Today I got to go to Dryden ALL BY MYSELF. As I've said before, trips out of town can turn into a horribly rushed, stressful situation. But today, I got to go alone and not worry about anyone waiting on me and not having to waste time waiting on someone else at Canadian Tire. (I think I may have just offended all Canadians and Canada itself with that wasting time comment. Canadian Tire seems to be a national treasure.)
The interesting thing about this little town 2 1/2 hours away from here is how completely unremarkable it is to see other Red Lakers there. The first time I went I was so surprised to see other people from Red Lake in the same Walmart hours from home! What a shock! Imagine meeting you here! Oh. I'm obviously the new kid in town who doesn't know how this all works. In fact, apart from employees, I am almost as likely to run into someone I recognize in Dryden's Walmart as I am in Goshen's Walmart. Therefore, I feel just as self-conscious in the underwear section in Dryden as I do in Goshen.
I'm hoping to follow in my mother-in-law's footsteps and have a table at a local craft show. (Although I don't plan on making $1000 by selling homemade nightgowns like she did.) I set my sights a bit lower and more realistic for me. She gave me some good ideas and I'm going to try my hand at aprons and pajama pants. I'm also hoping to try some evergreen arrangements and other little odds and ends. And if they don't sell, I guess everyone I know will be getting an apron or a pair of pajama pants from me this Christmas.
So my excuse for going out of town was to buy supplies. I took a good book on CD and the 2 1/2 hour trip flew by. I sat in McDonald's (!) and read a magazine while I ate my Quarterpounder and FRENCH FRIES. I browsed Walmart uninterrupted for a very long time. I picked up Tim Horton's donuts for my 3 men plus a double cheeseburger for the big guy. (Yes, he wanted it even though he didn't actually eat it until many hours later.) And for my supper on the way home, I got a Blizzard to go. (Wow. As I read all the highlights, I realize they are very related to fast food.)
Anyway, I have yet to tell you the most exciting part of my trip. I was buzzing down the highway this morning and up ahead I saw the sillouete of a large moose crossing the road. Then another large moose with antlers crossed right behind it. I ended up stopping on the road and watching them for a little while. They were so close to me. The bull was 20-40 yards away from me. (I have no concept of distance, so I am leaving a wide margin of error, assisted by Kendall telling me how far he thinks it is from here to the neighbor's house.) The bull was quite interested in me sitting in my little car. He turned to face me directly and stood there watching me. I thought he was going to charge. If I was Kendall I would have tried to call him and get him riled up. But I'm not Kendall and I was embarrassed to try to call because he would have surely known that I was an imposter and may have charged me just because I was making annoying noises. Besides, for those of you who have heard Kendall's moose call, you will know that it's just not lady-like. Anyway, it was so neat to see. Moose are very interesting animals to look at. And large.
And I'm mostly thankful that that was my only moose sighting of the day. I certainly didn't want to meet up with any as I was coming home on wet roads at dusk.
So that was my day. Tomorrow I will be working on my first pair of pajama pants. Maybe I'll post a photo if they turn out exceptionally good or exceptionally hilarious.
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Lao-tzu
July 1, 2008
This journey so far has taken me one thousand and four miles from my hometown, but I’m having trouble putting my finger on the single step that began it all. Was it Monday afternoon at the border when they gave me my official document allowing me to pass? Was it Saturday morning when we started the car and drove out of Goshen in our funny little caravan? Was it in February when we came up to Red Lake for a job interview at the hospital? Was it two Christmases ago being up here with Kendall’s family and all of us rating our desire to live up here? (I can’t say my number on a scale of 1 – 100 was high, but it was the highest of all the in-laws, so I guess I’m the chosen one.) Was it three years ago almost to the day that Kendall first said, “What if we’d move up here?” (I tried to ignore that one for several months, thinking surely it would go away.) Or was it June 10, 2000 when I married Kendall and made some solemn promises before God and all these witnesses? Was it a night before Kendall and I were married when we talked about moving to Red Lake? (It was a far off and romantic possibility at that time.) Or was it living in and visiting different cultures at different times in my life? Could the first step have been when my parents brought me as a baby to this same area for a year of voluntary service? (Kendall wasn’t born yet, but I surely saw his parents as they chatted with mine from time to time.) What about when my dad lived on a nearby reserve for two years before he was married? Or when my mom visited this town with her family as a teenager? Or maybe it had something to do with choices my grandparents made? Or other ancestors farther back?
At any rate, moving into this house where I slept for a few weeks as a baby and where my dad stayed as a teenager, has made me very aware of roots. And how they affect our lives and choices and passions.
I suspect there is no single step that began our move a thousand miles away from Indiana. It seems, rather, to be a coming together of so many different factors. (Not the least of which is marrying a man who has taken this land as a very part of his being. And for all the ways I can tease him and get annoyed at some of his woodsman ways, I really do mean that in a reverent and respectful way.)
So here we are, a thousand miles from nowhere. (Oops…I meant a thousand miles from Goshen.) I know that we safely made the journey here, but mostly our journey is just beginning. And mostly I’m excited.
This journey so far has taken me one thousand and four miles from my hometown, but I’m having trouble putting my finger on the single step that began it all. Was it Monday afternoon at the border when they gave me my official document allowing me to pass? Was it Saturday morning when we started the car and drove out of Goshen in our funny little caravan? Was it in February when we came up to Red Lake for a job interview at the hospital? Was it two Christmases ago being up here with Kendall’s family and all of us rating our desire to live up here? (I can’t say my number on a scale of 1 – 100 was high, but it was the highest of all the in-laws, so I guess I’m the chosen one.) Was it three years ago almost to the day that Kendall first said, “What if we’d move up here?” (I tried to ignore that one for several months, thinking surely it would go away.) Or was it June 10, 2000 when I married Kendall and made some solemn promises before God and all these witnesses? Was it a night before Kendall and I were married when we talked about moving to Red Lake? (It was a far off and romantic possibility at that time.) Or was it living in and visiting different cultures at different times in my life? Could the first step have been when my parents brought me as a baby to this same area for a year of voluntary service? (Kendall wasn’t born yet, but I surely saw his parents as they chatted with mine from time to time.) What about when my dad lived on a nearby reserve for two years before he was married? Or when my mom visited this town with her family as a teenager? Or maybe it had something to do with choices my grandparents made? Or other ancestors farther back?
At any rate, moving into this house where I slept for a few weeks as a baby and where my dad stayed as a teenager, has made me very aware of roots. And how they affect our lives and choices and passions.
I suspect there is no single step that began our move a thousand miles away from Indiana. It seems, rather, to be a coming together of so many different factors. (Not the least of which is marrying a man who has taken this land as a very part of his being. And for all the ways I can tease him and get annoyed at some of his woodsman ways, I really do mean that in a reverent and respectful way.)
So here we are, a thousand miles from nowhere. (Oops…I meant a thousand miles from Goshen.) I know that we safely made the journey here, but mostly our journey is just beginning. And mostly I’m excited.
6 comments:
karen that is sooo cool! i sew aprons too. you should check out etsy.com i get lots of crafty, artsy ideas there.
it'd be another good place for you to sell your creations :) i want to sell phil's photos as prints on etsy to raise money for our Grandma Tea Co. (that's in the works)
That is so awesome!! I am glad you enjoyed every minute of your trip and all the food! You have to store up because you can't get it whenever you want...it is like storing up for the winter :) Way to go on stepping out. You always have such great, unique ideas...I think you will do well. What craft show is it? Is it the one where mom sold all her pajamas? Can't wait to hear how you do!
Glad you had a fun day at Dryden and on the road. Instead of the double cheeseburger I'd like to try a triple moose burger. dave
i bet that moose has never heard a lady-like monkey call... maybe next time :) i cant wait to see pictures of the stuff you make!
Oh Karen, your trip sounded like so much fun! I too know what it's like to have to totally rush through the stores when I want to just browse and take my good ole time looking at what I want to look at and making decisions at my pace. And the food sounded great! (Maybe I'm starting to feel reserve bound). Hey, I might want one of your aprons or pajama bottoms. Can't wait to see pictures. Hope you have lots of fun and sell lots. (my verification word is "mendi"...hopefully you won't have to mendi too much sewing as you're doing it...as in mending mistakes (something I often have to do!)
oh, and after I saw the next word verification I just had to leave another comment. the word is "subless"...I noticed that you didn't hit subway on this trip, so I guess you were "subless". =)
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