Some of The Rest of October

I am backblogging... Inserting posts that I am writing now, into the timeline, because the gaps of missing posts makes me anxious. I stopped posting after November 13, 2022, and it wasn't planned, and the time-off was perhaps needed, or maybe... I don't know, but now I wish I had kept up. Anyway, I want to go back and add some highlights, some particular moments that later I will appreciate. So, that last post was essentially from October, when we were watching Maria settle into her fist quarter in university, and progress with our ADU was really moving ahead.

October 11, 2022. Alex and Max, on the foundation. And I had to double check this because I was doubting that we could have had a blank foundation and then framing in the same month. But that is absolutely accurate. With luck and a good crew, framing a house is relatively quick. Everything else up to this point had been long, slow, complicated, slow, laborious, frustraing and slow. Then, suddenly, we had something solid and it seemed rather miraculous. I believe I was not posting about the ADU at all, because I wanted to do it all justice and writing was still hard (post drunkladydriver... it's still hard, honestly.) Anyway, "news" of all of this was not forthcoming, and now (February 2024) it's nearly complete, and that is both quick and pretty hecking long. I must apologize: Writing in the future, about the past, is awkward, and I am not even trying to make this as plain as it could be.

October 14, 2022. I remember, very clearly, that I was visiting Maria as much as I possibly could, except for when I delibertly stayed away so it didn't seem like I was visiting as much as I could. And despite my visits, she was leaping! On her own time, Maria was exploring campus, visiting centers and events, and getting to know her roomates, and taking on all manner of new experiences. It was wonderful to hear about, and special to witness. I felt like, as a mother, I could not have asked for a better start to college for her.

October 19, 2022. A bedroom, an office, a full bathroom and a powder room, a laundry space, kitchen, and livingroom. A front porch is coming, which may or may not be enclosed. What else? It feels like the biggest question was always, "What is it for?" We had ideas, and hopes, and those were always changing. I guess the answer that works best is to say, "For choices." We could rent it out, or use it ourselves, we can have guests, we can have room for our work, for our interests (which are many.) The city has long been in a struggle to add more housing, so they have been making accomodations for homeowners to add on granny flats and accessory dwelling units. Our family of seven adults, with home offices, will always appreciate the extra space.

October 20, 2022. Somewhere between Cardiff State Beach and Dog Beach.

October 24, 2022. I love looking into the Bird House at dusk, when the sky is softly lit, and the kitchen is glowing. It catches my breath, and I recall all of the times when I wanted to be home, to have a home. Looking at the view from the entry of the new construction has a whole new feel, and I am only beginning to consider the possibilities.

October 25, 2022. Mending.

October 28, 2022.

October. How is there nothing of Halloween? I cannot fathom. But here is some of Maria's art.

Still October

Just pretending it's still October, that I am still participating in the "Picture a Day' activity on Instagram, which I didn't actually keep up with. No need to explain, right? Okay. It's October and here are some moments we enjoyed on the fourth of October, when Ruth and I met Maria on campus.

This was barely Maria's second week at University. Now, she's finished mid-terms and is working on final projects. She's even enrolling for her second quarter. She is happy. Seriously. She likes her classes, and her roommates, and walking all over campus, finding new spaces, making her way around new environs and experiences. And, I should add: I am happy, too. There are still moments when I have a sudden start because she isn't in her room, or I imagine her walking to class, clear across campus, in the rain. Those are not easy moments. But, then again, I am terribly fortunate, too... we see eachother at least a couple of times during the week, and she comes home for the weekends. It's so lovely to have this balance between discovering independence and new opportunities, all while retaining our connections, our walks, talks, shared interests.