The nut-tree clan: Musings and gratitudes

Sandwiched between our Nebraska adventures was a week spent in southern Michigan. We joined the pilgrimage that occurs every three years wherein the source of Daniel's first middle name, the Nussbaums ("nut trees"), gather for five days of shenanigans. The Nussbaums are Daniel's mom, her six siblings, and all their progeny. Some of the family couldn't make it to this reunion, and even so, there were around 55 of us in attendance.

I haven't cleared this post with any of the Nussbaums, so I hope no one objects to this searing exposé on their relentless laughter, outrageous optimism, and scandalously good natures.

Perhaps the most immediately noticeable trait of the Nussbaum clan is their propensity for games and competitions of all kinds. If you know Daniel at all, you already know this about him.

Case in point: the Wall of Brackets. Each one represented a tournament around a particular game (Rook, bocce ball, ping pong, Euchre, etc.) that took place during the course of the reunion.

Outdoor/active games that were played included ladder golf, bocce ball, Kuub, volleyball, and round-table ping pong.

No picture can capture the fierce intensity that is Nussbaum round-table ping pong. They are all excellent players and absolute sticklers for the rules, though they somehow maintain their good natures throughout, win or lose. (As long as no one tries to get away with breaking or bending a previously-agreed-upon rule.)

Indoor board/card games played included: Rook, Settlers, Euchre, Bounce-Off, Great Scott, Exploding Kittens, Dimension, Steampunk Rally, Flash Point, Stan Crancisco, Lanterns, Magic Labyrinth, Uno, Dutch Blitz, Rummikub, Rummy Royale, Cambio, Ticket to Ride, and undoubtedly a whole host of others I didn't witness.

Here is a sampling of the games people brought along to the reunion.

I swear to goodness this picture was taken at 11:30 p.m., four disparate games going on, and when I left the room after midnight, nearly everyone was still going strong.

We also spent a significant period of time engaged in an obstacle course competition.

Kid- and adult-friendly.

Another chunk of an afternoon was spent on some seriously impressive tie-dye.

This group was never far from a hearty laugh, but it wasn't all jokes, either. I was grateful for the energy and intentionality that was put into engaging with one another and catching up on the significant elements of each other's lives. I was immensely blessed by lengthy conversations with cousins-in-law about racial and social justice, the nature of motherhood, and the keys to a good relationship.

We met at Amigo Centre, so there was plenty of quality time spent boating and exploring, too.

Attending a gathering like this every three years provides a helpful lens for observing the broad strokes of one's life. Three years ago, I vividly remember discussing with the Nussbaums the possibility that Daniel and I would move somewhere new and have an adventure. A year after that, we moved to Colorado and began our term with Service Adventure. This time at the reunion, I discussed with many Nussbaums the thoughts and questions I'm mulling over now, again drawing near to some large life changes. A potential move now that we've finished our time as Service Adventure leaders. Graduating with my master's in less than a year and looking for a new job.

None of us ever knows for sure where life will take us. Meeting with the same group of far-flung relatives at predictable intervals is a profound way to take a step back, to pay attention to the way the pieces we've chosen are crafting a whole journey.

But it isn't just about how this practice of reuniting benefits me. It's a beautiful testament to human connection that a group of people spread out over thousands of miles can come together, not having seen or even talked with many of the others in years, and leave five days later feeling a profound renewing of those familial bonds.

In the end, I don't have anything more brilliant to say than I'm grateful for people. But then again, that's a powerful truth to cling to. In a broken, hurting world, we (myself included) would do well to be reminded of this gratitude, again and again. As many times as it takes for us to be able to look at a stranger and see a family member.

May you find the family you need, blood-related or otherwise.

Wanderlust: Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska

Last week, Daniel and I found ourselves eastward bound, road tripping to a family reunion in southern Michigan. We knew we wanted the eighteen hours of driving to be interspersed with some roadside adventures, ideally in places we hadn't been before. Usually we've driven east through Kansas, so we decided to take the Nebraska route this time, stopping in Omaha for a day on the way there and Lincoln for a day on the way back.

Most of Nebraska looks about like this, it seems.

But the thing is, my obsession with Rainbow Rowell's writing has caused me to develop a slightly irrational fondness for Nebraska, as if being in Nebraska might allow me to meet some of my favorite fictional characters who live there. So I was super excited to go.

Anyway, we made it to Omaha in time to spend a half day seeing various sights. First up, this pedestrian bridge where you can walk to Iowa.

I do have to mention that it was HOT. And more importantly, it was HUMID. After two years of living in Colorado, I am laughably ill-equipped to deal with humid air of any sort.

Missouri River.

We took a walk through the city to get to the historic Old Market district. On the way there, we passed through this cute little park.

I didn't take any pictures of the Old Market area, but it was fun. Cobblestone roads and street performers and antique shops and whatnot.

The next morning, we had brunch at a place I'd set my sights on as soon as I knew we were passing through Omaha. It's called Kitchen Table, and I found it through this article highlighting the best farm-to-table restaurant in every state.

We had a three-course brunch and it was utterly delicious. My first course was radishes with fresh salted butter which you might think weird/bland/boring but YOU WOULD BE MISTAKEN.

Here they are, half-eaten, because I was too excited to remember to take a picture right away.

Friends, I have to tell you about this granola. Join me in imagining this: Crunchy granola. Not too sweet. Nuts. Plain yoghurt, nice and tart. And also. BEETS. Golden beets, roasted to perfect softness. And FRESH BASIL. I could not have fathomed that such a nonsensical combination of foods could be so incredibly delicious but there you have it.

Frittata and baked eggs in creamy basil sauce.

Before heading out of town we stopped for a quick foray through another historic landmark: First National's Spirit of Nebraska's Wilderness and Pioneer Courage Park. You might call it a study in overly ambitious place names, but it's also the largest collection of bronze artwork in the United States, for whatever that's worth. The park depicts the westward journey of pioneers through Nebraska and beyond. 

Then we hit the road east to Michigan. Fast-forward a week to the way back from the reunion (more on the actual reunion soon). This time we stopped at a Lincoln bed-and-breakfast for a night. The house was built in 1914 and had lots of historic character.

Daniel had to work the following day, so I had a day to explore the city by myself. First, though, we had a delicious breakfast charmingly delivered to us in our room.

 After that, my first stop was Sunken Gardens.

This beautiful garden covering one city block was a Depression-era work project creating jobs for roughly 200 "family men."

 

Now it remains a public garden, a little oasis amidst city traffic.

After that, I headed to the Haymarket District, Lincoln's historic downtown.

 

It's made up of lots of old buildings, restored enough to accommodate newer shops and restaurants, but retaining their historic charm.

In one such building, I found possibly my favorite bookstore of ever, Indigo Bridge Cafe & Books. (Note the Welcome Your Neighbors sign prominently featured! It was one of many I saw in Lincoln.)

After a couple of hours exploring the Haymarket area, I moved on to the next stage of my solo adventure. Recalling my aforementioned affection for Rainbow Rowell's books, you can imagine my eagerness at being in the neighborhood of the University of Nebraska - Lincoln: the setting of Fangirl. By happy coincidence, I parked right in front of Love Library, which features prominently in the book.

 

So I walked around campus for a while too.

After that, I indulged one of my nerdier foodie habits, a relic from my years of working at Friendly City Food Co-op: Visiting other food co-ops. I didn't take any pictures, but if you ever get to visit Open Harvest Co-op Grocery, you totally should. (They had bulk soaps! And organic quinoa for $2.39 a pound!)

Anyway, that was my day in Lincoln, which aside from the oppressive heat and humidity, I absolutely loved. If ever I am forced to live in the Midwest (fingers crossed not), I will definitely choose Lincoln.

Stay tuned for more on our summer adventures!

Another year, listwise

Last year around this time (well, let's face it, I'm sure I got to it earlier in the summer last year), I posted a collection of lists from the past Service Adventure year. Because I love making lists, and because I feel it makes for a good glimpse into life as a Service Adventure unit, here's another year's list recap.

Movies: Our friend from church owns Gold Hill Theatre in Woodland Park and always graciously invites the Service Adventure unit to come to a free movie each month. (Thanks Ed!!) It made for a fun group outing every month (except February, which we missed due to Rocky Mountain snow camps and general busyness).
September -- Snowden
October -- Doctor Strange
November -- Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them
December -- Hidden Figures
January -- Hidden Figures (yes, again)
March -- Beauty and the Beast
April -- Gifted
May -- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

It should be mentioned that very rarely did all six of us go to the same movie. Having diverse tastes in most things, including movies, we usually split up. Of the ones I saw at Gold Hill, my favorites were Hidden Figures and Gifted.

Service Adventure includes a lot of traveling, which I love. I've had the good fortune to spend time in (more than just driving through) these states during the past year:
Colorado (Denver, Boulder, Mesa Verde, Ridgway, Alamosa, and more)
Alaska (Anchorage and Kodiak Island, for "work")
New Mexico (Albuquerque, for the annual balloon fiesta)
Virginia (to visit family last summer and over Christmas)
Texas (San Antonio, for leaders' retreat in January)
Utah (Arches and Canyonlands National Parks)
Nebraska (exploring Omaha for a half day while driving through, and yes, it is more interesting than it sounds)
Michigan (Amigo Centre for Daniel's family reunion, and also where I am at this moment)

​

Our weekly learning components, a key component of Service Adventure household life: Daniel and I planned the first several in order to demonstrate, but for the rest of the year, we each took turns planning and leading a brief lesson on something or other. It's always fun to see the diverse interests and topics that are covered...

History of the Springs (Daniel)

Bread baking (Meg)
Barnes & Noble get-to-know-you game (Meg)

Watching the documentary Spellbound (Meg)

GUEST: Joe S. -- Hiking Pikes Peak

Making pilimini (David)

Presidential debate (Daniel)

Volleyball (Kate)

GUEST: Lawrence M. -- Team building activities

The 13th (Nora)

Apple cider making (Bruce & co at the MCC Relief Sale in Rocky Ford)

Carving pumpkins (Marle)

Nuclear fusion (David)

History of the Bible (Daniel)

Classical music (Meg)

Incarceration Nation exhibit at Colorado College (Nora)

German Language lesson (Marle)

Merry Christmas Jingo (Kate)

Basketball (Daniel)

Astrophysics (David)

TED Talk - Dan Pallotta (Nora)

French braiding hair (Marle)

Vacation Bible School (Kate)

Anti-racism (Meg)

Watching the movie Selma (Daniel)

Changeable stars (David)

Knitting (Meg)

Salsa dancing (Nora)

Softball (Kate)

German language lesson (Marle)

I Am From poems (Daniel)

Trip planning for the end-of-year trip (Meg)

Computer programming (David)

Softball (Kate)

GUEST: Bryan M. -- Bike maintenance

GUEST: Lawrence M. -- Changing the oil in a car

GUEST: Jenelle R. -- First aid

Computer programming, part 2 (David)​
​GUEST: Michelle M. -- Candle making
Finance 101 (Daniel)
​GUEST: Brandy -- Making overnight oats
GUEST: ​Mike & Fred M. -- RAWTools blacksmithing/making a garden tool from a gun

As you can tell -- I hope -- from the lists, it was an awesome year. Here's to the many adventures that lie behind us and ahead of us, whether they make it into lists or not!

Wanderlust: Ridgway & Great Sand Dunes National Park

So after journeying through Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, we made our way back to Colorado, taking a more southerly route back to the Springs. Our Thursday night destination was the home of the parents of a church friend. This house is nestled deep in the mountains of western Colorado; the nearest town is Ridgway, population 953.

This is the view from their living room.

This is the view from their deck.

Van for proof.

They had four hummingbird feeders on the deck, which were always a flurry of activity.

Anyway, during our one night at this house, we ate delicious food, spent time getting to know Marilyn & Doug, played ping pong and Zebra, watched a basketball game, and had our weekly worship night.

The next morning, we hit the road to Mesa Verde National Park before heading on to Alamosa. I have to take a quick sidebar here to talk about road trip music. Right before the start of this trip, I downloaded the Steel Wheels' latest album, called Wild As We Came Here. I recommend it for anytime, but I wholeheartedly endorse it as a wanderlust album. It is utterly perfect for listening while staring out the window at the staggering, unparalleled glory of the Rockies.

Here, try this opening track while you gaze at these pretty-but-nowhere-near-as-incredible-as-being-there car photos.

We pulled off briefly at Lizard Head Pass, a mountain pass at over 10,000 feet of elevation in the San Juan Mountains.

We made a brief foray into Mesa Verde, but didn't have time for anything more than a hike and a picnic. All the ancestral Pueblo cliff dwellings (for which Mesa Verde is known) are located in the southern part of the park and were therefore incompatible with our time constraints.

I didn't take any pictures on our hike to Point Lookout, but it was very green. (As you might have gathered from the park name.) My housemates were relatively unimpressed after the staggering views of Canyonlands, but I actually loved it.

Anyway, after that we drove a few more hours to Alamosa, Colorado. We had dinner at an Italian place called Bistro Rialto before spending the night at the Mennonite Voluntary Service house.

Quick round of Apples to Apples Bible Edition before bed.

In the morning, we struck out for the nearby Great Sand Dunes National Park, our last stop on the trip.

Oh look, another Steel Wheels song from their newest album. 

My frame of reference for sand dunes consists of my childhood experiences taking family vacations in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, where we would sometimes frequent the dunes at Jockey's Ridge.

While my time at the Colorado sand dunes certainly called up memories of days spent at Jockey's Ridge, this is a whole different world. This is thirty square miles of the tallest sand dunes in North America, nestled in the San Luis Valley and surrounded by 13,000-ft mountains.

There were several aspects of our day at the dunes that felt exceedingly perfect, timing-wise. For one thing, our visit fell during the few weeks out of the year when Medano Creek runs along the base of the dunes. The rest of the year, it's dry.

We crossed the creek and began our trek up High Dune.

I cannot overstate how much I enjoyed this hike.

I hiked the whole thing barefoot, which I absolutely loved. It was a pretty intense workout, but at the same time, it kinda felt like we were just frolicking on the beach.

Except it wasn't like any beach I knew, because we had views like this the entire time.

The weather could not have been more perfect. The sun was out, but with enough cloud cover to keep us cool.

I've heard it can get extremely windy in the dunes, too, with sand blowing so hard it's painful. All we had was a light, pleasant breeze.

We climbed this final ridge to get to the top of High Dune -- 700 feet tall.

And soaked in the panoramic views at the top.

The day continued to be perfect in every possible way and I continued to overflow with gratitude.

Gratitude at this place, this world, these people.

Eventually we headed back the way we'd came, and predictably, the way down was a very different experience than the way up. (If we see each other in person, feel free to ask to see the video of Kate, Nora, and Daniel racing down a super steep section.)

At one point Nora and Kate decided to swim down, a la sand-breaststroke.

When we reached Medano Creek, the crowds had arrived in full Saturday morning enthusiasm.

Beach life, Colorado style.

Great Sand Dunes, as the fourth and final National Park on our end-of-year trip, turned out to be my favorite of the lot. I'm sure this was due in part to the perfect conditions that day, but another big part was the majestic landscape, the unprecedented intersection of two of my favorite places: beaches and mountains. If you ever get the chance to visit, you really must.

I'll leave you with one more song.

Open roads, open hands.

May your roads and your hands be open this summer.