Been gone a lot
Jun. 8th, 2005 12:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
talyenCatherine and I have been traveling a fair amount. We went to Illinois for my grandparents' 65th wedding anniversary. Yes, it's their first marriage. Catherine got to meet my grandmother and grandfather, who are 87 and 89, respectively. We had a great time visiting them.
We also visited her friend, who is working at Argonne, which was wonderful. I can't wait to visit her again! We ate a LOT of pizza on this trip! And in Chicago's small Chinatown, we also had dim sum.
At the end of the trip, we drove to the the town I lived in during 1st through 12th grades on that same trip. I had been back one other time, but this was somehow different. For one thing, we went everywhere that I wanted to go: found the public library, and talked to the librarian I'd worked with. Found the pizza place I'd loved. Found two of my junior high schools (I went to three), my high school (now a junior high), and the new high school. Found one old elementary school (I went to four), and my old house, and my aunt's old house.
A few days later, we drove to Philadelphia, (staying with Catherine's aunt and uncle) and went to Catherine's 10-year college reunion, which was fun. I had not been able to imagine what life would be like, having gone to a small school. There are so many things about it that boggle my mind, because they are so different from everything about my life. Most of them have to do with being able to be seen and recognized for who you are, and valued and respected for your self. I came to the conclusion that I could completely understand why she loved it. And that for me, I would have either died, or it would have made the kind of difference in my life that I desperately needed, if I had even been able to understand how to get there.
Then we drove to NY. We visited Catherine's mom and her partner, saw Catherine's high school (1/8 the size of mine), picnic'd with her godson and his parents, walked near a few waterfalls, and in general left 'way too early. There is something about being there that makes me want to stay. Vehemently, which is unusual for me!
Now we're home, and I am at home. My house is clean. My garden could use some work, but I was able to start some work on it last weekend while Catherine was away at Drum Camp. I've cleared out the "trash" from the basement, and anywhere else, and feel like the house and my life is a bit more put to rights than it has been in quite some time. More on that, maybe in the next post.
We also visited her friend, who is working at Argonne, which was wonderful. I can't wait to visit her again! We ate a LOT of pizza on this trip! And in Chicago's small Chinatown, we also had dim sum.
At the end of the trip, we drove to the the town I lived in during 1st through 12th grades on that same trip. I had been back one other time, but this was somehow different. For one thing, we went everywhere that I wanted to go: found the public library, and talked to the librarian I'd worked with. Found the pizza place I'd loved. Found two of my junior high schools (I went to three), my high school (now a junior high), and the new high school. Found one old elementary school (I went to four), and my old house, and my aunt's old house.
A few days later, we drove to Philadelphia, (staying with Catherine's aunt and uncle) and went to Catherine's 10-year college reunion, which was fun. I had not been able to imagine what life would be like, having gone to a small school. There are so many things about it that boggle my mind, because they are so different from everything about my life. Most of them have to do with being able to be seen and recognized for who you are, and valued and respected for your self. I came to the conclusion that I could completely understand why she loved it. And that for me, I would have either died, or it would have made the kind of difference in my life that I desperately needed, if I had even been able to understand how to get there.
Then we drove to NY. We visited Catherine's mom and her partner, saw Catherine's high school (1/8 the size of mine), picnic'd with her godson and his parents, walked near a few waterfalls, and in general left 'way too early. There is something about being there that makes me want to stay. Vehemently, which is unusual for me!
Now we're home, and I am at home. My house is clean. My garden could use some work, but I was able to start some work on it last weekend while Catherine was away at Drum Camp. I've cleared out the "trash" from the basement, and anywhere else, and feel like the house and my life is a bit more put to rights than it has been in quite some time. More on that, maybe in the next post.
