Strange Story

I am siting at my computer on Facebook
when a message pops up
"I need to talk to you"
It is from a high school friend that is now in California.
I talk to him online from time to time
He wanted my phone number.
To my surprise when I heard his voice
It was exactly the same
and in my mind's eye
I saw the gangly boy I used to sit across from
not the middle aged man in the picture on my screen.
That is the first strange thing.
It was like I had run into him at the Mall yesterday. No "How have you been?"
He asked me about a mutual online friend who also went to school with us
Turns out he had run into her
in a foreign country.
They had a torrid affair!
(Second strange thing)
and suddenly I realized nothing had ever changed
we were still 16
standing in the hallway
books in arms
asking a friend
"Do you think she likes me?"
(third weird thing, if you're keeping up)
Never think you are anonymous on the Internet
The high school gossip monster is still alive and kicking!

Coming Home

It's calm and quiet.
Tomorrow this house will be full of friends
the family we have made for ourselves
I cleaned for two days
seeing my house
through "company eyes"
and I like it
shabby
cozy
full of books
music
pictures kids drew
Looks like lives are well lived here.

Bookmarks

In the mornings,
My daughter Mariah brings me a cup of coffee
just the way I like it
to my bed
At night
Tom has the bed turned back
covers fixed just so.
Bookmarks of my day.

Good Day

So
I got to work today and discovered that the cat apparently pissed on my sweater that I had laid out to wear!
And this was a good day!

November Sunday

This is one of those days I will keep like a talisman in my pocket....

It is Caitliln's birthseason
eighteen years of this funny little sprite
laughing
mimicking
never still
what a gift!
So for our first celebration
we went to Bay St Louis MS
where my sister in spirit lives
Stacey
mother of Ian
born one week after Caitlin
we have pictures of us with pregnant tummies touching
they like to say
they were friends before they were born
we always celebrate the passages of life together
on the beach
watching the fire flicker across well loved faces
I think of all the cups of coffee
all the stories told and retold on porches late into the night
all the noses wiped
all the children tossed into the air
and I am so proud of the family we created
as I see our children growing up
and loving each other like we taught them to
BTW, Elvis is alive and well in a cardboard cut out at the rest station at the Mississippi state line!


Caitlin's actual natal day we spent quietly
watching Breakfast at Tiffany's
shopping for a cute dress and "hurt my feet shoes"
Mariah cooked a birthday dinner
I baked the traditional funfetti cake
my mom came and ate.

Teh next weekend it was time for birthday celebration number 3
The girls had tickets to "so you think you can dance " tour
I tagged along for the ride to visit Paula and Dana
other members of the tribe
in FL
so off we go
we are late
we are lost
tension in the car is high
since I am the mom
it is somehow my fault
I get out of the car at a Tom Thumb gas station
adn refuse to get back in.
I do this with the absolute certainty that Paula or Dana will come get me
even though I have no idea where I am
What friends I have!
So it's a margarita night
a pier sitting morning
and I am ready for whatever may come this week!

Changes

My baby is 18
sending out college applications
scared
proud
excited
(she and I both)
changes are in the wind
My oldest is getting married
Caitlin leaving home
I'm retiring next December

When All Else Fails, Throw A Party

It's been a rough few weeks on the porch
I hate it when I want to bitch
And then I think how much worse off other people are
And how I should count my blessings
then I feel bitchy
and guilty
So I tried to think positive
I walked the dog
I prayed
I meditated
I did my Yoga
then I called all my crazy relatives
wrote a hot check to buy beer and hamburgers
and threw a party
I'm fine now!