Home for the Holidays

I spent Christmas here in Miami this year, where we had a traditional Polish dinner, complete with borsht, pierogi, and fried fish. David got a telescope from my mom, and we had "fun" trying to put it all together.

On the 26th I braved wintry Midwest weather to fly home to Iowa. My connection was in Detroit, and all went well on my flight from Ft. Lauderdale to the Detroit Metro Airport. Unfortunately, my flight to DSM was cancelled. I had to spend 6 hours in the airport, so I rode through the one-of-a-kind tunnel connecting concourse A to B and C. If you haven't been through the tunnel, it's like a step into the future. The walls are covered with frosted glass with lighting behind it. The light go through every color of the rainbow, all in time to the space age music that is playing overhead. To experience the tunnel through YouTube, click here.

After I finally made it to Des Moines, it was cold!. I was shivering a lot of the time, and I discovered that my wool sweaters are all too short, they come down just below my belly button (I have no idea how that happened!).

I spent most of the time at home, playing games and watching movies. It's always so nice to spend time with my parents. I did get out a bit, though.

We visited the capital in Des Moines, and I hadn'r been in it since the inside was renovated. It is gorgeous, all the origianl stenciling and details have been restored. The architecture is just amazing. If you ever find yourself in Des Moines (not likely, I know), the capital is really interesting, especially if you like historic buildings. It's also neat to walk through the Senate and House of Representatives, the Supreme Court and the Law Library, which are all open when not is session. In the accompanying photos, you can see the exterior of the Capital, a still life of corn, which epitomizes the bounty of the Midwest, the antique chandeliers that hang in the Senate, and a beautiful painting of pioneers going West that I remember from my chidlhood. It is huge, probably at least 50 feet wide.

We also went to the neighboring East Village, a historical neighborhood whose old brick storefronts and warehouses have been renovated into lofts and funky boutique stores. Among the many local shops and restaurants, I visited From Our Hands, an art gallery showcasing regional artists, Kitchen Collage with everything from French porcelian china to egg timers, and Smash, a local clothing brand that showcases screenprinting. It is filled with really funny t-shirts that poke fun at common perceptions of the Midwest and Des Moines. I have several of their shirts now, and you should check out their website.

I also got to visit the Neal Smith Prairie with my fried Sara. We tried to walk the trail by the visitor Center, but it was treacherous with ice. I visited the prairie last in August, and I found it much changed in the winter. Gone were the coneflowers and nightshade, replaced by a sweeping canvas of golden brown, its beauty more vast, more subtle. I was delighted when we drove through the buffalo acreage. We saw elk, antlered males and babies, and majestic buffalo, all very close. I got a great shot of two buffalo hunkered down against the wind. When you see these creatures in person, their size is unbelievable.

On my last day there, we drove to Leon to visit the land. We rambled around through grass and brambles, taking stock of the place. My dad impressed us with his prowess as he lept across the icy creek at a place deemed too wide by my mom and me.

It was really nice to go home for the Holidays this year.