Back in the country

So I've made it back to my mom's house for a holiday stay that started early. By the time I got my rental car going, it was past midnight, and I arrived home after 1 am. I was exhausted from travel, but happy to be back in my hometown state. Since arriving, I've tried to settle myself into the groove of life back here, remembering the open spaces of plowed fields after a fall harvest, the humidity of a lower altitude in this midwest world, and the quietness that is a simple and beautiful part of living in the country.

Today my mother and I went to get groceries for the big Thanksgiving feast, and it was unbearably busy. On the way home, we got stuck behind a huge grain sorting machine that was wobbling all over the road. We went 15 miles and hour for what seemed like 3 hours until finally we turned right and it turned left. I sat in the car the whole time, NOT annoyed, and smiled at the nostalgia of seeing farm machinery on the road, the slowness of the vehicle, the large and ruddy yards, the shade of the overcast sky.

I remember what makes western living such a delight in the winter: the sun. Here, the sun hides its creamy yellow brightness until it is spring again. There, the sun shines loud and proud all winter long, gleaming off of snow, making it sparkle like gemstones, even when it's absolutely freezing outside.

My cat, Pants, remembers me, seems to love me and want me to keep her warm as I sleep. I open my eyes in the morning and she is there on the top of the blanket, holding no grudges for the Mo kitty she surely smells on my luggage and clothing.

So far, it's good to be home.