Steinbeck's Wisconsin

I am a California girl, which I am fiercely proud of. I love California. Growing up there I felt sorry for the many people who traveled there each summer. I felt bad that they had to live anywhere that wasn't California. I thought we were the center of the world. And yet, I could never get my arms all the way around California. I loved it almost like you would love your favorite vacation spot. Even living there felt more like nostalgia than reality. California has always been something of an enigma to me.

And then there was Utah, and oh boy do I love Utah, but it was not always so. Utah had to grow on me but at some point it captured my heart and I have been known to say right here on this very blog that Utah was my favorite. And it was....There is something about Utah that just feels good to me.

Then of course I briefly called New York home as a missionary, but that was so very different than my other homes. It wouldn't be fair to compare. I have a spiritual connection to New York and everything about it was purely magical to me. Western New York is beautiful, I think, but even if it hadn't been I believe I would remember that it was.

And now I find myself completely in love with Wisconsin of all places. Wisconsin was one of those where is that states when I was a kid that I couldn't believe people actually lived in. Little did I know that those poor Wisconsinites who I pitied for not being privileged enough to live in California, were happily keeping one of Americas finest secrets. Sure Wisconsin has some issues (namely winter) but I don't think I have lived anywhere else that gets into my soul the way Wisconsin does. I have truly been walking around in a trance since June this year, marvelling at the beauty that surrounds me. And this week, woo wee! If you live here, please tell me you have been outside all week long. If not, get up and get out now. Seriously, stop reading and go!

Every year it gets cold after Labor Day and then we get one last romp with the warmth in October. One week of bliss to carry us through the winter. Temps in the mid-70's, warm but with the crispness of fall still in the air, no wind, no humidity. Yep, this week Wisconsin has had on her Sunday best.

We have been outside drinking it in. Today we even made one last trip to the orchard and the drive out was even more succulent than the donuts. Rolling golden cornfields, the first splashes of fall color, bright sunlight embracing the land, gorgeous!

It reminded me of John Steinbeck's words in Travels with Charley. He spent only one day of his life in Wisconsin, but it must have been a day very much like today and I find myself a little frustrated that after almost 7 years, I can not capture Wisconsin as well as he did after one day.

It is possible, even probable, to be told a truth about a place, to accept it, to know it and at the same time not to know anything about it. I had never been to Wisconsin, but all my life I had heard about it, had eaten its cheeses, some of them as good as any in the world. And I must have seen pictures. Everyone must have. Why then was I unprepared for the beauty of this region, for its variety of field, hill, forest, lake? I think now I must have considered it one big level cow pasture because of the state's enormous yield of milk products. I never saw a country that changed so rapidly, and because I had not expected it everything I saw brought a delight. I don't know how it is in other seasons, the summers may reek and rock with heat (nope John, the summers are fabulous), the winters may groan with dismal cold (okay, you've got me there), but when I saw it for the first and only time in early October, the air was rich with butter colored sunlight...there was a penetration of the light into solid substance so that I seemed to see into things, deep in, and I've seen that kind of light elsewhere only in Greece. I remembered now that I had been told Wisconsin is a lovely state, but the telling had not prepared me. It was a magic day. -John Steinbeck

He said more, but I will save it for another Wisconsin love fest. But there are two things you should know about me by now. One, I love me some John Steinbeck, and two, I love me some Wisconsin. I realized at some point that while I will always love Utah, it is mostly the proximity to family that I miss, and that my heart is in Wisconsin. Does that mean I would never move closer to family? No, I may someday, but I know that there is a part of me that would not make that trip. A part that will always be right here in Wisconsin. My home.

And if my words can't do it justice then you know my pictures can't, but here they are anyway.

While honeycrisp day was a madhouse, today we had the place to oursleves.

We were even able to get apple pickers, which are usually gone when we get there.

Golden Delicious-our second favorite apple.

The pumpkin patch was also empty.

My favorite picture of the day...my 3 sillies lugging fresh picked pumpkins.

And of course we had to have one last date with the donuts.

And as if the day wasn't perfect enough, then I got to go to a baptism for two Primary kids whose family has recently been taught by the missionaries and then spend some time gearing up for the Primary Program which is two weeks from tomorrow. One of those days where it is so easy to be grateful.