Back from Break

A few days ago, before school started up again for the week, I was asked if I was excited to go back to school.  “Yes and No,” I said, “I don’t feel like I had much of a break.”  Jeff called me out on my comment later saying that it sounded like I meant I hadn’t enjoyed my time off, or that I had been working hard (which I hadn’t) during that two weeks.  I didn’t even realize that it could have sounded that way. What I was feeling was that I had missed the farm and being here, even though it was nice to be in Iowa, too. Once again, I had said something that came out sounding completely unlike what I was actually thinking and feeling. I am a pro at saying the wrong thing. 

The worst roads were getting out of Montana on the very first day of our trip.

Winter break is officially over. I had two full weeks off of school and Jeff and I took the opportunity to visit my family in Iowa for the holidays. I hadn’t been home to see my family in over a year and we hadn’t celebrated Christmas on Christmas since before I moved to the west. So that means the last Christmas we celebrated on the actual holiday as a family was in 2006.  It was nice to be home for an extended visit.

Sunrise, somewhere near Buffalo, WY.

I received many nice gifts from friends and family members this year. The most meaningful were those that were handmade and/or had ties to either my former or present home. I received some really nice Iowa-themed items that were handmade or had strong ties to Iowa and I also received a beautiful wall hanging of the Sweetgrass Hills. 

We visited several microbreweries in Iowa. Featured here is Exile in Des Moines.
Oh, and that's actually not as much beer as it looks like-- those are mini glasses.

I find that I’m often thinking about place, whether here or there, and how it defines who we are and what we do. I am who I am because of the places I have lived. 

Mom and I attended a really fun jewelry-making workshop. Those are all charms I made for my necklaces. On the left is three small pieces of copper with fired enamel on them. The right is pieces of brass that I stamped with the brands of Bangs Farms, except that I didn't do the N-K one quite right (and you can't type it correctly on a computer either!) 

With all that being said, I have also been feeling lately very disconnected from the farm, and that bothers me. Since about August, we have been travelling a lot and I feel out of touch with the goings-on of the farm.  I’m also working more hours now than I was previously, which has made a noticeable difference to me.  I’m thankful for the time I spent in Iowa and all the travel we have done and experiences we’ve had. I’m also thankful to have family and neighbors here who are willing to look after things when Jeff and I aren’t here to help. And, I’m very thankful to have a job that I care about and pays well.  But I still find that I am feeling needful of time spent with animals and reconnecting to this place. Hoping I can find time to make this happen soon. 

This is the wall hanging I received.
It is a mixed media piece using paper and small findings and features the Sweetgrass Hills.