Feb 20 Midway of Trip HOme

Feb 15-Mar 5, 2015

Half way through my trip home several impressions stand out:  the plethora of things, the busyness and the noise.  There is so much to choose from.  20 stores selling 30 styles of jeans each, even the thrift shops are overwhelming.  Full of things that people got rid of to make room for more things.  People rush from place to place frantically, rush to yoga class to relax and then rush home.  People jog or power walk .  No one strolls or wanders along just looking at things.  And everything is so noisy, restaurants, gyms, malls are blasted with jarring music.  It is lovely to be home again and see old friends and visits familiar places, but…I think I have been spoiled by long days at sea with only the wind and waves.

It has been a whirlwind trip.   I feel like I have put 1,000 miles on my car.  The weather has been wonderful, warm and clear and dry, perfect So Cal winter weather.  I know we need the rain but I am loving the warm.  Our house is the same and yet has been transformed by my son and his girlfriend with new paint, new lighting and new furniture and now it looks like there will be a further transformation as they look for their own place and we look for a renter for this house.  I am once again going through boxes, trying to get rid of things.  2.5 years on a small boat has made me recognize that we don’t really need so many things.   And yet, they have been collected, or acquired, over 60 years.  If/when we come back to live on land again, what will we really want and what is easily replaced?  Alan says to keep only those things that make me smile or are useful and difficult to replace.  Much of what I had was passed to me as the oldest daughter of the oldest daughter.  I loved having things that dated back 3-4-5 generations but I never felt as if they were mine.  I was just the caretaker.  It is time to pass them on.  Audrey and Chris have already taken everything that they want.  The rest can go to Steve for his kids. The things that I want to keep are quirky; my collection of chopsticks and teapots, my stained glass tools, my chinese painting supplies, the Murano glass bowl from Venice, some books but not many. almost all of my jewelry.

 I am realizing that we have never really cut the dock lines.  We have always had the house and all of the stuff as a fallback.  It is different and odd but also freeing to think of someone else living here and taking care of my wonderful garden.  Hopefully they will have as much fun with it as I did.