A trip to town early this afternoon made us anxious to return home. After our first stop which took a matter of less than thirty minutes, the freezing rain began. We came out to our car to find it iced over. Three other stops were necessary before heading back home, so by then the roads were quickly becoming layers of freezing slush. I was glad to get back to the warmth and safety of home again. Truth be told, if it weren’t for the occasional necessity of making a trip to town I couldn’t care less if I ever left my humble abode…even in the warmer months.

My daughter and I were talking the other day about vacations. Someone she had been speaking with was shocked that, as a child she had never been on a “real” family vacation. That translates to never having been to Disneyworld despite the fact that we had traveled to Florida to visit friends back in 1988. Anyhow, she and I got to talking about how big, expensive vacations were probably highly overrated anyhow. Don’t get me wrong, I would love the luxury of taking a trip to Scotland and I have fantasized, too about heading north to see the Aurora Borealis for real instead of in photos. But in general vacations feel unnecessary to me. Like I told a friend of mine last summer, I take a vacation every evening when my work is done. I simply step outside onto the patio. I know I’m very fortunate in not having the need to get away from it all and having nature at my doorstep. I don’t take that for granted at all.