Christmas Day

Merry Christmas to all reading this! David and I and both cats made it to the Knight’s house after a frenzied morning of balancing the checkbook, finishing folding the laundry, packing, loading the car, watering the plants, and keeping the kitties calm. The drive was enjoyable. Coupled with good conversation, the trip “home” was very relaxing and exciting at the same time… not because I haven’t been home in a long time, but exciting because this is Christmas and we had the entire davejenbarnes clan in the car. The feelings I felt on the way up today reminded me of the excitement I felt when we first moved into this house.

I can remember my first trip here, to this place I now remember as “home.” I was eleven or twelve… twelve; it was in 1989… and all four of us were in the cab of dad’s little GMC “Jimmy” pickup truck. Dad drove, I was in the middle straddling the shift stick, mom was in the passenger seat and nine year old Jerry was in mom’s lap. Not very safe, but very cozy. It was late–we were driving out to this house in the evenings to put a fresh coat of paint on all the rooms and generally get things ready for the big move. Funny how I don’t remember moving in, but I remember painting in the dark with a flashlight… In that cozy little truck late at night, probably on a school night even, I was wide awake. I must have looked like the cats did when we brought them in earlier today–wide eyed and bushy tailed. When my parents suggested I relax and lean back, I replied that I wanted to memorize everything about getting home. every tree. every curve in the road. I was anxious for those feelings of familiarity that only come with time. At twelve, I didn’t realize that those feelings would develop on their own with no effort from me in the process. I smile now to realize that I finally have the history which gives me those feelings of familiarity. It is so good to be home again.