Home.

In my dorm room it will be dark now, very quiet, and cleaner than it ever was when I lived there. Under the window, the streetlight is probably shining on my 3' plastic Christmas tree. At the top of the tree is a star made of Popsicle sticks and covered in glitter. Nestled in the artificial foliage are crochet angels, a shiny plane with a sunglass-wearing rabbit which says "#1 sister," a wooden rocking horse ("baby's first Chrsitmas, 1989"), a blue glass globe that asks for "PEACE," and Princess Leia in her Jedi garb. The lights hang off the branches, dead and limp.

Right now, as I sit and picture this lonely little shrine, I imagine one obvious bare spot, on the front left center of the tree. The previous occupant of this spot is a beautiful, fragile, winged woman, looking to the sky with outstretched wings and arms. As I made my final go-around through my room for forgotten necessities, it seemed right to reach out and hold this sad little woman in the palm of my hand. It seemed even more fitting to cradle her to my chest, and then nothing would do but to tuck her safely away in my travel bag of wool sweaters, and, with a final salute to Oberlin, we headed home.

The first thing I did when I got home yesterday-well actually, no, the first thing I did was hug my Daddy and Squirt, and wrestle with Riley (my dog!), so this was the third thing. Ok, so the third thing I did when I got home yesterday was to carefully remove the tiny ceramic angel from her sweater nest and place her at eye level on the left side of our Christmas tree. It felt so right to have the angel here, and the longer I stood there the more convinced I was that this is where she needs to be. I've decided that she's healing. That's what that little figure says to me; she's a woman, alone, overcoming and rallying herself to face new challenges. Her eyes are closed, but her face is lifted; she's no longer naive, but still warm and full of hope. I think she's going to be just fine. She's content to be home, surrounded by tinsel and lights and people who know and love her. And she's going to be Just Fine.

A lot's happened this semester. Since returning to the 'Ville, I've noticed that:
-I've changed.
-I'm exactly the same.
-Louisville's a different city.
-This town is just what it always was.
-Daniel's tall, and far too poised (and cheeky!).
-He's still five years old, in his heart of hearts.
-So am I.

Louisville, I've missed you so much. It's good to be back. Tomorrow I will cook in my own kitchen, with my own obnoxiously loud music, in my own obnoxiously childish pajamas. There will be Spatula Solos, and long hugs, and twirling. Yes, twirling!

COMING SOON: Highlights From Semester One, "Erin E. Goes to Obieland"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Tonight Daniel and I got Chinese take-out. My fortune begins and ends with little smiley faces, the way Emperor of China fortunes do. It says:
"A carrot a day,may keep cancer away."
No joke, that's what it says. Also, my lucky lotto six #s are: 7 5 4 20 23 22)

The Lobb Family Tree of Nerdom! (Space Ornaments on the Lobb Tree, "talking"):
NASA:
-Lunar Rover
-Freedom 7
-Space Shuttle
-Lunar Module -“Incredible. It’s really a wild place up here..”
-Gemini- John Glenn –“Roger. Zero G and I feel fine. The view is tremendous.”

Star Trek-
-Captain Kirk
-Warf
-Commander Sisko
-Captain Picard
-Spock
-Enterprise II,III,IV
-Vulcan Battle Cruiser
-Romulan Warbird
-Commander Riker
-Dr. Leonard McCoy
-Borg Cube -“We are the borg. Enjoy your holiday. Resistance is futile.”
-USS Voyager
-Shuttlecraft Galileo- “Shuttlecraft to Enterprise. Shuttlecraft to Enterprise. Spock here.
Happy Holidays. Live long and prosper.”
-Captain Janeway
-USS Runabout
-USS defiant –DS9
-USS Voyager
-Klingon Bird of Prey

Star Wars-
-Boba Fet
-Han Solo Darth Maul
-Qui Gon Jinn
-Millenium Falcon
-x-wing starfighter
-Nabo starfighter
-Darth Vader -“The force is with you, young Skywalker ….but you are not a Jedi yet.”
-Queen Amadila
-R2D2
-C3PO
-Ewoks
-Obiwan Kenobi
-Princess Leia
-Luke Skywalker
-Imperial Stormtrooper
-Gungan submarine
-Darth Vader’s tie fighter
----------------------------------------------
Christmas Cider

mix:
2 qt cider or apple juice
1/2 cup brown sugar (to taste)
1 teaspoon whole allspice
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
a dash of nutmeg
4 cinnamon sticks (or more)

slow boil in a slow cooker or large pot and leave in open air. Entire house will smell like spiced cider.