Stuff

I've had a lot of time lately to think about stuff. Troy and I have moved from Minnesota to Oregon to Virginia and then to Belgium and back. All of these moves have been painful, primarily because we never seem to realize how much stuff we have until we try to move it. And Troy's robots and robot parts keep demanding more and more space.

I thought that the move from Belgium back to the States would be a piece of cake because we were only allowed a couple of bags each on the flights. Boy was I wrong! We acquired more stuff than I realized. In our last week there, we sold some of these household items (mostly kitchen/cooking stuff). By the last days we started giving things away and finally we resorted (unfortunately) to trashing some things.

Throwing things away is tough. I'm always thinking I can find a use or re-use for stuff. I probably get this trait from my dad who finds all sorts of interesting ways to use things. He's currently using an old deep fryer to steam wood so that he can bend it for different woodworking projects. And an old steering wheel came in handy for a contraption he built that allows him to lift heavy pieces of sheet rock to the ceiling without another set of hands.

This past weekend I started helping my mom and Tim clean out his parents' house in preparation for an estate sale. Imagine how much stuff you can accumulate living in a house for several decades! Add the pack rat behavior of my step grandma to this scenario and you might be able to understand what we are dealing with. It's pretty overwhelming. Picture a kitchen with every gadget created since the 1950s. I think they discovered 6 different bundt pans and at least as many jello molds.

The burning question for me this week: Why do people feel the need to accumulate so much stuff?

Glorious Scenery

With the fall colors as an excuse, we ventured up the North Shore of Lake Superior on Sunday for what might be our last camping trip of the season. The temps were nice during the day but the evening was chilly. I've got a sleeping bag rated down to about 35 degrees and I was still shivering!

Nevertheless, we weren't disappointed by the scenery. We got a gorgeous backpacking site at Split Rock Lighthouse State Park. The walk in near sunset was filled with glorious hues of gold, orange and red.



Later the nearly-full moon and stars were shining beautifully over our own little private bay.


Here's a daytime view for comparison.


A view of the lighthouse from afar.


Yesterday we ventured further north to hike a bit inland (where the colors are peaking) on the Superior Hiking Trail near Silver Bay. The colors on our 5-mile hike to Bean Lake and back were incredible. Pictures don't even do this scenery justice, but you can get an idea from them.




As usual, I've got many more pics on my Flickr page from the trip in case you are interested.

Fall Colors

Yesterday, Troy and I took a walk at Lookout Mountain in the Laurentian Divide Recreation Area. Within the last week we've started to see some glorious fall colors. I did my best to capture them.




I was a little overzealous in my picture taking, you can see more shots here.

Cutie Pies All Around

We've been enjoying our new roles as Tante Lissa and Nonkel Troy (tante and nonkel are cute Flemish words for aunt and uncle) lately. I've been trying to capture the little ones with photography. All I can say is that it takes lots of patience to be a child photographer!

Jack Casey with grandpa Steve

Ria Rain

Amelia Louise sharing a laugh with grandma Kathy

We've also been getting to know our friends' daughter Lukah Gracy. She even called Troy "Uncle Twoy" yesterday! Pretty sweet.

Oktoberfest in the Northland

On Friday Troy, my dad and I ventured to Duluth to help my sister celebrate her birthday. It was a perfect fall day. It was sunny but that deliciously cool autumn crispness was in the air. We drove up the north shore of Lake Superior to the New Scenic Cafe for lunch. Troy and I shared an upscale version of a BLT (with tomato and jalapeno bacon) and a yummy beet and baby spinach salad with bleu cheese and walnuts.


The Fitger's Brewhouse was hosting their 1st ever Oktoberfest down at Canal Park this weekend and so after lunch we made a stop there to check it out. It was pretty cool, there were liter beers and the Chmielewski Funtime Band was playing songs silly like "In Heaven There is No Beer."


On Saturday my sister, niece and I took a stroll on Duluth's lovely lake walk. I'm realizing more and more how much I really love that city.

Feelin' Minnesota

I'm really slacking in my blogging lately. I don't think I've ever gone two months without posting a single thing. Yikes. I'm going to try to do shorter posts so that it doesn't seem so daunting now that I haven't been online as much.

As we are hunting for jobs and funding, we are temporarily living with our folks in Minnesota. I have to admit, I'm enjoying the time with old friends and family. And the lovely fall evenings.

Coming home in the late summer/fall reminds me how much I love this place we're from.

Near where we camped post-BradFest at Tettegouche State Park

BradFest consumed much of our first month (and more) home, but it was a great success. Our friend (and Troy's EMMI collaborator) Steve generously offered to drive up from Charlottesville with the robots in order to perform. We had a total of 15 performers, including bellydancing and music from seemingly every genre, from rock to rockabilly to alternative country and hip hop. The way that businesses, musicians, artists, friends and family came together to make it happen was truly heartening. It was a wonderful healing event for all of us and a fitting tribute to our departed friend.

Soon to be MN kids again

It's hard to believe that in another few weeks we'll be back in Minnesota! It's a bittersweet feeling because we are sad to leave Belgium and still need to figure out funding and jobs to eventually get back to our life in Charlottesville. But I have to say, I'm really enjoying the idea of hanging out with family and old friends for an extended period of time. And Minnesota in the late summer and early fall is really lovely.

"Home" has shifted so much for us in the past ten years. It seems that just about the time I feel settled someplace, we are moving somewhere new. The positive side of this is that we now have friends all over the world. And even though I'm a stubborn Cancerian who hates change, I'm learning. I've gotten a lot better at accepting change and rolling with it.