Hiking at Cedar Breaks

Peter and I got to spend a couple days together last week. Unfortunately it was because he was on bereavement leave; his grandfather passed away on Monday. I don't think we've had a single day off together since New Years when he was sick. Peter was obviously pretty down because of his loss, but it was still a special time.

The weather on Wednesday was humid, but mild, so we decided to get outside while we still could. I had just been talking to my friends about how I feel I spent too much of my twenties trying to get caught up instead of actually experiencing life. Instead of going out on my weekends, i spent my time doing all the chores I hadn't gotten done during the week. Well, no more! Although I had plenty of things that desperately needed to get done (Has anyone cleaned the bathroom since Lydia was born? You haven't? Me either.), we decided to savor the time together. Who knows when we'll get this chance again.

We decided to go hiking, but didn't want to go too far. I knew I'd been hiking on a nice path in a park along Lake Georgetown, but that was back in 2005 and there are several different parks along Lake Georgetown. I had no idea which one I'd gone to. We decided to try Cedar Breaks park, mostly because it's right off DB Wood road. It seemed like the easiest to find and I figured if that was appealing to me know, it probably would have been six years ago as well. (BTW, it's been six years since I lived in Georgetown?!)

At the gate of Cedar Breaks, I told the attendant, an elderly lady named Mildred, that we only needed a day pass. While he pulled out his wallet to pay the enhance fee, Peter leaned over to the driver's-side window and asked, "Are there any good hiking trails here"?

Mildred turned and grabbed a clip-board, then said, "Put your money away." It turns out that hiking is free there.

Peter walked Lady on her leash and tried to keep her enthusiasm in check. I had Lydia wrapped to my chest. Lydia was so happy being out with us! She sang for over an hour as we walked. When my hands got anywhere close to her pudgy hands, she grabbed my fingers and stuck them in her mouth to chew on.

It turns out this was the park I'd visited before and it was a great hike! Obviously, a cedar forest is nothing dark and mysterious, but it did provide shade on our walk, and honestly the walk was not that easy.

It wasn't too intimidating, but it was challenging and definitely made us work. And the view was gorgeous. Maybe any view looks beautiful on a good day, but I found myself thanking God for the experience and resolving to do this more often.

It was a perfect family day. It was the kind of day that when I was single I daydreamed of spending with my family. After all the rough days (and weeks and months) we've had to work through lately (no offense Lydia, but you don't make things easier), this day felt like our reward.

Resolved: To become hip. . . Resolution: FAILED

I only had one resolution this year. It was a fairly small one, but still I've failed so far.

My resolution was to get hip. Specifically regarding popular music. I've never been caught up on the current music scene. (Are these even the right phrases to use? Somehow I sound like I'm 68.) When I was a kid, my parents were very protective of the cultural influences they allowed into our home, so most current secular music was not allowed. Current Christian music was allowed, but growing up in Weimar, there were no radio stations nearby that played this music, and in the days before iTunes recommendations, it was hard to stay current while so isolated.

In my early twenties, I was of course free to listen to whatever I wanted but had no room in my very responsible budget for music, and being a rule follower, I wasn't about to use Napster. By the time I was in a position to indulge in music purchases, I felt so out of the loop that it seemed pointless to start following bands and artists at that point.

I felt too old. If I tried to start following bands and musicians now, I'd just be a poser, right? *shudder*

Sure,I have a few songs I've taken from Peter's library, but I haven't purchased a song or album in several years. My iPhone is mostly full of podcasts where people sit around discussing technology, parenting, or religion. It was actually one of these podcasts that inspired me to this year's resolution. I started listening to the Relevant Magazine podcast. In this particular podcast, people sat around and discussed music. I have to admit, as they discussed new bands I'd never heard of and how they compared to old bands I'd never heard of, I became quite jealous.

Obviously this is their job—to know music inside and out—but they're talking for the benefit of their subscribers, which means that someone else out there understands and, even more importantly, cares about these discussions...I want to be that person! For once in my life, I want to be plugged in. I want to be hip. So this year I had one resolution: to be exposed to, pay attention to, purchase, and ultimately listen to good, modern music. Wanna know how many times I've so much as turned on my radio all year? Zero.

What can I say? I'd much rather listen to people talking about music than actually listen to music. I'm going to continue trying to broaden my horizons, but I'm done trying to deny who I really am. I'm never going to be a hipster, but if I try, maybe I can be a nerd with a little good music on her phone.