Moments that take your breath away

It has been an eventful and slightly chaotic two weeks since my last post. The furniture took FOREVER to arrive, and we had so many difficulties with the shady moving company we hired that I was beyond grateful that our stuff arrived at all and more or less in one piece.

We have spent the last week trying to create a semblance of order in our lives, hanging pictures, placing books on shelves, and organizing the kitchen. The tiny house in the woods is truly beginning to look and feel like home. Although our furniture is what we jokingly refer to as Early American Yard Sale,having our own things here does provide comfort.

Sam started school last week and amused me when he got in the car after the first day and said in his formal way of speaking, "I don't understand why so many people think Texans have a strong accent. North Carolinians, or should I call them Tar Heels? have a MUCH stronger accent." He had a point. Although I find North Carolina cadence soothing and lovely, it is extremely distinct and takes a bit of getting used to.

The transition is not without its share of heartaches for any of us. It is just hard to start life over somewhere, and there have been some tearful homesick moments thus far and I fully expect there to be some more during the next few weeks and months. But there have also been experiences that confirm to me that it was a good move for us.

Sam had his first target shooting practice with Alan last week in the woods behind our house, and seemed to genuinely enjoy the experience, unplugged and all. Gabriel has managed to form a band in the two weeks since we have been here and they had their first practice today. I am loving the people and work at Greenville Montessori and returning to the classroom fulltime seems as natural as breathing to me. And hearing Alan's truck pull into the driveway on Friday evenings after his two and a half hour commute from Norfolk has become one of my new favorite sounds on the planet.

And then there are those experiences that sneak up and grab me when I least expect it and take my breath away. Like tonight. I was making the now familiar two mile drive down Highway 33 to the Food Lion to get two items I had forgotten for dinner. I left the driveway slightly annoyed at having to make a second trip to the grocery store, and almost had to pull the car over when I looked up and saw one of the most glorious magenta and golden sunsets descending behind the pine trees, bringing the day to a peaceful close and helping dispel my homesickness. Thank God for the power of nature to heal and ground us making us feel at home wherever we happen to be in the world.