I returned on Saturday night from a whirlwind trip to Oregon, planned around seeing my nephew, Jonathan (left), as the hat maker in "Fiddler on the Roof"--the junior version that lasts ninety minutes instead of two hours or more.

When I got to the DFW airport on Wednesday, my niece from Portland met me at my gate before I even left town. We had about 15 minutes crossing paths as she had a layover while headed east on business. Great fun.

After I landed in Portland, we went to the Multnomah campus, where another niece is finishing up a semester, and caught her choir rehearsal. Gorgeous harmony on the Christmas songs.

Thursday I taught a writing workshop for about thirty kids and their parents, and that night we went out to eat at Sweet Tomatoes, our fave all-you-can-eat salad joint. Then we went down to the water's edge on the Columbia River to watch the Parade of Ships. Annually owners decorate their yachts, dinghys, and catamarans with Christmas lights, and the crafts cruise down the water in formation. Beautiful! It rained (hard) just about the entire time I was in Vancouver/Portland, but the drops stopped just as we pulled up to watch. Perfect viewing.

Friday I drove out to Cannon Beach to meet with my agent, Chip MacGregor, who has been quite patient with my getting-an-education-instead-of-writing-books life. On the way I stopped for coffee and berry scones with one of my cousins before proceeding on to the coast. Driving amidst the pointy-tipped firs fed the aesthetic side of my soul. (And it also reminded me that when I moved from Oregon to Virginia, my fifth grade teacher told me to stop drawing trees that were pointy. Everyone knows, she said, that trees are not pointy at the top. I felt a smug sense of vindication even all these years later.) I arrived at the coast about fifteen minutes early and inhaled the coastal air. Haystack Rock welcomed me with a tiny patch of blue sky overhead. Home.

Inside Mo's, I downed a cup of clam chowder and enjoyed the ocean view while Chip and I plotted out my future. Then it was back to Vancouver for the show. I met up with my parents at my sister's, where we shared dinner before meeting my oldest brother for the performance. The kids did a great job. Because I was in "Fiddler on the Roof" in high school, I especially loved remembering the music and the lines: "May the Lord bless and keep the Czar--far away from us."

Saturday morning my parents returned to their home in Woodburn. Mom rode with me, and I dropped her off before meeting with a former student, Greg Smith (a.k.a. NY Times bestselling author, David Gregory). After a quick lunch with the folks, I went back to Portland to turn in the car, and return to my hubby, daughter, and dry pavement.

Many have asked about my sister and her kids, especially since this Wednesday marks the fifteenth month since their husband and father was killed by a texting driver. December 21 would have also been Carrie and Gordon's 25th wedding anniversary. Last Christmas they all packed up and came here. So this is the year they go through their normal holiday observances with that huge, gaping hole in their lives. They are doing okay. But they haven't yet figured out who will carve the Christmas turkey. Please remember them...

As I've sat in terminals and sardine-packed seats, I've read The Help. My sis-in-law gave it to me for Christmas last year, and I finally have a chance to read something someone hasn't assigned. I should be reading for my dissertation, of course. Too soon, I say! The book is told mostly from the point of view of domestic servants from the 1960s. Great storytelling, even if the themes could break your heart. (Have you ever actually read the Jim Crow laws?)

On to the stack of business that's been waiting for months. Great to see family, but great to be home. I have a lot of Christmas prep left to do!