.home.

field of daffodils. minus the daffodils.

I went home this past weekend. Home meaning Greenville. Home is Wilmington too. But when I say that I’m going “home”, I usually mean Greenville. I was going home because my best friend from home was flying in from Portland. Katie. She had a few days off of work and found a cheap flight and decided to make a visit home. Home is also Greenville for her – though she was born in Minnesota. But for some reason, despite where we’ve lived or the places we’ve been, home has always been Greenville – really Winterville. Only we tell people Greenville because no one has ever really heard of Winterville; so it’s easier to just say Greenville. But Winterville is where we grew up just down the road from each other. She lived on a road – Orchard Lane – where I went to preschool. In walking distance from the preschool was a wooded field that would bloom full of daffodils in the Spring. But Katie's and my paths crossed after I was done with Orchard Lane and entering a summer camp. We learned to tread water together – I was terrified.

On my drive home, my first weekend trip alone with the baby, I had a little bit of quiet time to think…because the baby slept as I drove. And on my way I had new perspective – that seems to happen when I drive home and even moreso now that I’m a mom. But on my drive I laughed – three times I saw horses. Not so odd – but the odd part was that I saw a horse tied to a front porch grazing on grass in a front yard. Then I saw horses in a pasture (normal) and then a little further down the road I saw a horse meandering in the field (yes field) of a used car lot. So odd. And because it was Saturday when I was traveling, I saw all kinds of yard sales. One yardsale was in front of a mobile home graveyard. There’s about 3+ acres of land near a little town I pass through that has all of these rusted, window busted out, insulation hanging out mobile homes. And in front of them was about 5 people – one woman w/ a cigarette dangling from her lips – setting up their yardsale. Among the items to sell – two salon style hairdryers. You know, the kind that you sit in the chair and have the big round half globe thing come down over your noggin. That struck me as odd. I mean who goes to a yardsale for that? And if they buy it – what do they say, ‘oh yes! Finally – I’ve been lookin’ fer one o’ these thangs for my bathroom.’ Huh? And the final odd yard sale was one set up under a funeral tent – you know those tents that are set up at graveside? Right. One of those. Seriously.

But as many odd things as I passed on my drive home – the happier I was to be going home. It’s on these back roads that I’ve done so much thinking over the years. And here I was, a mom, driving my baby to my hometown. And along the way I passed two signs. One said, Jesus is Lord. The other said, I enjoyed the wedding. Invite me to the marriage. – God.

Growing up, I would say that I was from a small town – but it’s growing now. It’s spreading more every time I visit. But some things never change and I like that. It’s comforting. I like stability – I suppose we all do. Predictability. And some things just are – and home is one of them. Like I know just how my brother and sister-n-law will react when I drive up to see them. I know just how comfortable I’ll feel at my mom’s house. And I know just how easy I’ll feel driving around town. I don’t go back to “old” me – we all have the old us…the us everyone knew growing up (maybe the jokester, or the one who was kind of goofy, or absent-minded, etc.)…but it’s at home that I get a feeling of me. And I think that’s necessary. As much of me as I am here in Wilmington – there is a reminder of my childhood that I get to breathe in when I’m at home and I need that.

Katie visited with me and Loralai for a good while on Saturday. And like always, we pick up like we saw each other only 5 minutes ago and then we inevitably talk on the phone later as if we’re still living 5 miles down the road. I only wish that was so – b/c if it was, Katie would come to my house in her beat up old 1980 something jetta with tin foil on the antenna and busted out starter that made a hideous screeching noise when she started up the VW. And then we’d turn on the oldies station – b/c it was one of the only ones we could pick up – and we would drive around town (b/c that was pretty much all there was to do in a small town) and be completely content just being together. Doing nothing. I guess growing up in a small town helps you learn to appreciate the simple things b/c you had to learn to create your own sense of fun – and it had to be simple b/c complicated, other than family drama or boys and high school, just didn’t exist.

It was a good weekend. And it ended with me stopping at McDonald’s, ordering a decaf coffee and a sausage and egg biscuit and greeting the drive thru lady – only to realize I went to elementary school with her. And then I called my husband to tell him this: “todd – I have a mind like a steal trap! I was just at mcdonald’s, drove up to the window and there wasa girl I went to elementary school with. And so I say to her, “is your name teresa?” she said, “yeeess.” I say, “is your last name holden?” she says, “yessss.” Then I told her that I went to school with her and her brother, lynwood. She told me he was living in Mississippi – and I was waiting on napkins and we just got to talking…OH MY GOSH! I STOLE FROM MCDONALDS!” …just as I was telling todd about my steal trap mind, I was miles away from mcdonalds, looked down and had TWO meal bags. Teresa asked me, in the middle of our conversation “did you get your order yet?” I told her no b/c my baby brain mind was mush – but really, the reason we were in conversation was b/c I had asked for napkins. I had already gotten my meal. But she handed me another biscuit and then we said bye …and it wasn’t until I was bragging about what a great memory I had that I realized that I had two biscuits. Oh well. Thanks McDonalds.

All of this to say, I’m from a small town. I wasn’t raised in the city. I didn’t know what Abercrombie and Fitch was until college. I thought a tshirt and shorts that fit was a good outfit. A good weekend was a car ride with Allyson and Katie, a stop at dairy queen and a good movie. Somewhere between high school and now I made plenty of mistakes. Lots. I lost my way and forgot who I was. I even toyed with my faith. But because I was sealed years ago, God kept working on my heart. And blessed me immeasurably. And still, Katie is one of my dearest friends. That field of daffodils wasn’t blooming but was as beautiful as ever. My family is still my treasure and I love going home because now it’s not just going home to mom’s…it’s an adventure filled with a Turner, Wyatt and Loralai and a soon to be baby girl (name is still a secret).

Aaah, home.

aunt katie and loralai. mm mm sweet hugs.

aunt katie and loralai relaxing.

aunt julie and loralai - and the baby in her belly.

sunscreen covered turner and wyatt smooching loralai.