Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Yesterday, Today


After two weeks of a full house, including my husband at home on vacation and my daughter back from New Orleans in her last week before school, and my son and friends over and my cousin from Trinidad here for her niece's freshman installation (we make it a big event in our family), I am home alone today, and I relish it. I loved having everyone around, and who knows why it feels lonely when they leave sometimes and at other times it feels peaceful, but today, it's the latter. Maybe it has something to do with talking to my daughter by phone first thing this morning. She sounded, in a word, happy.

My cousin, who I grew up with more like a sister, left for the airport early this morning. We had a lovely time roaming the city together yesterday. We went down to see the reflecting pools at Ground Zero, then ate mussels and crab cakes at a restaurant that used to be a parking garage and now boasts an indoor park, and then we walked a bit of the High Line, a park in the sky built on an old elevated railway line. It was crowded as usual, and my head was spinning a bit from the two glasses of Malbec I'd had with lunch, so we came home after a while and I took a nap. I am not a very good day drinker! I loved having my cousin here for the week though, and we talked deeply over lunch yesterday, sharing never before shared heart things without judgment, and that felt freeing.

The house is quiet now. I have just cleaned up the hurricane that hit the kitchen in which my husband cooked jambalaya last night, and tidied up my daughter's room where she and my cousin stayed. The living room still needs my attention; cushions are tossed everywhere, but I'll do that later. I have just made myself breakfast of a cheddar and onion omelet and matcha green tea, and I'm about to get back to work on my book project, which feels deliciously like spending time with a very grand lady of 97 years, the good doctor, my subject. I do have a concurrent assignment, but I am waiting for two stories to come in for that, so today is all mine to spend with the good doctor.

In other news, since March when my mom died, I have gained back half of the weight I lost. This depresses me no end, but I am climbing back onto the wagon now, trying to turn it around. It's a clear blue day out there, not a touch of humidity in the air. I hope you are all doing well with the inevitable transitions that come at this time of year.



13 comments:

  1. Why is it so easy to gain weight, so hard to lose it?
    Ah, my love.
    Solitude. Sometimes it is the only thing we need. Throw in a blue sky, a promise of fall, a job we love doing and there is perfection.

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  2. I continually battle my weight. So frustrating. I'm hitting reset now that I've delivered the college junior back to campus. I'm expecting this transition will make some good habits stick. Best to you in your transitions too.

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  3. You are so lucky...I wish my solitude afforded me peace...This writing I have been doing seems to unleash great waves of sadness...Hugs to you.

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  4. I love the gentle flow of this post and the recognition that sometimes peace comes in as amiably as loneliness doesn't --

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  5. I had to look up the High Line…what a great use for an old railway in a city. The views must be great as well as the actual walkway. How long is the walk? I have never been to NY ( or to US even!) There is an old single track railway line few hundred years from here that soon gets out into the countryside , and it is very well used as a dog walking path.

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  6. I'm glad you've had some peaceful solitude! It sounds like you had a great day out in the city. I miss walking around New York! (I'm not a good day drinker either.)

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  7. Many prayers for your husband's family as they weather this storm...And yes, to your previous question...

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  8. What a lovely restaurant, and a busy and full week.

    I'm also peaceful with my absent children. They keep in touch and they are happy, how can I not be happy for them? I'm busy getting the house back the way I like it, which feels good.

    Oh the weight, the tedious frustrating effort to lose it and the ease with which it sneaks back. It isn't fair. I'm trying too, my husband and I, and we're trying to eat fresh and clean and reasonably, but the wine is a problem! Our new thing is to take a walk or do something active after dinner as often as we can. I'm hoping it helps. Life has such a different pace when it's just the two of us. It's interesting and unnerving, these life stages and changes. I'm trying to figure out this new me.

    I hope you have a productive time with the book, I can't wait to read about the Dr. :)
    xo

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  9. If only all - or even "more" - days could be like this. And I so hear you on the weight thing. Getting back on track is hard. Very hard.

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  10. How is your husband's family since the storm?

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