othello

my grandparent's house has always been the place i instinctively think of when i hear the word "home." we moved a lot when i was a kid, so this was the place that always seemed constant. it was full of good smells and good people and good old polka music, and it felt safe and consistent and beautiful. even now, the basement holds my great-grandma's vintage costume jewelry and relics from my mother's childhood. upstairs you'll find children's picture books from the early 20th century mixed in with travel guides by rick steves, mingling with the smell of the best grilled cheese sandwiches you ever did have cooking on the stove.

perhaps most beautiful is my grandmother's garden. and although she can always find some little detail to worry about (today the grass was too long, but it'll be mowed tomorrow), it is an oasis of beautiful flowers, small creatures like bumblebees and metallic gold ladybugs i haven't seen anywhere else, and hidden treasures, from small yellow blossoms bursting from a sea of grey to the old log cabin in the very back corner. it is a work of art, and clearly one of great love and care.

today j and lou and i went and visited grandma gerrie and enjoyed all of that, and it is still one of the most exquisite places i've ever been. we watched louis chase a butterfly. we talked about where the different rocks in the yard came from (they all have stories). and mostly, we relaxed in the joy of one another's company, just how i remember it always has been. and although my grandpa stu is no longer here, there are pieces of him everywhere as well. the next door neighbor has cleared out some trees so you can once again see the water and the mountains, and i can remember as a little girl him gesturing to "the brothers." i remember how he would sit in the back quietly, and my grandmother has a picture of him smiling on one of the benches.

so there we were on a rare warm seattle afternoon, and we laughed about the puppy, and we talked about what additions we would make to the house if it were ours, or, really, if we had the money.

but for today, i'd actually make no changes. it was perfect.

love,

j