Vacation

We are in Michigan right now, visiting Stephen's folks. They live right in the thick of the Big 3 debate--in fact, Stephen's dad has worked for General Motors for 28 years, and there's a chance that very, very soon he might not have a job to show for his decades of labor and service. We know things are unsettled in the worst ways, and many people, some of whom are close friends and family, are suffering because of unemployment or the threat of unemployment. Downtown Flint suffers. Families suffer. Businesses suffer. Churches suffer. It's weird. It makes my stomach hurt to dwell on it.

Luckily for us we can stick our heads in the sand and remain blissfully ignorant (for the most part) when we visit his parents. Their home is what I, city girl that I am, would consider "out in the country," although I know my in-laws would laugh at this. Their home is secluded, set far away from the unpaved road, and on a few acres of land. Right now I'm sitting at the computer in the front room, my back to the large front window, and I can hear absolutely no traffic. I hear the click of the ceiling fan above me, the trills of the tree frogs in the trees outside, and the haunting tones of the wind chime hanging from the front porch. The kids are all upstairs asleep after a busy, sunny day of play. Stephen is watching TV in the family room, waiting for it to get dark enough so he can do some serious stargazing using the telescope we hauled up here with us from Illinois. You see, there is no light pollution out here like there is in our southern Chicago suburb that we call home, so he can actually practice his craft and work on being a better astronomy instructor without the impediment of city lights.

The telescope trumped the double stroller in our jam-packed mini-van. I have this itchy feeling that this decision will come back to haunt us.

Stephen's grandparents live in a mother-in-law apartment that is connected to his parents' home through a door in the dining room. It's really just an extension of the existing home, all of which his father built several years ago. Both homes have spacious front porches, and a large wooden deck wraps around the back portion of the entire structure. Stephen's mom is a fantastic gardener, and her beautiful, colorful landscaping borders the house and enhances the peaceful, homey feeling that just permeates from their home. Michigan in the late spring and summer possesses some of the most gorgeous and perfect weather I have ever experienced, and so far it hasn't disappointed: the days are warm and sunny and the nights are cool and breezy. We stay outside as much as possible, reveling in the warmth and the luxury of a large, shaded yard and a smooth wooden deck.

We love coming here. We know that any vacation here will mean absolute and total relaxation, as any vacation worth its salt should. There are no deadlines, and the most pressing engagements require us to sit around with visiting family and cheerfully catch up on each other's lives. Our kids run through both homes freely, playing with toys, jumping in their grandparents' and great-grandparents' laps, begging for cookies or videos, and just generally behaving as children should. We read books and comic books to our hearts' content, and perhaps we allow ourselves just a bit too much ice cream. Stephen's parents spoil us all rotten, and I take as long as I like in the shower, since there are plenty of people to watch the kids while I do. It's all done in the spirit of vacation, and we absolutely thrive on it.

I'm so glad we can do this from time to time, that we have this safe, quiet place to come where we are loved with abandon. We love it in return, and despite the storminess of the world outside, the borders of this home seems to possess some magic of their own that keep this tiny kingdom peaceful and happy. I hope that someday, as king and queen ourselves of our own tiny kingdom, we are able to do the same for our own children and grandchildren.