Home again

Hello, dear friends! I’m still jet-lagged, but here I am at home again, and everything that implies. I’m eager to catch up with you, to hear all the latest. But until I’ve got both feet planted on this side of the continent again, I’m hoping you’ll accept this touch-and-go landing…

When I arrived in Connecticut a little more than a week ago, my in-laws were frail and unsettled. At times, and each in turn, they seemed ready to let go. Scary times, for all concerned–a lot like what’s depicted in this short video, in fact. But when we said our goodbyes on Saturday, they seemed much more relaxed. Rejuvenated, even. I think that comes of having their affairs in order, of settling into their new nests. For now, and for however long, they’re clinging to life and to each other. =:) 

It was a challenging time for lots of reasons–the cold weather, among them. I’m not used to wrapping myself in thick layers of clothing, or navigating wintery conditions. Example: One moonless night, my car got wedged between shoulder-high snow berms on a lonely country road. No GPS…wearing gym shoes and makeshift winter gear, I truly thought I was going to suffer the same plight as the Little Match Girl. Until, that is, a burly guy in a pickup truck swooped in to save me. Whew, thank goodness for guardian angels! 

A stranger in unfamiliar territory, I nevertheless found myself surrounded by the many kindnesses of old and new friends. For instance, I’m still beaming this morning as I think about the wonderful afternoon I spent with Jeannine Atkins. We’ve talked online for awhile now, but hadn’t visited in person. So I was beyond thrilled when she suggested an afternoon get together at the Chaiwalla tea house in Salisbury, Connecticut. Generous soul that she is, she braved the winter roads to meet me! Sunshine streamed through the picture window, surrounding us with warmth and light. It was a balmy 50 degrees that afternoon–a perfect complement to a cozy conversation among friends. And when she presented me with lavender-blueberry chocolate squares, plus an inscribed copy of BORROWED NAMES, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. (She’s posted a far more eloquent description of our afternoon–with pictures–here.)

One more bit of news, and then I really must unpack: Phoebe’s newest hatchlings finally fledged! If you know me, you already know that I’ve watched this video time and again. My heart soars whenever I do! Phoebe’s had some tough luck of late–some of her eggs weren’t fertile, and a few hatchlings fell prey to hawks. But good mama that she is, Phoebe never gave up. She built one nest after the other, and nourished each brood as if it were her first. And it just so happened that Bea and Jay took to the skies, on Valentine’s Day, no less! Hope–that shimmery thing with feathers–lives on and on and on. 

  3. Welcome home! I am sorry MY home (or, home-adjacent) was so snowy and chilly and generally un-welcoming. But how lovely to return to find Phoebe’s new brood taking wing. 🙂

    • Thank you! And there’s really need to apologize. Despite the cold weather, and despite the fact that I was traveling unfamiliar territory (metaphoric and real), I was swaddled by the kindnesses of so many people! And hey, isn’t that video one of the most heartwarming ever? 🙂

  4. I am so happy you were able to meet with Jeannine! One of the qualities of winter that I have found is willingness of people to help each other. There is a hightened sense of community when we are all trying to dig out and get around… When the snow melts, I think this feeling melts a little too.

    So glad you are home safe and WARM!! I am glad things are a bit better for your inlaws.

    xo

    • Thanks for your heart-warming welome home. xoxo Meeting up with Jeannine for tea was a highlight of my trip! She’s as warm & wonderful in person as she is online…moreso, I think. 🙂

      I had a fascinating conversation with a local resident about early signs of spring. Lucky me, she pointed out things that I’d missed because of my SoCal-oriented eyes.

  6. Melodye, so glad to hear you made it home safe and with so much accomplished. I’m sure many are feeling better for your having made the trip. Hey, I know I am, even though it wasn’t the purpose! Probably even the burly guardian angel had a better evening.

    Love the hummingbird videos (and green and pink background) and the Emily Dickinson reference to hope as the thing with feathers! (that’s a metaphor I can get!) xo

      • Jeannine ~ I’m still glowing in the aftermath of our wonderful afternoon together. Thanks SO MUCH for making the long trek to meet up with me!! It’s a forever memory, and in retrospect, I can’t imagine my trip to CT being complete without it.

        P.S. As with you and Barb, that’s one E.Dickenson poem/metaphor I truly understand. 🙂

    • I get sad when baby hummingbirds don’t make it…the odds are stacked against them!Still, I’m inspired by the fact that, on the whole, they’re much sturdier than they first appear. 🙂

  9. Now you know how the other (northeastern) half lives in the winter! Don’t be a stranger to the southeast and come visit me next time. I’ll take you to Pinkadilly for tea or we’ll just sit on the front porch and drink sweet tea.

    • I remember many cold winters from my childhood-not my happiest memories. But it was different this time ’round, mainly due to the fact that I had the luxury of warm clothing, plus predictable heat sources. That, and the fact that I was helping others, and had scheduled a flight back home to warmer weather. 🙂

      I’d love to visit you! Pinkadilly sounds fabulous, as do front-porch conversations, sweet tea in hand.

    • It’d be so much fun to visit with you in NYC. I hope we can manage that next time. For sure, there will be a next time, even if I don’t yet know when that will be.

      I’m glad you liked the videos. The first one is scary/funny, and the second one makes my heart soar. 🙂

  11. Thanks!

    Melodye, I asked Jeannine to pass this on to you, but now that I have found your blog (through hers), I will save her the trouble and speak to you directly. I just wanted you to know that I very much appreciated your gracious and generous offer to include me in your lunch with Jeannine at the teahouse in Salsibury, and if it hadn’t been the first meeting-in-person for the two of you, I would have taken you up on it. But I knew how much Jeannine was looking forward to getting to meet you and having some time to talk with you, and I did not want to interfere with that. It was very nice to meet you for a couple of minutes.

    (While you were having your lunch, I did have fun “visiting old haunts”, as I’d mentioned was my plan — I found some great books at the Oblong in Millerton, and, per Jeannine’s suggestion, picked up some tasty teas at the teashop across the street. And I got to drive a bit around the hills of Sharon and Lakeville, and absorb some of their beauty once more — something I wish I’d done more of during the two years that we lived down there.)

    Anyway, thanks again for the invitation! — PL

  13. Welcome home:) What an amazing trip. You must be thrilled that you made such a positive difference in your in-laws lives. And how lovely that you got a chance to meet up with Jeannine. Brrrrrr….looks cold back there. You’re a brave California girl! xo

    • I feel humble and grateful, both. It was a challenging trip, but in helping my in-laws, I was also blessed. (Except for the snowy winter weather, perhaps. That, I could have easily done without!)

      Meeting Jeannine was…delightful to the hundredth power! She’s warm, witty, smart as a whip, and sassy. I love her (and BORROWED NAMES) so much.

  14. Welcome home, my friend. I’m glad that you were able to get your in-laws settled into their new nest with one another. And I’m very glad to hear that they seemed to be a bit rejuvenated by the time you left. That is a wonderful thing.

    I’m super happy that you didn’t end up like the Little Match Girl. lol… Your hummies are gorgeous and I’m so glad that they have taken to the skies!

    • Thanks, Kevin! It’s good to see you again, my friend. I feel very happy that my little sojourn made a difference. I want them to feel cozy and cared for, so it was a privilege to help them settle into their new nest.

      LOL about the Match Girl! In retrospect, I might have been more circumspect about accepting help from an unfamiliar person–in the wintry dark, at that. But the thought of freezing to death on a lonely, snow-covered road made me less cautious about Stranger Dangers, I guess. In the end, I’m super glad I placed my trust in him. Turns out, the plaid-shirt-wearing, pickup-driving stranger in a knit cap and Sorrel boots was my guardian angel. 🙂

      • lol… yeah, I can see how the thought of freezing to death might help you worry less about the Stranger Dangers! But I’m glad he was a guardian angel to you when you really needed one. 🙂

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