COMING HOME

Arrived back to Houston October 3, summer vacation a mere memory.

New roof, new hardwood floors, freshly painted rooms and granite counters. If it hadn’t been for the boxes stacked floor to ceiling in the dining room, the guest room and study, I could have enjoyed it all. But I was in a panic; our son was coming to Houston on business, and due to arrive the 17th. That may seem like a good while to get everything unpacked and in place, but the truth of it… his father was leaving for Hawaii on the 12th, for a week. (A business trip, uh huh!) There were things I would need help with. The moving company left boxes in the dining room that should have been up stairs. Boxes in the guest room should have been downstairs. It was a mess. There was nothing to do but get started, and I did.

Our dining room has a wall of bookshelves; I forgot how heavy a box of books can be. My first thought was to shove books any place on shelves, just get them unpacked. By the third box I knew I couldn’t do that, they had to be shelved in some order. Then I ran across books I had read and loved. Books I forgot I had and still want to read. I had to slap myself a couple of times to keep at it. Then there is the Welsh Dresser and all the china that goes on and in it. I wasn’t so nostalgic unpacking and sorting that out… we always eat on the same damned white plates, do I really need all the others?

By the 12th and my husband’s departure I was close to completion in the dining room. Then the call came, “My trip to Houston has been cancelled, so won’t see you until Christmas,” our son said. Along with disappointment came the realization that sorting out the guest room wasn’t nearly as urgent as it had been. Whew!

I’d left Portland in fall temperatures, Houston was still sweltering. I bitched and moaned about the weather, daily. Then a “cold” front hit and we had days in the low 70’s, I smiled. Yesterday we were back up to 83’. Halloween pumpkins on the porch are rotting…

Halloween has always been fun for me. I love the colors, the costumes, and the candy corn. We did manage to get the porch somewhat decorated, but no enthusiasm for doing the entire house this year, I just got it back together!

Now that I have relaxed a bit I am glad to be back. It’s nice to be recognized at our favorite Tex-Mex restaurant, to know I will find Ro-Tel tomatoes on the shelf at my local grocery and yes, even have the Texan’s game blasting in the living room. And that familiar Texas twang makes me smile as I listen to local radio and go about my day.

With what I faced on my return and accomplished I still managed to have two good reads.

Edward M. Kennedy True Compass
The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar

I was also pleased to see in the November issue of Portland Monthly, that our favorite restaurant, Clyde Common was named in the top ten restaurants this year. Paley’s was listed again, as would be expected. And Laurelhurst Market that I discovered just before my departure…

P.S. (Patsy Says) Should note, the living room would have been filled with boxes too, had my sweet mate not worked his butt off clearing away before my arrival.