Waking this morning at Kathleen’s (my aunt) house, I’m
flooded with memories. This is our Winston-Salem home when we are away from any
of our other homes – Maine, boat.
And how fortunate we are to have numerous homes when so many people have
not even one. We left the boat in “little” Washington, NC (in the care of the
dock masters) yesterday and drove in our borrowed from cousins, Pat &
Kathryn (and their son, Arthur), car arriving in time for supper w/Kathleen and
cousins, Patsy, Gary and Dale. Joy.
The memories though: lots of Fall seasons in the warmth of
NC after escaping, briefly, Maine cold; lots of extended family holidays and
dinners (suppers) here; Mom and Dad living here while we were modifying the
little house next door for them as they were declining (dealing w/Mother’s
cancer); my being in that same bed they had shared when the hospital called to
let me know that Dad had passed; canning tomatoes w/Kathleen a couple of months
ago…..more and more and more…the new babies that I meet here because this is
the family meeting place for now (the place I arrive now that “the Farm” is
sold) that is most central, locally. Helping people die (Mother and Dad and
Wayne) is part of this memory set, too. My oh my. Always an honor, like helping bablies enter the world here, but never easy. And how fortunate to have that honor.
And, how did I get to be nearly 68 (67 and ¾)?!?!? And, am I
learning all that I’m meant to learn in this circuit on Earth? Not yet,
obviously, or I wouldn’t be here.
So, looking forward to the couple of days w/my beloved
relatives before traveling back to join the boat and continue this particular piece
of our/my journey, heading toward Beaufort.
Perhaps to not write until our boat return on Sunday. We’ll
see.
Nancy, It is lovely to read your blog, I hear your voice in my head as I read. I can see Kathleen, her house, the farm... So glad we spent time with you there. Another chapter. Fall is absolutely stunning here in Maine. We have had breakfast outside most of the past week, it has been so mild! For 2 days the warm breezes came in gusts and convinced the big oaks to let go of their leaves. They went from full, bronze leafed to just about bare in that time! We sat out and watched them fall like huge snowflakes. Now they are scattered all over, still whole and perfectly formed, not wet or dry and brittle yet. Brilliant blue sky, green grass, a calendar photo. Big changes for me, I'm moving my studio back home! Consolidating, everything in one place. I've missed home so much while traveling it feels delicious to make this decision. A month ago I would have bristled at the idea, but returning home, it came to me that it is exactly what I want right now. Will take a few months to transition, we started designing the needed storage space at home and have begun figuring it out. Will be a done deal long before you return to Maine. Who knew? Sometimes those decisions come fully formed and pop into your head and fit. Welcoming the next phase. Love you, Be safe. Nora
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