Abe Update

Having Abram with us for this interim period--2nd Thanksgiving in a row!-- while Abram awaited word on his new job in Maryland has been a pleasure and an unexpected bonus. Abram bought a one-way ticket from Hawaii, joined his friends to go on a 'follow the band tour' through three cities and then had Phil and Chris drop him by our new place in Tulsa on their way from Oklahoma City back to Kansas City. It was truly great to share the new homestead with Abram and offer his friends a hot shower before they went on their merry way.

The only down side to Abe's great visit has been the virulent strain of cold germs Abram came down with in Tulsa (probably began in Hawaii or during his road trip)...and then exposed us all to it. I started feeling it in my throat, the day before Thanksgiving and the same day Jeff & Abram departed to return to Alabama. I had laryngitis most of Thanksgiving while driving and then it really hit me hard the following few days. Ten days later and I am still blowing my nose. But I know that the cold is almost finished and this nose stuff I can deal with easily. Now Jeff is in the throws of it; body aches and chills...and the coughing, the coughing. I have had a cold this bad in many years. Just a good reminder that being sick is the pits and I'll do what I need to in order to stay healthy.

Abram got word, shortly after Thanksgiving weekend, that his security paperwork did get approved and the new job at Fort Meade, MD, is his and he starts on December 9th. Congratulations, Abram!

Back n' Forth

I can't believe how quickly this past ten days has flown by. I left Oklahoma on Thanksgiving Day and made the 800-mile trek all in one fell swoop, pulling into Ozark very late...but safe & sound. It was good to be back with Jeff and Abram. But this time it feels different.

We closed on the house in Tulsa and it is beautiful. I think it is a perfect match for Jeff and I. There will be a lot of upkeep and maintenance on this new glory of a home and we're up for the challenge. Unexpectedly, we are going to have to do quite a bit more painting than originally planned. I had thought I would whip in, rip out the old wall paper in the upstairs bathrooms, do a bit of painting...then just do some lovely glaze painting on the ceiling in our bedroom...and call it done! Not so. The previous owners took excellent care of this house and freshly painted several of the rooms. But the entryway, hallway, living room, master bedroom, stairway and bedrooms upstairs are in dire need of new paint.

And about the carpets. I had no idea how poor a shape the carpets were in until I saw the house without furniture. Jeff was seeing the house for the first time, the night before we closed, and I could tell he wasn't expecting this either. So, we'll bite the bullet, be grateful that we can do it...and have new carpet installed when we've finished painting our new home.

Ahhh, but I digress (a surprise, right?) The main thought when sitting down to write this morning, is more about the feeling of disjointedness and living in and between both places. The photo at the top says it all. When I leave Oklahoma, I leave these lovely people behind. This time is only for a little while but I was just getting use to being near them when I needed to leave again.

Tomorrow I begin the journey back to Oklahoma and this time for a longer stretch of time. I anticipate only a couple more trips back and forth before it's all said and done. Next time will not be until after the holidays and after Gavin and I get a Grandma and Grandson week while Tarajean and Paul take a much needed and deserved little vacation. Jeff and I will weather through this Christmas in separate states and be grateful for all our many blessings; most importantly that Tarajean and Abram are doing good and Jeff and I are heading toward our next chapter and latest new adventure together ... soon!

Way back when, while sharing about the possibility of a move to live in Tulsa to be near Tarajean and Gavin, Laurie Jo -- such a wise, trusted and dear soul-- said, "Connections are what it's all about." I agree, dear friend. I wholeheartedly agree.