I am home
Did you miss me?
I’m back from freezing my tail end off in Ft. Worth for a week. Sheesh, how do you northern people do it? I mean, the temps were in the 20’s-30’s for most of the trip, and my kids were simply going ape from being cooped up inside. It was a Runescape marathon for them, as there were 3 computers available to them.
They did go outside once, squinting into the blinding light of the sun and gave my sister a coronary when they went down the street on their skate boards. The hill my mom lives on is very steep, and is the same hill that I broke my arm sledding on, hence the coronary. My brother on the other hand, ran out and joined them and I was sure he would break a hip or a tailbone.
It was such a fantastic visit, in spite of the cold. We spent some quality time with my mom, sister and her boyfriend, and the icing on the cake was that my brother joined in. I can’t go into the details as to why (spouse), but he refuses to isolate himself and his children from his family anymore, and for this I am so grateful. We have really missed out on some qualitiy sibling and cousin time (he has 2 young children), and plan on making up for it in the months and years to come.
The kids have been sick most of the holidays, and on the last day of our time with my mom, I called my friend P and asked if her lovely husband could see my daughter. I was suspicious that she had something serious, as the rash on her body was getting worse, she was cranky, and was sleeping until past 10am. No fever, no other complants. Dr. Husband Of P, the pediatrician, saw Mia, did a throat swab and “TaDa” she had strep throat. Strep throat=an abrupt halt to the rest of the vacation plans (which included a weekend in the hill country), so we loaded up on antibiotics and headed back to the coast yesterday. One…long….drive. Ugh, I most certainly didn’t calculate the distance to my moms into the decision to move. I miss her.
As we neared the bridge that would take us back to the beach where we live, I heard Cory say “Mia, look! The bridge! We are almost HOME” and she squealed “YEAAAAHH” and the rest of the boys chimed in with cheering. I think that is the first time I have heard them call our new town home.
Seeing the bridge gave me the same feelings of “home”. The view of people lined up fishing on the bridge, the first glimpse of water, the sweet smell of the ocean. It makes me aware of how a fish must feel when it is lifted from it’s womb of water, and exposed to air. Just a suffocating, lost feeling……and the relief it must feel when it is tossed back and enveloped
into that salty loveliness.
Our bodies are somewhere around 70% saline water. We have strong ties with the sea. Many people don’t feel this tie. They have no connection with the sea whatsoever. In fact, many people I know loath the beach and everything about it. This is about as foreign to me as foreign can be. The pull I feel to the water is so strong is is primal. I have felt it all of my life. The only way I can describe it is that it is like an overwhelming thirst after days and days in the desert with no water.
Today I feel like that fish. Quenched, relieved and at home, back in the salty loveliness of the coast.
Jody,
I have to tell you I teared up when I read your paragraph about the love you have for the coast and ocean because I have that same exact love. I have been going to Galveston every chance I get for years, I never want to leave. I have envisined myself more than once longing to live there. I also love Florida and the ocean there. I envy your life there, it makes me want to be there everytime I come here to visit.
Welcome home!
Miss you!! At least hubby got to see you. He said Mia is an “absolutely beautiful” little girl with such lovely manners. He said her eyes got wide, and she was so appreciative when she got to pick a toy out of the toy drawer!! He was delighted to see you and looks forward to seeing the whole family under less “dire” circumstances. Love ya!! Next time we will all go to Sonny’s. Thanks again for the sweet gesture.
i know what you mean about the ocean…i’ve always told my hubby I can NOT live more than a day’s drive from the ocean, although it’s much warmer where you live!
Happy New Year Jody!
I totally understand your attraction to the sea. At 45 minutes, we live way too far away. I dream that someday, my husband and I will live in a small seaside cottage…that will be heaven
Welcome back home!
And yes, the cold sucks, we always end up with serious cabin fever during the winters. But somehow, it also is nice to have a season to just putter around at home. But still, I am not a fan of snow and cold, not sure why I live here ^^
Karen
i wish i lived by the ocean i love the water i hate being seen in my swimsuit but hey i would do it for the ocean …And tell me about the cold weather lol i live and hour away from the texas boarder we went to dallas on 26th left our house to go get my little sister bf and it was just cold hit dallas it started to rain when we hit Ardmore we started to see snow it had been snowing while we were gone it was crazy …
Hmm, kind of like I feel about bean fields and woods and the midwest in general. I always felt like the mountains and ocean were buxom, flashy women and the midwest was your grandma with cinnamon rolls and apple pie and a warm lap. The best is finding where you belong and enjoying the hell out of it. Hope Mia’s feeling better.
I smiled at the kids yelling ‘almost home’. Having moved so many times I always wait for that ‘moment’ when someone calls the new place home and you know it’s sunk in.
In addition to all the words you write and pictures you post, I “shore do” like this page design!
Oooh – now this template I love!
Welcome home!
Wow. That pictures makes it look like you live in paradise! It is nice to be home, isn’t it? There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home, there’s no place like home…
BTW, I know there was a post about your car seats. I was curious as to make/model, as I am in need of new five-point harnesses for my boys, since they are just about to outgrow the typical booster and I do not feel safe putting them in a lap/shoulder belt with a booster.
FINALLY – a template I really, really love. It’s clean, easy to read, the comments are AFTER the post (so I stop screwing up and posting on the wrong one like I used to last year… LOL).
Keep it.
Thanks everyone.
DM, we use the Britax Regent. It is such a great seat, and I can recommend no other.
And yes, it is so great to be home.
Meritt, I really like it too. Very simple and easy to use.
I thought I would leave a comment to be the lone voice of the “other” position on the ocean. I’m in MN so there are tons of large lakes (obviously), I’ve been to the ocean too and honestly, water scares me. The magnitude of the size of the body of water (especially oceans and great lakes) frightens and overwhelms me. Probably doesn’t make sense to you sea lovers but that is just the way I am! I can’t stand thinking about all the unknown/unseen creatures residing in the water and the water is just so big! However, I love reading your adventures and appreciate your love of the water. Happy New Year
I think you feel about the coast the way I feel about the woods. Although, I am all about trips to the beach as well. It’s just that I’m not a huge fan of Galveston and that’s what is closest to us.