My parents, who, mind you, were on vacation last week, had me hit the ground running with a trip to Steinmart, a run by the Toyota dealership, and finally a meal out (which isn't an every-day thing with my parents). So much for curling up on the couch after a taxing plane flight!
The next day kept up the same feeling of business, with errands and activities from morning to night. I'm not complaining, I enjoyed all of them, and the pace made a very short visit feel full, but M and I do not keep such a busy schedule when left to our own devices. We prefer time to unwind between errands and activities, which I hope makes us feel less stressed and less worn out, but which also makes us way less productive.
Being home, I felt busy and rushed, but I also felt more energized and creative than I ever have in L.A. I'm not sure if that's the adrenaline, or maybe it has more to do with other factors, like the great windows in my paretnts' house, or the drawers overflowing with craft supplies, or the presence of a super handy dad and an extremely creative mom. I like my life in L.A., but I want more of how I feel at home mixed in. I just wish I knew how to make that feeling happen!
I feel like there are so many differences between the domestic bliss I imagine for myself and the way I actually live, which is normal since I'm twenty two and just out of college, and it takes time to learn to paint walls, cook great meals repeatedly and confidently, grow your own successful garden, remember everyone's birthday and so forth, not to mention doing it all with an 8-5 job. I'm just impatient to have/be it all!
Anyway, I love visiting home, where we have creative holiday spirit, even if barely anyone sees it:
My dad has always been interested in the details: pumpkin carving and cake and cookie decorating galore. He did the witch, and I did the owl. I've missed carving pumpkins!
I also love my parents' garden, overflowing with green things, even if the fall chill is setting in.
I got to say hello to Mabel again, who is a goofball, but I love her:
We even went on a walk in a new nature preserve/park in Arlington. It was a great weekend, with good food and energy and creativity and Halloween cheer!
I love you Mom, Dad, Mabel, Co-Jack, Honey and Poppy!
Your pumpkins are so awesome! I love how detailed they are. I can barely carve basic shapes, and then only sort of haphazardly. What do you use to carve, just a normal kitchen knife or something fancy?
ReplyDeleteMy dad got us a really basic pumpkin carving kit when I was a kid. Something from the grocery store, mostly plastic, but it has a small little saw type knife that is good for sharp turns. The part with the glowing eyes on my owl, which is just scraped away, took several tools to learn how to do properly, but worked best with a little linoleum cutter and a sharp putty knife.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I adored the Tardis Pumpkin! Was your pumpkin Doug?
ReplyDeleteMaybe next year I will get something better than a kitchen knife then. I always end up cutting too far by accident and then trying to make it work and then just ending up with this face: :0 On the other hand, Steven also just uses a kitchen knife and he manages to do things like the TARDIS pumpkin, so maybe I should just plan better or have more patience.
ReplyDeleteAlso my pumpkin pretty much looks exactly like Doug, but I didn't realize it until you said that. I'm going to pretend that I was planning that all along.