Bittersweet

Today is a bittersweet one. This morning we turned in our last piece of Texas for a plastic piece of Nevada. We went to the DMV and got new driver licenses. :( We hung on to them just about as long as we could, but I really want to vote in the upcoming election and I felt like I should have local ID to do so. Texas was good to us. We still have dear friends there, and we will always have a piece of Texas in our hearts. Our children are all "Texans". When we moved there - out on our own for the first time - not depending on anyone but each other - we had no idea how profound life's experiences there would be. Texas is a big part of who we are as a couple and hopefully will be part of who our children become. Texans are just so friendly. They care about others around them. They have pride. This afternoon I went to the Post Office to mail a few things and there was trash strewn about all around the swinging door that said "Waste". I picked it all up and gently put it IN the "waste" container. The guy behind me said, "Wow, that was nice". Then - the girl ahead of me got called up prematurely and the postal worker who hadn't started to serve her yet got called away. She stood there - not knowing what to do. (She was only about 12). When I got called up, I gestured to her, telling her that she was ahead of me in line and she should go ahead of me. She looked so shocked. Why is it so hard for us to be nice to each other and care about our surroundings? It's sadly amazing. It's sad that the people around me were surprised by my behavior. I just stood there thinking, "What can I do as a mother to teach my children to pick up, keep their world clean, and be kind to the people around them?"

On an entirely different note, ever since our vacation to Northern California in July, I have had a longing to live in a place where I can GROW something. I miss my garden. I miss my soil. If I had it to do over again I wouldn't have stupid statues in front of my house. I would have beautiful plants and flowers. I would have Rosemary and thyme. I would have allspice and bay leaves. I would have things that smelled beautiful and looked beautiful. Maybe that's why no one will buy our house - the "Street Appeal" isn't there. Who knows? We're putting in new carpet ASAP. Our realtor still says she's showing it 2-3 times/week. I can't believe no one has even liked it enough to make an offer. It's a nice house, dang it! I miss it. I miss the tiny mortgage! I miss the garden! I miss the covered patio! I miss the dog run! I miss the grass!!! I miss the yard!

Anyway - I digress. I really do hope that someday I can live in a place where I can plant beautiful things and help them grow, and enjoy their beauty.

Wish me luck!