(no subject)
It has been a little more than two years since my grandmother passed away. It didn't take long after that for my aunts to start fighting and bickering over who gets what. I realized this years ago, but it is still eternally interesting to me how completely child-like the adults in your life can be. Growing up, you think of your aunts and relatives as wise, mature adults. When you reach what is effectively their level, it doesn't take long to realize that they too have always had their own petty habits and will almost certainly act like they did when they were siblings always. With that realization, I'm always conscious of it when I talk to my siblings. We treated each other awfully when growing up, and whenever we have disagreements, I will always do what I can to de-escalate it.
In any case, it took them a while and several fights, but they finally got an estate sale in order. The house in the South Valley was cleared out, and everything but family heirlooms was either sold, or tossed into a landfill. My aunt called me and said that she would like me to come by and choose some paintings and other things to take with me. So I made a solitary drive to Albuquerque last week, and did just that. My grandparents were both artists, and it was rather stunning to see the sheer volume of their work all in one place, and then to realize that it wasn't complete because a good portion of it had been sold in an estate sale already. I was interested in a lot of the books, but unfortunately those went months ago, which meant that I never got a chance to sort through them. I guess it's a blessing in disguise. I really don't need any more books than I already have.
So I chose about eight paintings, weavings, and drawings to take back. I also decided to take a box of family photos that I plan to digitize on my days off so that they can be stored somewhere and labeled before they degrade, so that should be interesting. If I find any that are interesting, I will try to post them here.
I also spent a lot of time with my mother. It has taken me a long time but I think I can finally move past what she did to our family about ten years ago. She seems happy with my stepdad, and they seem to have goals with each other as they drift into retirement age. I not only respect that, but I find myself happy for them- not that my feelings toward them matter in any way. The same goes with my dad who I also saw a lot of this weekend. He also has found himself a suitable mate, and they both also appear to be quite happy. My siblings are another story, and they all seem to be struggling. Between them I now have four nieces, who are growing at an alarming rate between my visits. Despite their struggles, I admire how strong they seem to stand for their girls. And I have no illusions about how my own situation could very well be the same as theirs if I had also decided to have kids at their age.
I saw a few other friends while I was down there, had many nice lunches and dinners. The time was pleasant, and I engorged myself on New Mexican cuisine while down there. Aside from family and friends, the food is I think what I miss most. It's very hard to tear myself away from Albuquerque. Every time I go down there, it reminds me how many lifelong friends I made, and how terribly that I miss having them with me, up here in Denver.
I made the drive back up on a Wednesday. I have made the drive so frequently by now that it seems to go by in no time at all. I was going to take 285 back to Denver, but decided against it, and I'm glad I did. Anytime I looked west while I was on I-25, I just saw a huge torrential downpour that made me think, "hmm, I'm glad I'm not in that!" Driving through Colorado Springs treated me with an epic thunderstorm that hovered over Pike's Peak, complete with cloud-to-ground lightning with huge forks against the backdrop of a nice golden sunset. It was a nice way to cap off my trip, and I was certainly happy to get back home again into the arms of my love.
Take care everyone.
-Eagle
In any case, it took them a while and several fights, but they finally got an estate sale in order. The house in the South Valley was cleared out, and everything but family heirlooms was either sold, or tossed into a landfill. My aunt called me and said that she would like me to come by and choose some paintings and other things to take with me. So I made a solitary drive to Albuquerque last week, and did just that. My grandparents were both artists, and it was rather stunning to see the sheer volume of their work all in one place, and then to realize that it wasn't complete because a good portion of it had been sold in an estate sale already. I was interested in a lot of the books, but unfortunately those went months ago, which meant that I never got a chance to sort through them. I guess it's a blessing in disguise. I really don't need any more books than I already have.
So I chose about eight paintings, weavings, and drawings to take back. I also decided to take a box of family photos that I plan to digitize on my days off so that they can be stored somewhere and labeled before they degrade, so that should be interesting. If I find any that are interesting, I will try to post them here.
I also spent a lot of time with my mother. It has taken me a long time but I think I can finally move past what she did to our family about ten years ago. She seems happy with my stepdad, and they seem to have goals with each other as they drift into retirement age. I not only respect that, but I find myself happy for them- not that my feelings toward them matter in any way. The same goes with my dad who I also saw a lot of this weekend. He also has found himself a suitable mate, and they both also appear to be quite happy. My siblings are another story, and they all seem to be struggling. Between them I now have four nieces, who are growing at an alarming rate between my visits. Despite their struggles, I admire how strong they seem to stand for their girls. And I have no illusions about how my own situation could very well be the same as theirs if I had also decided to have kids at their age.
I saw a few other friends while I was down there, had many nice lunches and dinners. The time was pleasant, and I engorged myself on New Mexican cuisine while down there. Aside from family and friends, the food is I think what I miss most. It's very hard to tear myself away from Albuquerque. Every time I go down there, it reminds me how many lifelong friends I made, and how terribly that I miss having them with me, up here in Denver.
I made the drive back up on a Wednesday. I have made the drive so frequently by now that it seems to go by in no time at all. I was going to take 285 back to Denver, but decided against it, and I'm glad I did. Anytime I looked west while I was on I-25, I just saw a huge torrential downpour that made me think, "hmm, I'm glad I'm not in that!" Driving through Colorado Springs treated me with an epic thunderstorm that hovered over Pike's Peak, complete with cloud-to-ground lightning with huge forks against the backdrop of a nice golden sunset. It was a nice way to cap off my trip, and I was certainly happy to get back home again into the arms of my love.
Take care everyone.
-Eagle