My father leaves for an out-of-state fishing trip tomorrow and won't be returning until later next week. My mom will be heading up to my sisters' home to spend time with the two "MPG"s ("Most Precious Granddaughters") over the weekend so I'll be spending the weekend at my folks house, to keep the dogs company and take care of the new 24 baby chicks that my dad just got.
I haven't lived there since … uh … wait, let me take off my shoes so I can count on my fingers and my toes. Somehow, no matter how much time has passed, there's something warm and welcoming about returning "home". I live one city away from my folks, and can see them anytime I want, but life gets in the way and I have my own "to do" list and sometimes a few weekends pass before it occurs to me that … hey dammit, they still owe me a birthday present!!
They've changed a few things since I've lived there. They removed the hot tub from the back deck, since I was pretty much the only one who used it – typically when I should have been in 5th and 6th period classes at high school. They re-organized the kitchen and the breakfast room – which means it takes me longer to find "my favorite" utensil or pan. And my mom totally re-decorated her bedroom in shades of lavender that bring her peace and comfort, something that I'm sure she didn't have when her two daughters were there tearing up the joint.
And , as I've said, they now have two dogs - Hershel, aka "HersheyDog" and Belle, aka "BelleDammit". From the names, you can gather that one instigates trouble and the other just goes along for the ride. Animals have ALWAYS been a part of my life – even now, I have *only* two pets. The last round of critters at my folks place when I was still there were my two outdoor farm cats, my father's beloved dog and my three birds. I've always had a soft spot for birds – from roller canaries to parrots of all sizes and colors. (OK – maybe not those damned African Senegals that we had for a couple of years, 'tho - those things were DESTRUCTIVE as heck.) Someday, probably when I'm retired and can spend the kind of time they require, I'd like to get a Moluccan- or Sulphur-crested Cockatoo.
As an adult, the place doesn't seem as large as it did when I was a kid – and there are parts of the structure that I'll never be comfortable with – but still, looking around in the silence, it's easy to see the extra-huge Christmas tree we had next to the living room windows, and the banners we'd throw over the ceiling fan in the dining room for parties, etc. Yeah, it's not too big, not too small – it's just right.
Plus I'll have the whole weekend to look for wherever they may have hid my birthday present.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment