Monday, March 16, 2015

Possibilities, Prospects and Plans


Owen made me help him make a list of things he is going to do on his trip. I don't know if you can read that but the last item is, "Small World" and let me just say that that is probably the first and only time I've ever sought revenge on any of my children for anything. I had to endure that horrid, horrid ride more than once, riding on a pretend boat looking at pretend children from all over the pretend world singing that goddamned song.
The nightmare.
I bet you any amount of money that Lily and Jason will somehow "run out of time" before they get on that ride. Owen didn't even think to ask for it to be on the list. I suggested it my own evil self.

We had a good day. It started out spectacularly when the boys and I were walking to the post office and I saw a realtor's truck parked in front of the empty house next door. Now you know how sad it's been making me that that house has stood empty, no one swinging on the porch swing or worshipping that huge oak tree. And my dream has always been that the people who lived there when we moved in would buy it and be our neighbors again. When we moved here, eleven years ago, a couple owned it who had just recently been wed and they were the most precious people you can imagine and the husband had grown up in that house and had a tattoo on his arm of the oak tree that I just posted a picture of with Steve Reed standing in front of it and I was sorely grieved when they had to move. And so, you can imagine my joy when I saw it was them in the yard with the realtor.
I swear to you- I had tears.
I hugged them both and we caught up a little and they were so sweet to the boys. They are thinking about it. Thinking. Lord, how I hope they think their way into moving back.
The wife came over after they were through with the realtor and we had a long, long chat and I picked her greens and gave her eggs and promised that if they moved back I would not bother them but would leave them gifts on their porch and creep away.
And I would. I will!
We shall see. But oh, how lovely it would be for them to inhabit that house once again.

The boys and I continued out walk to the P.O. Owen is learning to do the combination on the box to open it and get my mail. Gibson insisted that I needed to take their picture by the big door again. So I did.



They talked me in to walking home on the railroad track.


Owen gathered some rocks and brought them home and washed them in a bowl in the backyard with soap and a scrubber. They are sitting in the bowl still.

We played on porches and did the alphabet puzzle in the hallway. There were many, many snacks and beverages. And oh! Have I mentioned that Gibson can now pee in the potty and mostly does? Well, he'll be three on Friday and we are so proud of him. Of course, when Owen became potty-trained, we did everything but call the Pope to have a miracle declared but Gibson is the second child and so we just casually mention this in passing.
Still- a very huge milestone for a little man.
And if you call Gibson a "little man" to his face he says, "I not a little man! I Gibson!"

So yes, it was a good day and it's still beautiful out and Mr. Moon is cutting the grass for the first time this year and the pine and oak pollen are horrific and everything is coated with a sickly-yellow green dust that makes a lot of people sick but luckily does not affect us so much. We are hardy people for the most part, our family. Another blessing in this life of mine.

Here's the first wisteria blossom on the trellis.


Not fully opened, but soon to be.

Wish Lloyd luck in that maybe our old neighbors will become our new neighbors again. It would be such a good thing. The husband asked me when we were talking why I thought that no one had bought the house.
"I think it takes a special person who wants to live in Lloyd," I said.
Define that how you will.
I am so glad to be one of them.

Love...Ms. Moon

17 comments:

  1. A revenge story and a happy ending story (quite possibly.) Nice.

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  2. Those boys really are big men. I really should sleep now. :-)
    Hugs.

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  3. I love the wisteria, the smell reminds me of the house I grew up in. The boys will have a blast at disney, even the small world ride. I loved it until I got older. How the mouse changed FL, that is a whole different thing. I hope your old neighbors move back. Gail

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  4. Gorgeous post. I will cross my fingers for your neighbours returning - what a lovely hope.

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  5. Denise- Am I going to hell for putting that on the list? I think not.

    Mwa- Can you believe how much they've grown? Get good rest, my love.

    Gail- Oh me too! My heart's dream come true!
    Like a child's heart at Disney World.

    Jo- Isn't it? You, too, would love these people.

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  6. 1) I LOVED the It's a Small World Ride

    2} I would love being your neighbor even more

    xo

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  7. Heh heh heh - you are so bad in such a funny way :)

    And I wish for your old neighbours to be your new neighbours too. That would be such a lovely thing. Good neighbours are a treasure.

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  8. Ok so Pirates of the Caribbean freaked out my younger child, seriously. She cried and held on to me. When we were on the It's a Small World ride, she turned to me and said, "mommy, I LIKE this ride."

    So I have fond memories of that damn ride because it calmed my anxious child.

    She was the one who listened to Dolly Parton every night on her little walkman to put her to sleep...

    Kids are peculiar. And so are we.

    XXXXX Nana Beth

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  9. I do remember the Peter Pan ride being truly magical. I might have even cried. Then again, I was eight months pregnant with Oliver.

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  10. I do remember the Peter Pan ride being truly magical. I might have even cried. Then again, I was eight months pregnant with Oliver.

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  11. You evoke sweet memories of my mom taking me on that ride. She loved it more than I did but I loved her joy in sharing it. Glad you put it on Owen's list. I suspect you did it because you suspected he might enjoy it and his parents would enjoy his enjoyment! And your neighbors moving back! What a lovely thing for you. I hope they do. I am picturing that oak tree.

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  12. Were these the neighbors with the little boy who moved to Ca? I think I remember them if so. You took care of thst boy. I liked the ride but it does go on a long time. You're funny, not mean. I'd add The evil Teacups if you want to be mean. And tell him to go fast in opposite directions cause it's real fun when you get up and can't walk afterwards and feel kip like you're gonna be sick. We all have it in us Ms. Moon! The only thing that would make that trip better is if they were to take Mer.

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  13. That would be FANTASTIC if they buy the house and move back! I am keeping my fingers crossed!

    I actually liked "It's a Small World" when I was a kid. I never thought it was obnoxious until I grew up. And god knows it's true, though certainly a sugar-coated truth!

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  14. STILL! overcast here but at least it's not cold. I'll have to check the wisteria over at the shop. last I looked it's buds were fat and fuzzy.

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  15. I have had the song from the Small World ride stuck in my head for decades. It's not a good thing.
    When you and the kids walk on the train tracks do you tell them how dangerous trains are? I kind of flinched when I saw the picture, we recently had another death from people being on tracks. The trains just can not stop.

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  16. Michelle- Wouldn't that be SWEET? Well, it would be for me.

    jenny_o- I am blessed with the neighbors I have. And would love to have these two as well.

    Beth Coyote- Your daughter listened to Dolly Parton every night? Oh my god. That is the most precious thing I've ever heard.

    Elizabeth- I loved and adored Mr. Toad's Wild Road. Which of course is no longer there.

    Angella- Oh well, yeah, those boys would probably like it. I am not sure why I hated it so much. I was perhaps at the end of my rope for a day at Disney? Who knows?
    That oak tree- better than anything EVER at Disney.

    Joanne- No. These are people who the people who moved to CA bought the house from. Does that make sense? I can't wait to get a full report on all the rides taken. The teacups may well be one of them.
    I think Lily knew better than to ask Mer to come along. I'm more the person to take to see the mermaids.

    Steve Reed- It is true but yes, the sugar gags me. And oh, I so hope these people decide to move back.

    Ellen Abbott- The wisteria here is bursting. I swear, you can almost see it happening.

    Allison- Oh, god. Yes! We talk about how we have to listen for the trains all the time. There's a crossing right here so they blow their whistles a long, long way away. Thanks for being concerned. It's worth being concerned about!

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  17. Glad that you might have good neighbors in the old house. I don't like for houses to be vacant and hollow.

    The pollen is coating everything here too. Spring is beautiful but the onslaught of oak leaves and pollen leave much to be desired.

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