(no subject)
I'm so excited!! James and I finally reserved our flight for the big trip to Louisiana, this July. I'm so excited to finally be going to my old home for a few days -- IT'S BEEN OVER A YEAR!!!! Even though I know that so much has changed and there will be parts of this trip that are very emotional for me, I'm still excited and -- beyond that -- ecstatic that James will be making the journey with me.
While there, I plan to take him to at least one plantation, hopefully go canoeing, take him to at least one Louisiana-style seafood restaurant, and basically show him around all my old stomping grounds (i.e. a lot of driving, walking, and eating). LOL! It'll also be a chance for him to meet the fam -- the whole damn fam, at that. This is a bit suspenseful, because I'm not really (officially) out to my dad. Since everyone else in the family knows, though, I've been sorta taking it for granted that he's put two and two together. At any rate, I won't make this an opportunity to out myself in front of my dad, though. I still want to do that -- in words not in action -- this year, but I don't think (at least not at the moment) that my first time seeing him in a year would be the best time.
Nicholas, too, will be in from Georgia, so we're going to get together and probably do a lot of the touristy stuff together -- though I'm sure Nick probably won't be interested in canoeing after his tour of duty in the 2003 Battle of Tip-a-Canoe that he so inadvertently found himself in with Amanda. Good times! :-D
It's just going to be so great to visit with my brothers. My little brother is engaged to be married, next June -- I've never even met the girl. My older brother and his wife had a second child a few days before the move to Chicago -- her name is Ella -- and I've never met her. Mom and her new husband have moved to Kentwood (not that that's too terribly exciting, but I've not seen their new place). MawMaw Patsy passed away and -- since I wasn't able to attend her funeral -- I'm faced with visiting her grave.
About MawMaw, I'm hoping to be able to bring her some flowers. I don't even know what kind she liked... I never saw her with any except for that old wedding picture with her bridal bouqet. If I knew her at all, though, I'd bet that she likes the kinds that I like (nearly ALL flowers). Though I'm not looking forward to having all of that grief re-opened, I am looking forward to that final bit of closure and peace about her passing. When I think of her for more than a minute, I still tear up.
Anywho, just wanted to share that bit of my excitement.
The other excitement in my life is my new place -- or rather -- OUR new place. James and I have finally gotten the apartment presentable. More than that, it's very clean and cozy. Our air conditioners will be installed, today, and things will feel even more like home. A year ago, I would never have imagined getting to spend every day and night with him -- even if I DID imagine such a thing, I didn't dare believe it was possible. We have dinner every night and talk about our day. Then, we wash the dishes and clean the kitchen together (he likes to wash while I dry and put them away). We go to bed and snuggle til we both fall asleep, then wake up to face the work day together. Life is so much more bearable when the burdens and joys are shared!
Sometimes, I really am afraid that I'm going to wake up and all of this will have been a really awesome dream... or like a scene from that stupid Gwyneth Paltrow movie... what was that called? Sliding Doors? Something like that. I'll pass by my emergency room door where James is grieving next to me and I'll walk out of the hospital alone. That would suck (amazingly) more than that movie!! :-D