Winter Without Christmas
Another installment in our 'What's Different: New Zealand' category (can you tell we're both homesick?)
All the indications of early winter are here: the sun rises around 7:30, and it's dark by 5:15. The wind whips our house at night, and I can hear rain sheeting against the windows. In a few places some of the trees have even lost their leaves. Other than the lack of snow and ice (phew!) and the fact that I'm not mentally ready to endure another winter (back me up here, Binghamton peeps!), I've had a hard time putting my finger on what else might be missing.
On my drive home tonight it occurred to me: we're missing the holidays! They make the top half of winter in Binghamton downright magical, stretching from Halloween through Thanksgiving, into Christmas and ending with New Year's (after which Binghamton's magic fades a bit until sometime in late April or early May, when it comes back with a big ray of sunshine.)
And by that time I really desperately need Spring and Summer to compensate for the long, dreary march from January to May (have a listen to Patty Griffin's Burgundy Shoes if you can't relate). Leaving Binghamton as we did in mid-April, watching it snow as our plane took off and knowing we were headed back into winter I was feeling unresolved somehow, like I had just run a marathon but couldn't find the finish line.
We're hungry for the tastes of summer too, like corn on the cob, salt potatoes and spiedies (thanks again to Grandma for our goodbye meal!) Instead we're dusting off our root vegetables and stew recipes, which of course are delicious and fit with the rainy weather but it's not what we're craving.
Don't get me wrong: it's more like a long, drawn-out spring compared to a Northeast winter, and I laugh sometimes to myself when I hear people complain about it. "It's just rain and wind! And it's only in the 50s! And when it's not raining, it's in the 60s!" Still, I could use a break from my wool socks for a sundae at Wolfie's and sitting outside in the evening while the sun's still up.
All the indications of early winter are here: the sun rises around 7:30, and it's dark by 5:15. The wind whips our house at night, and I can hear rain sheeting against the windows. In a few places some of the trees have even lost their leaves. Other than the lack of snow and ice (phew!) and the fact that I'm not mentally ready to endure another winter (back me up here, Binghamton peeps!), I've had a hard time putting my finger on what else might be missing.
On my drive home tonight it occurred to me: we're missing the holidays! They make the top half of winter in Binghamton downright magical, stretching from Halloween through Thanksgiving, into Christmas and ending with New Year's (after which Binghamton's magic fades a bit until sometime in late April or early May, when it comes back with a big ray of sunshine.)
And by that time I really desperately need Spring and Summer to compensate for the long, dreary march from January to May (have a listen to Patty Griffin's Burgundy Shoes if you can't relate). Leaving Binghamton as we did in mid-April, watching it snow as our plane took off and knowing we were headed back into winter I was feeling unresolved somehow, like I had just run a marathon but couldn't find the finish line.
We're hungry for the tastes of summer too, like corn on the cob, salt potatoes and spiedies (thanks again to Grandma for our goodbye meal!) Instead we're dusting off our root vegetables and stew recipes, which of course are delicious and fit with the rainy weather but it's not what we're craving.
Don't get me wrong: it's more like a long, drawn-out spring compared to a Northeast winter, and I laugh sometimes to myself when I hear people complain about it. "It's just rain and wind! And it's only in the 50s! And when it's not raining, it's in the 60s!" Still, I could use a break from my wool socks for a sundae at Wolfie's and sitting outside in the evening while the sun's still up.
We were trying to give you a buzz this weekend, and sadly we realized we didnt have your #......
so send that along to us so we can catch up alittle. The weather here has been turning progressively warmer and it is nice to start shedding the woolens for some crocs worn w/o socks!! :-) But at the same time, it is grand to know you can still have steak and muchroom pie on the weekend! (Remind me to send that down to you all w/ a heap of boiled/mashed potato). The cherries are overpriced but in a few weeks, we are planning to make the roman cherry tart w almond crust. Just think, when you come back east, all those things you hanker for now will be THAT much sweeter! In the meantime, we will eat enough for you all and sending you our best!
J+D+T