THE MONTH THAT GOT AWAY
September was the month that got away. I can't believe it's October already. Well, yes I can, and I'm extremely happy that it's here.
September was chaotic. I had my son, his wife and their baby son living with me the entire month of September as they left their home in Alamosa to become residents of Pagosa Springs and begin a new life in this community.
Trish, my daughter-in-law, had the good fortune of being hired full time at Pagosa Lodge starting Sept. 1st, but Ryan is still seeking a job. He's placed plenty of applications and dropped off many copies of his resume, but so far he's still waiting for an employer to call him.
Meanwhile, I've gotten to know my grandson, Vorian, who is now 15 months old. I had the experience of sacrificing my solitary lifestyle in September, which turned out to be quite an adjustment for me. Suddenly, bookshelves had to be covered with blankets to keep the baby from clearing off their entire contents... gates went up so that I became a pro at hurdling over barriers in front of doors... colorful tinker toys soon littered my living room rug... annoying door latches and hair bands got placed on all cupboard doors within the little one's reach... and a shifting of furniture in my spacious office gave me only a crowded corner in which to work so that my kids could sleep on the futon bed.
This arrangement was supposed to last only a week or two, but it turned into thirty days. I decided to make the best of it, and enjoyed breakfast each morning with my grandson, introducing him to dill rye toast and cream of wheat. Nap time was like being in a monastery where silence rules. Bedtime was the same. I grew used to tiptoe-ing down the hall and cringing every time the dog's toenails clicked against the bare floors, hoping the baby wouldn't wake up.
Vorian (my grandson) was obsessive-compulsive about ceiling fans. Every fan in the house had to be running or he'd throw a fit. I would keep my bedroom door closed, but if I wasn't quick enough, the pitter-patter of little bare feet running up the hallway might just catch Granny without her ceiling fan on... and then I was busted!As a special treat we would get out my basket of crystals and colored stones. Vorian would sit on the rug in my bedroom and go through the pretty rocks. He was starting to learn what tiger's eye was and apache's tears. He also loved the dream-catchers with their feathers, and together we marveled at the wild birds that came to the feeders just outside my sun room's windows. Magpies swooping down onto the lawn to retrieve a rejected piece of pancake always brought laughter to my grandson's voice.What a joy September was! And what a relief to be October... to have my house back, no more gates to leap over, and being able to once again talk aloud at any time of the day or night. The kids are in their own home now, and they are close enough that we can visit back and forth with ease.
I'm so lucky to have a grandson. Before we know it, he'll be all grown up and I'll look back at this special time in my life.
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