Monday, May 12, 2008
I have Grace Kelly-ish thoughts
I am not a country girl.
I never wanted to be a country girl.
I didn't even listen to Patsy Cline until I was in my thirties.
But yesterday, we took a drive out to the country to visit friends who had just bought the home they intend to retire to. We were with our youngest daughter and her husband who've been married about 7 minutes, and I was already feeling sort of soft around the edges before we arrived.
The long meandering drive up to the house should have been a clue---the geese in the meadow could have helped me figure it out, but it was really only at the sight of the farmhouse---soft, yellowy brick, sunporch strewn with plants and bamboo furniture---that I began to get worried.
We are moving soon into a new, modern apartment with no lawns to care for, no snow to shovel, every square inch exactly as it appears on the blueprints. I love the cleanliness, the downtownness, the predictability of it, so why was I coming all over verklempt at the sight of this 160-year old house, sitting at the end of a gracious rolling lawn, miles from a Seven-Eleven ? Wlhy could I suddenly picture myself with flour on my nose and powder-blue Crocs on my feet?
Going inside didn't help. Walking past the sun-baked laundry blowing in the wind didn't help. Hearing windchimes that weren't annoying any neighbours didn't help.
I'm going to spend the day trundling from Starbucks to Bridgehead to downtown shopping centre getting my perspective back. I'm going to sit in the part of the library where there's always someone sleeping with a backpack and a guitarcase. I'm going to follow the couple with the two huge dogs that always look like they've just had their teeth filed.
I am not a country girl.
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9 comments:
It sounds like every country cliche was present in their home and it sounds heavenly. That said I'd still be longing for some of the comforts of the city myself!
You fell in love with another dream house! For sure, have another café au lait and a chocolate biscotti and try to deal with this in a sophisticated downtown gal manner. That said, now you have given me food for thought about my future retirement digs... and I thought it was in a high-rise condo also. Oh,oh, back to the drawing board...
Eve
PS I just bought a geranium planter for my front porch. Very posh.
I'm sure that you can get a dose of country if and when you think you need it.
Now, was it the dog or the people who had their teeth filed?
It was definitely the dogs, although I wouldn't put it past the owners either.
John Denver would have been proud.
I tried the country girl thing, but just couldn't do it.
I can relate to lusting after places one visits. When i go into Boston, and especially NY I am always enthralled with all the places, restaurants, booksrtores, etc. to get lost in but then i am always equally glad to get back to my backyard with my very own windchime.
Nor am I a country girl, though I'm a 'burb person with easy city access. I do love to visit the country and remote places, but I'm always yearning for something else. If you were very rich, you'd have three homes. Although I don't think I'd like changing environments that much.
I want to live downtown!!!!!!
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