May 19, 2006

New Beginnings

My mother is now comfortably, albeit not (yet) neatly, ensconced in her cute new townhome. She's a city gal now, the term "city" used loosely as she still lives, by my definition, in the middle of nowheresville Virginia.

The family manse, her previous home, is vacant, the rooms loudly echo even the softest footsteps on the hardwood floors. It's amazing how different a place looks with no furnishings. However I can recall what was displayed in the spots identified only by holes in the walls now carefully spackled. The house may appear empty, but the memories will always be there, unobtrusive and visible only to those who can and wish to remember, wafting about like Casper the Friendly Ghost offering comfort in a world that changes whether we are ready or not.

Yes, that chapter is closed and a new one begun. Fresh ink. She adores her new abode, with good friends a few doors down in both directions. Her old next-door neighbors are still her neighbors, just not quite next-door. That's right. When she told them she was moving, they decided they would move too, to the only other unit for sale in the quiet little enclave in which she now resides.

We celebrated her 70th birthday on the day of her move. I refuse to acknowledge that her husband died just nine short days following his 70th birthday. My mother is too stubborn an old bird to ever consider such nonsense. Her plan is to drop dead in her kitchen when she is 87, following the examples set by her own mother as well as her late husband's mother. Eh. Sounds like a good enough way to go, I guess.

Her birthday was also the two year anniversary of this here blog. When I consider how life has changed over those two years, I waffle between excited anticipation of the future and raw, abject terror. It's bound to be interesting, whatever it brings.


There ain't no load that I can't hold
Road so rough this I know
I'll be there when the light comes in
Just tell 'em we're survivors

Life is a highway
I wanna ride it all night long

---Tom Cochran


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10 comments:

weese said...

happy birthday mom.
its so great she was able to move in near friends. we want to do that too when we ship off to the adult community life style. (we are hoping for a gay retirement communicty - something tells me we may have to leave CT for that)

WenWhit said...

Happy anniversary, darlin.

I vote for excited anticipation of the next two years. Hell, I'm looking forward to the next forty-two years or so with you.
*smooch*

Middle Girl said...

Welcome back. Happy Birthday to your Mom. Happy Anniversary to you and your blog.

Eyes for Lies said...

Your photo was quite daring. You appear to be traveling at quite a fast clip there missy!

I so relate to how you are feeling. I am there with you...

MOM IS NUTZ said...

Your mom sounds really cool!

maxine said...

Nice...when I think of memories od home I get Beetlejuice more than Casper.

KMae said...

Suzanne that was exquisitely written! So bittersweet, the old house thing.

I was thinking your dear mother must be really old... Then you said 70! Hell, no wonder she's so happy in her new digs, she's still YOUNG.

My Doris is 70, and SHE is FABULOUS! And she has more energy than I do!

Taradharma said...

wait just a minute, missy...one hand out the window...the other holding the camera! Are you 'elbow' drivin'???

I think that's great that your mom's friends moved with her -- that's how I hope to spend my 70s - with a gang of crusty old broads.

Happy blog anniversary! Happy B'day Mom!

Anonymous said...

Suzanne, tu es the writer who is good, si? Y tu es I see the good driver with the picture and the steering wheel with the no hands, si? But with the Casper person I think he make scared the pee pee out of most of the people, si?

Feliz cumpleanos a su madre. Aniversario feliz a usted.

I also know this thing. You can not up with the shutting of me because of the spider, si? So says the smooching person.

Besos y abrazos,

~Isabel

Bent Fabric said...

I'm a bit late to the festivites but Happy Belated Birthday to your mom and Happy 2-year Blog Anniversary! Watch out for those terrible two's. ;)

LOVE that pic, btw!