our trip home for the holidays was hectic and emotional and wonderful and hard and lovely….all at once. there is something about going home that makes me feel many things simultaneously . great love for my family. a flood of memories. some hard. some wonderful. home sickness for our families and wanting to stay longer, but a longing for my home and life in portland. a familiarity for a city i’ve known a long time, but a disdain for it as well. culture shock. the south vs the northwest. i’m a walking contradiction. and there will never be enough time. feeling like i want to spend time with john’s family, and my own family, i’m ultimately left with feeling out of time.
just some of my favorite moments:
hearing my mom’s very loud laugh. you could hear it a block away. i love it. it’s so my mom.
greggie getting the words of a johnny cash song mixed up. he said “brusselsprout” instead of “pepper sprout” and it was really funny. you had to be there, though. it sent my mom into one of those famous laughing sprees.
seeing movies and watching cable. cable is such a treat anymore.
having an honest, sometimes difficult, but tender conversation with my sister in law. though i wouldn’t call it a joyous moment, i think what will come out of it will be joyous. it was what we needed and now i know our relationship will grow and blossom into what it’s meant to be.
getting a call from the airline telling us our luggage made it after all, and it wasn’t lost forever.
sipping hot tea while opening presents on christmas eve with mom, john, and greggie. john opening his shell-on-a-stick gift from my mom. it was hilarious.
watching my mother-in-law open the gift i made for her. she loved it. she cried. i cried. here’s a photo of it (it’s her and her father).
eating non-stop. bono’s bar-b-q. panera bread bowls. loop pizza. mom’s spaghetti. mom seitzinger’s yam recipe. now i’m addicted.
napping on christmas day with john. i never, ever take naps, so it was a real treat.
the sunny and warm weather. meanwhile, portland was getting slammed with cold and rain. lucky us.
watching some of the 20th anniversary Oprah dvd boxset with mom. kimmie gave it to me for Christmas. she knows how much i love oprah, though i rarely get to watch it anymore. mom and i watched some of it in her sunny bedroom with the screendoor open. we cried at most of the stories oprah told. we could barely get through the first disc. oprah inspires me. john’s calls her show “Hope-ra” and it makes me laugh every single time.
seeing ama, kat, karen, and mark for a quick lunch in st. augustine. the hugs, laughter, and beautiful weather were perfect. they all make me smile.
breakfast with kimmie and seeing the beach townhouse they just bought. it’s so cute. and i was happy, happy, happy to see mrs. kimmie kelly.
rummaging through old family photographs with both my mom and john’s mom. john’s mom and i found john’s grandmother’s senior book from 1924. there were photographs and letters people had written to her in that wonderful, old handwriting, giving her advice on how to lead a successful life. some of the tips were quite touching. i wish i could remember them now….
my friend Alena asking if i’d like to be a contributing artist for the book she is writing/creating for lark books. i can’t even tell you how excited i am to be a part of this project and book. and i’m just estatic she asked me!
getting a text message from maya that made me smile. and then hearing her voice for a quick second later the next day.
celebrating my mom’s birthday at Buca Di Beppo.
seeing john’s granddad on Christmas day. he is a wonderful storyteller and i love the pride in his eyes when he looks at his family.
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