Time To Say Goodbye

Well, the inauguration is over, and that day was a beginning in more than one way for me.  That day Dennis and I cleared out most of our belongings at the house in Missouri.  It is now a new day, a new beginning, a new adventure in so many ways.

I have lived in this home since 2013 when I married Dennis.  We repainted, did some remodeling, and hosted tons of people at our home.  As our relationship was moving forward and we were talking about marriage, I told him that this home was too big for two people, and if we owned a home like this together, I felt we should share it.  He was onboard with that.

The first party we had was a little over a month after we married.  My youngest son had gotten married in Los Angeles and made his way with his bride to St. Louis where we held a wedding reception for them.  All my sons were in the state of Missouri, so it was a perfect time to have a party at our home to celebrate our marriage.  That was our first party.

My children and grandchildren loved coming here for weekends to swim in the pool, take paddleboat rides on the small lake, and to just relax from their daily tasks in the city.  Grandkids stayed for weekends, and sometimes weeks.

We hosted so many friends and family from out of town.  One highlight was the girl cousin party at our home for four days.  Along with my sister and myself, four of our cousins came from around the country, and you would have thought we were teenagers again.  Dennis was the most wonderful host who made sure our wine glasses were full, and chauffeured us to the Winston Churchill Museum in Fulton, the Missouri Penitentary Tour in Jefferson City, and various restaurants in Columbia and Fulton.  

Oh, the Thanksgivings and Christmases decorated and celebrated.  I loved having a 12’ tree, and I especially loved that I had more than enough ornaments for it, and 99% of of them had sentimental meaning.  Baking the holiday pies and cookies couldn’t have been better with such an amazing kitchen.  Such joy the season brought each year. 

I must not miss mentioning all the times we sat in the screened-in porch out back experiencing huge thunder storms.  If there is a way to be in awe of nature, it’s watching and listening to a thunderstorm. In the winter, the snowfall was magnificent especially sitting inside by the roaring fire in the fireplace and watching the birds just outside the window at the bird feeder.

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In 2016, I was given a notice for jury duty in Callaway County.  I looked at the dates, and gave the courthouse a call.  On June 9, 2016, I was having a party/potluck/swim party at our home.  The guests?  People from the class of 1966 from Lindbergh High School, St. Louis, Missouri.  It was the date, exactly 50 years, from the day we graduated.  It was our reunion before our actual reunion, which was a few months later.  By the way, Callaway County actually let me take that day.  The following year, the day of the total solar eclipse in 2017, my classmates came back because we were in the path.  What a fun day.  As we all had our “eclipse glasses,” we watched as the sun literally was blocked by the moon, and yes, it got dark here.  If I recall, it was dark for about three minutes, and then the sun started peeking out behind the moon, and then back to full sunshine.  What a great day of memories with friends from my youth. 

We had family members and friends from all over the country visit.  The ones with small children loved being here—swimming in the pool, roasting hot dogs at the fire pit, taking a paddle boat ride in the lake.  Our church in Columbia has small group Bible studies, and while we lived in Fulton, we hosted a biweekly group at our home.

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In the last few years, my grandchildren were getting older, taking jobs during the summer, graduating from high school, going to work or on to college.  Their time here became more limited.  It was a good time for us to consider moving to a warm climate.

We have sold our home to a family who has a teenage son.  I am sure he and his friends will make wonderful memories of this home, along with his parents.  It is always good to know that someone is going to pick where we left off, love this home and it surroundings.  I wish them happiness and contentment.  

Now we are ready for the next phase of our lives.  We will be living in a wonderful climate.  We will hike mountains, and host guests from all over the country.  I even have classmates in the Phoenix area, so our small reunion get-togethers will continue after Covid goes away.  We will hook up our travel trailer in the summer, leave the scorching weather and travel all over this country.  Watch out — we may be coming to visit!

For now, I am so thankful for the past seven years, married to Dennis, living in this home, and loving on everyone who crossed our threshold.  God has been so good.

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