ancestral homeland

what a better way to spend your first anniversary than with many of the people who were present for the wedding? we made the trek to indiana to catch the annual family reunion.

flying from portland to louisville is actually less pleasant than it sounds. sleeping in airports is rather difficult due to the constant announcements and the blare of cnn. but we made it safely there without incident, and arrived in a familiar humid climate.

the definition of surreal is going to a super walmart. as i often forget, this behemoth institution defines the shopping experience for much of the rest of the country, particularly so in rural areas. it's a far cry from going to the co-op or big city produce or new seasons or goodwill. the senses are assaulted the minute you walk through the door. the combination of sight and sound made my head spin. the reek of the chemicals in the garden section overwhelm the nose and lungs. all i could think was a person could easily get lost in there and be press ganged into employment. surely this happens, no?

it was nice to leave all of this behind and spend a few days in the utter tranquility of green green leaves. my entire family was there all at the same time. for a person who lives a quiet life in a city full of strangers, i probably spoke more in 3 days than i will all of this year. there were dogs and babies, aunts, uncles and cousins. my four year old cousin reminds me utterly of myself as a child. it's surreal to watch sometimes. there were walks to the cemetery, walks to the creek, walks to the bridge, and running around with kids. i sorely missed all of these people, not having seen them for an entire year...in many cultures the most tragic of fates is to be separated from your clan, and often i am inclined to agree.

wineries in indiana are beginning to proliferate. apparently there is one near bristow that makes fruit wines, so i got a few bottles to try out. maybe my idea of dropping out of life and being a vitner is not such a mad proposition...

we had such a good time that it was positively heartbreaking to leave, but if it's any comfort i can go back for thanksgiving. i'm glad i got to take brian during the summer though, because rural southern indiana can be quite alluring in the summer.