devastated if I couldn't make the drive but didn't want to risk my safety. Everyone repeated the same type of advice: "We hope you can make it, but it's not worth the risk."

Then my sister responded with: "Sounds like you need more weight in the back of your car."

So practical. She's the kind of sister who always knows exactly what to say at exactly the right time.

I remembered seeing a sign for Menards at the previous exit, so I turned around and bought 150 lbs. worth of kitty litter, Ice Melt and bird seed, then rearranged everything in my car to get these heavy bags in the back. I can't say that it really helped that much, but I felt much more confident and continued on with my slow journey until, mercifully, the snow stopped falling and the roads dried up.


The last couple of hours were smooth sailing and I drove westward into the sunset. Crystal clear blue skies lifted my spirits and I marveled at the fresh blanket of white snow covering everything. As the sun dipped lower, the horizon became a rainbow of color that backlit the snow-covered trees, turning their branches pink.

Eventually the glowing orange orb of the sun disappeared and the rainbow horizon intensified in color as the blue sky above turned a dark indigo blue. Then, right in front of me, a bright star appeared.
...

We arrived safely and had a magical and memorable Christmas. Definitely one-of-a-kind. I've never been more grateful and thankful and I hope I can hang onto these beautiful feelings for the year to come... that is afterall what Christmas is all about.


4 comments:

  1. That is wonderful, Heather. I would love to go for vacation to the places like that. Are you comfortable going to places you've never visited before, alone? I am very afraid to go alone. May be some day I'll break my shell and try it. Thank you for sharing.

    Regards,
    Arnold Brame

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    1. I'm never alone when I have a dog by my side! Also, I've learned to trust my instincts when safety is concerned and always tell someone where I'll be and when to expect me back. Don't be afraid to explore; you'll miss out on some great stuff!

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  2. I loved this post, Heather! I'm so grateful you made the journey and we got to spend so much time together. I truly had such a wonderful Christmas--thank you once again for all the awesome dog treats and I loved that you included a photo of Charlie in her bed!

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    1. I'm glad I made it too... it was a very special Christmas and I'm glad we got to spend time together. Charlie absolutely ADORES her new bed! It's so much better than any other dog bed I've gotten her and just goes to prove what a princess she is.

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