Chapter 12: Thanksgiving, Relatives Galore, A Winter Storm, and Tullmas

Chapter 12: Thanksgiving, Tiny Relatives, A Winter Storm, and Tullmas

It might be worth noting at this point that I'm continually amazed at the number of people I know. By the end of November, I had been on the road for three months, and had stayed with or at least seen thirty-odd friends (not counting all the folks who were at the various Dag events) in twenty-four states. Getting to hang out with friends I don't usually see often has definitely been one of my favorite parts of this whole trip. 

Along with that is amazement at the wonderful family I have, and how spread out they are as well! I had been in contact with one of my mom's half-sisters before November, since she lives in Baton Rouge, LA and I thought I might be in the area soon, and she very kindly invited me to Tallahassee to meet my other two aunts, uncle and cousins for Thanksgiving. 

It was an absolutely wonderful holiday with family. I hadn't met any of these relatives before except for my Aunt Catherine, so it was a couple days of getting to know each other and finding out how much we have in common. (After spending time with this branch of the family, I'm more convinced than ever that music is in my blood!) We played board games and told stories and joked over the dinner table, and I'm very very grateful that they were able to include me in their plans. 

After Thanksgiving, I followed my Aunt Catherine back to Louisiana and spent a few days with her in Baton Rouge. We went to visit Mike the Tiger at LSU campus, and spent evenings watching great ballet performances and eating wonderful cajun food. 

I was going to head to Houston, TX next, but the day I left Baton Rouge I actually went the opposite direction to New Orleans, just so I could say I had. I got a shrimp po'boy sammich in the French Quarter, and sat at an outdoor café eating beignets and listening to live music – at 11 AM on a Tuesday! These people know how to live. 

Then I got back on the road West. I ended up in Houston the next day, and got to see yet more relatives. My cousin Kim and her husband Darrel live just outside Houston with their two sons, Brody and Logan, who I had never actually met in person. Even though they were mid-remodeling their beautiful home, they made room for me to stay, and I had a lovely time playing with the kids and getting to know them. It's sometimes hard having family all over the country (Boston, Houston, Colorado, Wyoming) but it does mean that when I get to see them, I'm even more grateful to have them in my life. 

SO ANYWAY ENOUGH SAPPY STUFF LET'S TALK ABOUT WINTER

Mostly, how sometimes it's amazingly beautiful. Oops, guess this is going to be a little sappy. 

A couple of days after I left Houston, I was driving through western Arkansas, from Texarkana to Fayetteville (side note, I think there might be a Fayetteville in every state. Or at least every state on the East Coast). The day before that drive, winter storm Cleon (I think) had blazed its trail through the area, and much of the roads in northern Texas were traffic-bound from snow and ice on the roads. 

Not so in Arkansas! The storm had clearly been through, but the roads were entirely clear, except for an occasional downed branch by the side. 

Everything to the side of the roads, however, was covered in about half an inch of ice. Not snow, just ice. Every twig, every branch, every limb, every tree, every hole in every bog, completely covered. Trees which had but recently shed their browned coverings to prepare for winter seemed re-born in sparkling glass icicle-leaves . . . or whatever. It was one of the most beautiful landscapes I've ever had the privilege to see. You could totally see the angle of the winds during the storm from how the icicles pointed, too. 

But the road was completely clear, so I didn't even have to worry about driving while I was going north. It felt like driving through Narnia (circa White Witch), a feeling only heightened by the Christmas music on the radio. 

Which leads me to a summary of the next few days of the trip. I drove through Wichita to Kansas City, to St. Louis, to Indianapolis, to Columbus, Ohio, staying the night at a very good friend's house. We went to the local (enormous) thrift store, and got steak for dinner, and played with the two puppies that live at her house, and watched Disney movies, and eventually went to sleep. 

Next morning, I got on the road to keep going east, back to Pittsburgh, because (you guessed it) there was another event pulling me back to the area. This time it was a winter party organized by a group of my friends, since we wanted an excuse to spend a weekend together with food and drink and silly party games. And all of these things were had in abundance! The First Tullmas, as it was called, was a great weekend, and I hope we'll all have time to do it again next year (or sooner, if certain plots fall into place). 

And that gets us up to 16 December, or so. Next time on this-a here blog-thing, Christmas and New Year's Eve, and the Great Midwest Trivia Contest! 

WHENCE COMES THIS SUDDEN BURST OF PRODUCTIVITY?!

Julia

(Spoiler, it comes from coffee. Delicious, delicious, iced coffee.)