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.