Apple, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie

There are two places that I call home. One is Georgia, where I live now, and the other is California where I was born and raised. I lived in Key West for a few years, but that was never home. The only sentimental attachment I have to it is the fact that my daughter was born there.

Georgia has so many things I love. There are definitely four seasons. The summers are hot and sticky. The winters are cold with, hopefully, a couple days of snow. Spring is filled with blooming flowers and trees and fall is so vibrant it can literally take your breath away with its beauty.

California has so many things I love. The beaches that we went to every summer for the day or for a week. The mountains where I honeymooned or just went for a day trip. My favorite restaurant, Northwoods Inn. There are things there that Georgia doesn’t have; my family is there along with my friends.

My parents still live in the house that we moved into when I was two years old. The same people still live on that street. The Barkley’s live across the street. He was a teacher at my junior high and Kristin and Craig will always hold a special place deep in my heart no matter what.

The Kelly’s still live down the street. This is the family that might as well have claimed me on their taxes as one of their own. If I wasn’t at home, I was there. They have four kids and dinner time was my favorite time to be there. The table was loud and no topic was off limits. I learned things during those meals! Diana was the maid of honor in my wedding. Her aunt, Ruth, gave me my first office job. When Mr. Kelly died, I cried at his funeral like I had lost my own father.

Growing up, we always talked about how we would live close to each other and our kids would play together. I moved away before either of our kids were born, and they have never even had a chance to meet, let alone play together. We send e-mails to each other, funny jokes or pictures of our kids. Occasionally, we pick up the phone and call each other. Mostly to tell each other of a mile stone that has happened in our lives. Never just to chit chat. But there are things that have not changed since I have been gone. I recognize her voice the minute she says hello, she can make me laugh loud and hard over something stupid and we can fall into an easy conversation that is not strained or dull not matter how long between conversations.

Now that we are on Facebook, I can reach out to her daily. Not only her, but her mom too! But that doesn’t replace the dinners where her three brothers had me spitting my drink out my nose over something they said. Or the summers that we would run the water down her driveway and then slide down it for hours. Or sitting under the big tree out front eating saltine crackers with peanut butter that her dad had made for us. Or playing Hide N Seek outside.

I am trying to plan a trip to California right now. I am excited about it because it has been so long since I have been home.

And hopefully, our kids will get to play together.