We headed upstate this past weekend with a couple of friends to spend a few days cross-country skiing, sitting by the fire, eating copious amounts of Korean food and visiting with my parents. My dad also reported in earlier weeks that he was growing arugula and mizuna in a tiny winter-garden in my bedroom, and I wanted to observe this spectacle.

After a long drive Friday night, we arrived to watch the un-momentous finale of the Olympics, then woke up Saturday and headed off on our own Nordic adventure at the cross-country ski center my family has visited for the last twenty years in the humble village of Benson, New York. The “resort,” that centers around a tiny lodge with a wood burning fireplace and two worn and weathered leather couches perfect for a post-aerobic pass-out, is owned by a former Finnish Olympian–Olavi–and his family.

Jacob and friend Viki were first-time cross-country skiers, so we headed out on Lake Trail, the flattest of treks that ends in an alcove that juts out to a private lake. The lake was frozen, ice inches deep, casting an undoubtedly opaque surface on which to explore. Four of us headed across the lake–perhaps a mile wide and surrounded on 350 degrees by pine trees in myriad shades of idyllic forest green. Two thirds the way across the lake we turned around to return to shore, realizing we were the lone souls left gliding across the snow-speckled ice. Jacob beckoned for me to pause and enjoy the view while it remained unadulterated for this one short moment.

Sam and Viki continued to ski on towards hard ground while Jacob stopped to “take off his sweater,” and then his skis (much to my confusion), and then turned in my direction, and confidently and gently asked me to marry him. Out came the ring, I cried and exclaimed “I can’t believe it” five or six times, uttered a “yes” at some point, then fumbled to get my gloves off. We hugged and we kissed — and occasionally, a skier would pass, letting us revel in what was an apparent celebration. After 10 minutes we clumsily skied our way back to our friends at the shore, then back to the lodge to greet my informed-and-smiling parents.

We spent the rest of the day skiing through the woods, eating mint chocolate chip ice cream in 10 degree weather, observing this magnificent sunset, sipping champagne in front of the fireplace and playing round after round of Bananagrams until we dissolved into an elated stupor. The thrill of it hasn’t at all started to wane, and even as it inevitably will, if what has passed is only as good as what’s to come, i’m beyond excited to be part of it.

p.s. CONGRATULATIONS KATIE + WILL + BABY RUBY!!!

Published Tuesday, February 16th, 2010 at 11:23 am. Filed under Daily Life, Family. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.