Exactly Where We Are

Winter Insists

As I sat down to start writing this post, the weather forecast announced, “Expect snow in the next hour.” A curious thing to predict when snow had been falling steadily all day, and then blown almost sideways. Ed had shoveled the driveway first thing in the morning so we could run a necessary errand. Before long, he was back out there again, repeating the ritual. Winter has a way of insisting on our participation. And if it’s not already clear – no, we’re not in Valencia!

“Winter is not a season, it’s an occupation.”

Sinclair Lewis

A Blizzard of Fun

We arrived in New Wilmington on December 4, and the weeks since have been a blizzard – pun fully intended – of activity. It’s a busy season for Matt and Maggie at The Tavern, and we’re grateful to help where we can. Mostly, that means time with the kiddos: playing, reading, watching movies, making crafts (and cookies!). It feels like the best kind of work.

Of course, the holidays were woven in as well, along with celebrating Merr’s seventh birthday. In the midst of all that, a visit to Atlanta to see Mark and Shannon offered a welcome pause—time just for grown-ups. We lingered over great meals and spent unhurried hours wandering through bookstores together, a simple pleasure and a delight.

All Under One Roof

After the holidays, the Noble family – all twelve of us – gathered for a week in the Poconos. We rented a wonderfully oversized house with plenty of bedrooms and bathrooms, a generous kitchen, and a few extra comforts that quickly became favorites. The sauna and hot tub were well used, but the game room was where we kept finding one another. Evenings unfolded slowly – conversation, billiards, movie nights, video games, puzzles, and late night poker games. And always, the quiet comfort of knowing we were all under the same roof.

“The best moments in life are the ones you don’t plan.”

John Lennon

The Mountain was Kind

Days were for skiing. With several first-timers and others returning after a long break, I held my breath each morning as they headed out – imagining the sprains, bumps, and breaks that might result. Completely unnecessary, it turns out. The mountain was kind. Nearly everyone had a wonderful time. Confidence grew, joy followed. Shannon gave it her best before deciding that skiing wasn’t her thing. Knowing when to step away felt like its own kind of success. Ed and I chose not to ski this time. I’m content avoiding the cold, happy to watch from the sidelines. Ed, though, admitted to a hint of regret as the week came to an end.

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.”

Helen Keller

Different Landscape, Same Heart

Last January, we gathered in Valencia, warm and sunlit. This January looked very different – layers of clothing, early sunsets, snow piled high. Still, the heart of it was the same: time together, shared meals, familiar stories, and new memories layered gently on top of old ones. As we imagine where next January might take us, one thing feels certain: we’ll be hoping for warmth, in every sense of the word.

As I was getting ready to publish this post, the world outside was white and the thermometer hovered at one degree. We were preparing to head west—California first, to visit family and friends, with a planned stop in Santa Fe on our way back to New Wilmington—hoping winter might loosen its grip, at least geographically. But no such luck. A major storm co-opted our Santa Fe plans, and after our visits with loved ones, we’ll instead spend a couple of days on our beloved Mendocino Coast.

Winter, it seems, has its own ideas. And in yielding to them, the lesson feels quietly familiar: nothing more is required of us than to be fully where we are.

“Nothing is worth more than this day.”

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe