Monday, January 11, 2010

2bed 2bath corner apt

Leaving out the three weeks from hell I spent here after my mother broke her hip in 2006, this has always been a happy place for me. My parents bought this place 31 yrs ago and became snowbirds. Although my mother spent entire winters here, while my father came down for only a few weeks (at least until the last few years of his life) -- it is my father's spirit I feel here and his presence I miss most keenly. I see him in his chair where he always sat reading. I hear his voice and still laugh at his dry, often acerbic wit, hilarious understatements and authoritative comments ---made always with a straight face. To this day, I still do not know whether he loved strawberry jelly or hated it. But I digress... My mother's ccodinated outfits and shoes in every rainbow color are still here, although chances are slim to none that she will be here again. And today in the bottom drawer of the dresser I found my father's hats, a pile of his handkerchiefs,ironed and folded into squares; the keys to the Cadillac, long gone, his sunglasses...I closed the drawer without looking further. He died in 1987. So tonight, as I work in the guestroom which does not have any memory of my father in it, this is what I am working on.


Rayna - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

15 comments:

Libby Fife said...

Quite a comment...

Anyway, the post was poignant to say the least. Hope things are going well.

Beverly said...

I'll agree with Libby with respect to the poignancy of your post. Your description of finding your father's belongings touched me deeply. My mother especially has been on my mind lately- probably due to what I'm working on now. I hope your therapy sewing goes well, and it warms up. My son in Tampa says he feels like he's back in Chicago.

shellysquilts said...

Beautifully said but I just want to ask, "What's not to like about strawberry jelly?" Happy creating!

Mary Beth said...

thank you for the wonderful remembrance Rayna.

Gerrie said...

Oh, I am teary eyed. But, then I was laughing at the thought of you wearing your mother's Florida clothes!!

Linda Branch Dunn said...

O honey, my heart is with you.

Unknown said...

This made me cry. I'm gonna go find someone to hug for a while...

GerryART said...

Thanks for sharing your emotions. It gives us an opportunity to think about some special in our hearts.

Terry Grant said...

Very sweet, Rayna. I always feel my Dad's spirit when we go to the family cabin, especially seeing his tools where he hung them. Finding handkerchiefs and car keys would probably undo me.

Carole said...

Beautifully... sad....
Beautifully....happy...
Beautifully....said.

Barbara said...

It must be hard to deal with all those memories.

Debra Dixon said...

Very tender and touching. We can never really go back, can we?

Unknown said...

I am soo glad that you made it to sunny and, hopefully, warm FL soon!
That is so sweet about your dad.
I know it is hard to go down memory lane but now, make the condo your own! The older I get and the colder it is, I am thinking about becoming a snow bird too!

Eva said...

I have a drawer with some things from my Mom, and often when I open it, I feel -- the 9 years since she died are nothing at all!

Jessica K said...

I'm glad that it's Pop's spirit you feel at 214 Wellington A...I have only fond memories of that apartment as well and of him in it, reading the Palm Beach Post with his half-glasses and wearing his hideous plaid pants. Hope you got to enjoy at least some of the trip. xo

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