Bear with me on this one. It is Friday, it has been a long week and I am feeling a little nostalgic.
Earlier this afternoon I was a little hungry, but damn it is hot outside and I want something cold. I open the fridge ... and there I see it. A beautiful pink grapefruit. Man, does it look delicious. I grab it out, assemble the necessary grapefruit eating utensils (bowl, spoon, cutting board) and a knife. Here is where I get all mushy and nostalgic. Yes, over a knife.
I start cutting said grapefruit and immediately think of my mom. Now this could be because she is finally coming down to see us next month, or it could be that I am thinking of something Kate from John & Kate + 8 said (yes I watch that show) "we live in our house, but THIS is our home". Crap, I have to back up already. My mom always made sure we had a ton of fruit and veggies around while we were growing up. I thought everyone ate plums, apricots, artichokes, grapefruit, apples, grapes and everything else pretty much right from the fields. My dad would often bring home boxes of seasonal fruits from out in the area he patrolled ... come to think of it was it always safe to eat that?????
I digress again.
Right, grapefruit/mom/house vs home. Okay so often my mom would have grapefruit for my sister and I for breakfast. I vividly remember my mom using this old, yet very cool "grapefruit" knife to cut our halves into little pieces. Being amazed at this weird curved yet very effective knife, I loved eating grapefruit ... in my home in Fresno with my mom.
So I started thinking of Fresno. Denis and I will be heading up to Fresno in October for Leah's wedding. For the first time in a very long time I am excited about going to Fresno. Denis has never been to Fresno with me, never seen my home, never seen my high school (not too impressive these days), never known the Fresno part of me. Just like they say in the valley "You can take the girl out of Fresno, but you can't take Fresno out of the girl". Damn.
I wish I could take Denis into that house. The awesome hardwood floors, the original cedar closets, the basement, the perfectly square hallway, the butler door, the side yard I had to week more than once as punishment for something, our initials in the concrete by the back gate. Leah, help me? What else am I forgetting?
I do love my house in SM, but it still doesn't feel like home like 108 E. Weldon did. Maybe it will take 18 years.
So to come full circle, I'm excited to go to Fresno to show Denis my home where my mom used to use her cool grapefruit knife!
I would have loved to have used that knife today.
1 comment:
Awwww, I absolutely loved that house! Your mom always had it decorated so nicely and it was always comfortable and welcoming. I loved the big bathroom and the gorgeous living room - and of course, the walk-in pantry. The quaint little backyard with the hot tub was a nice hang-out too. And your mom's quilting things in the basement. I always knew I was at your house because of the gorgeous quilts.
I miss my childhood home too. But, the current owners have changed it for the worse, so as much as I would love to knock on the door and ask to look inside, I won't. I think you feel the same way about your house. We just have to remember them as they were and show Denis and Brenda the outsides and share with them the memories that were made inside.
Love, your friend who loved 108 E. Weldon too.
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