The Girl on Walnut Street

When I first moved here (after I escaped the very nice apartment in the too tiny town) I rented the cutest little house on Walnut Street for about nine months. Those were happy months and that was a happy house. When I think about myself during that time the word that comes to mind is contentment. There was a porch swing, there was a garden. There were creative projects. There was yoga and prayer and lots of solitude and writing. And there was the beginning of a sense of playfulness, though as I've said earlier, I'm still a beginner in that realm. I lived simply and loved it. I knew it was temporary and that DO was going to be joining me in the Fall and that this simple quiet solitary life was going to change. I don't think I knew that I was going to get lost though. And that is what happened. I'm seeing that now as I feel her re-emerge, the girl from Walnut Street. The purging of all the "stuff" and the reclaiming of my space is part of this, as is being intentional about what I say yes to, how I use time, and oh, yeah, playing! Soul Sister S has noticed her return. She got to know me then, and she says she has missed her and welcomes her return. Truth be told, so have I. She is a very authentic part of me, I think. A part of me that I only briefly discovered here in that little window of time and then lost again. But grace does abound and there is another chance for her here and now.

This weekend was really satisfying and fun. Friday night we tackled S's garden. Saturday we worked here till about 3, finishing up the front (it looks fabulous!) then went off geocaching in the rain. We got three for three of our caches and had a great time. Today I was a "church chauffeur" picking up the acolyte whose ride didn't show, and taking L and his friend back to CH. L and I shared a pew and a hymnal in church. I felt a lot of reassurance from God today about our upcoming time together. I have to admit, I've been stressing a little about that. But praying with L and singing with him, and watching how solicitous he was with his friend, at our church for the first time, it all rushes back to me....how God has brought us together and this is all in God's hands, so why worry? Tuesday is the day! And Sunday is his Baptism. So it's going to be a busy week. I finished the service bulletin today. I'm using the picture he drew for me for the front cover of the service bulletin and I want to keep that a surprise until Sunday. I'm also tying to make him a gift. This all gets more complicated suddenly when he becomes my roommate! Or surrogate kid, I'm kinda not real sure which. I think that "Mother Kate" might be sort of fitting here. Who knew!

The rest of the day just flew by. A little reading, a little bit of house stuff. But there's that contentment that just keeps creeping in....that girl from Walnut Street....I think she's back, and I like it.