Over our years in Alaska, Geoff and I have become more and more minimalist in our holiday celebrations. We moved past the pretense of giving each other gifts years ago. We do give serious thought to going "home" for the holidays, but each "home" is on the opposite side of the country, and neither is anywhere near Alaska. Geoff went home in 2005 and 2006. I have yet to make the leap. And we have the admit, the sadness we feel in missing our families and their holiday traditions is tempered by relief in missing the extra expense and stress that always accompanies travel this time of year. I work at a business that operates 365 days a year. I wouldn't even have Dec. 25 off work if it wasn't my natural weekend. But since it was, Geoff and I decided to go for a Christmas Day snowshoe hike.
The winter sun was out.
We went for a casual stroll up to Spaulding Meadow. It was a holiday outing, and we treated it as such, walking easy and talking about life. I think it was a little strange for both of us, in the midst of our mostly focused winter training, to do something outside that didn't feel like exercise.
Well, maybe it felt like exercise to Geoff, who forgot to bring his snowshoes on our snowshoe outing.
After he became tired of swimming, we went on the hunt for a packed snowmobile trail. We explored new places and did some impromptu "sledding" into some creek beds.
Christmas Dinner: Turkey and mustard on wheat, homemade chocolate chip cranberry cookies, and slushy Pepsi.
Perfect.
Over our years in Alaska, Geoff and I have become more and more minimalist in our holiday celebrations. We moved past the pretense of giving each other gifts years ago. We do give serious thought to going "home" for the holidays, but each "home" is on the opposite side of the country, and neither is anywhere near Alaska. Geoff went home in 2005 and 2006. I have yet to make the leap. And we have the admit, the sadness we feel in missing our families and their holiday traditions is tempered by relief in missing the extra expense and stress that always accompanies travel this time of year. I work at a business that operates 365 days a year. I wouldn't even have Dec. 25 off work if it wasn't my natural weekend. But since it was, Geoff and I decided to go for a Christmas Day snowshoe hike.
The winter sun was out.
We went for a casual stroll up to Spaulding Meadow. It was a holiday outing, and we treated it as such, walking easy and talking about life. I think it was a little strange for both of us, in the midst of our mostly focused winter training, to do something outside that didn't feel like exercise.
Well, maybe it felt like exercise to Geoff, who forgot to bring his snowshoes on our snowshoe outing.
After he became tired of swimming, we went on the hunt for a packed snowmobile trail. We explored new places and did some impromptu "sledding" into some creek beds.
Christmas Dinner: Turkey and mustard on wheat, homemade chocolate chip cranberry cookies, and slushy Pepsi.
Perfect.
Happy Christmas. Can't stop, I have your book to read.
ReplyDeletesounds like a great christmas! good fortune to you guys in '09!
ReplyDelete"And we have the admit, the sadness we feel in missing our families and their holiday traditions is tempered by relief in missing the extra expense and stress that always accompanies travel this time of year."
ReplyDeleteMan, I hear that! I think we've made it back to MN or WI to see our familes at Christmas 3 times out of the 9 years we've been out here (in CO). The last time we did, we were trapped there an extra two days because of all the blizzards btwn MN and Denver (we had driven). Flying with a three-year-old and two babies just seems like too much of a hassle...
So this year we just did our own little family thing on Christmas Eve and the following morning, then went over to my cousin's house for dinner Christmas night. It was a nice, relaxing holiday. So when my wife asked, "So what do you want to do next year?", implying a trip back to the Midwest, I was incredulous. Man, just sticking at home around the holidays is the way to go. I'll go back and see the rest of the family in the Spring/Summer...
I simply love your blog, i always wanted to live in Alaska. It's nice to meet another writer to, planning to write any more novels?
ReplyDeleteI'm glad Geoff and you had a relaxed and peaceful Christmas. The photographs of the snowshoe hike in the winter sun are just plain beautiful.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a great christmas by any account.
ReplyDeleteMy family came up to see me, this year. With all the running around I do, I like to just sit home for the holidays - sit in my home.
ReplyDeleteThere's a group going out for a long snowshoe trek, tomorrow morning. I'm going to try to get up and go with them. 8:30 am is so early, though. I'm definitely not a morning person. The cookies are a great idea. My family ate all the cookies I made, so I'll have to make another batch.
very nice blog!!
ReplyDeleteBIG UPPPPP!!
bye from italy!!
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