Visitors

My son and his family came to visit me on Saturday to celebrate my birthday a week late. They brought presents and cake and took me to lunch. It was great getting time to visit with them all, especially my grandson. 

Jack seems as if he's come into his own now and seems to have found himself again. He is studying to become a paramedic. He says that it isn't what he wants to do as a lifelong career, it is just something that he is doing to make himself employable. But he talks about his classes and clinicals enthusiastically. and there is a lightness to him that has been missing for a long time. Likewise, Tim seems to be doing well. Married life becomes him. He is healthier than I have seen him in many years. He appears to be younger and less burdened than he has been. His laughter was genuine and not cut with the same cynicism that used to be there. It was good to seen them both thriving. Sadly, I do not know Emily and Nathan well enough to observe any differences, but I hope that Emily's mother is seeing the same difference in them. 

 We ended up eating at IHOP because there was something going on at the university and all the restaurants downtown were very crowded. Actually, IHOP was crowded in it's own right. But we were able to get a table without a wait and the food was very good. I decided to get chicken and waffles. When I remarked that the waffles were so much better than the ones I make, Jack told me that he thought my waffles were very good, He has just earned himself waffles on request. Still, the waffles at IHOP are very good. 

After lunch we came back to my apartment for gifts and cake. They bought me two really nice books full of knitting patterns that are well beyond my ability level. I am going to attempt a few of the simpler  patterns anyway. I am fairly sure that even the most basic ones from either book will be a challenge. I am flattered that they thought that my work is on an equal level to the patterns in the books. 

We had two small cakes; a carrot cake and a red velvet cake. Both were Emily's family's recipes. They are a family of bakers and carrot cake is their go to cake for every occasion. I was glad that they left the remainders with me. I finished them off for lunch today. I do love cake. 

I did not take any pictures of the celebration. Emily's family spend every occasion snapping pictures and it annoys Emily. She says that nobody sits in the moment and just enjoys it. So I feel constrained not to pull out my phone and snap away while we are together. But she is right. It is better to live the moment than to try to create a photo essay of what it should have been. I might snap a photo or two on holidays though, just to have a few for memories sake.

We discussed my upcoming move and I think I have convinced them that it might be worth it to make the trip up to see me every once in a while. I have decided to move to the small north Alabama town I had planned to move to before I came here. I have found an apartment there I think I can be happy with. It is in the historic district of the town and close to everything. The library is across the street. There are shops and restaurants and churches within a few blocks. The town square and the park where festivals are held is around the block. And I have family in the area. Tomorrow I will call my current leasing company to find out if they are open to me terminating my lease now, or if I will have to wait until February to move. I'll see how it goes.