I miss Ohio.
Sometimes.
We traveled yesterday back to Ohio for a big family get together. SM's brothers granddaughter graduated high school.
How weird is THAT to say?
Geez...Where have the years gone? Now SM is the baby of his family. Ron is SM's oldest brother who is actually my Mom's age but still...We're talking a granddaughter!
Who's 18 years old.
Already!
Anyway, SM and I made the 8 hour trip yesterday and as we're driving along we're commenting on this building or that cornfield that has that sweet, dark, black soil and SM says to me "Ready to move back?"
"Nope." I say with a shake of my head.
When I think of Ohio I think of gray skies and Winters that don't loosen their grip until May and I'm glad I live in the South. I'm glad for the long summer season and the blue skies.
We get to Ronnie's house and after hugs of Hello, the wine is poured, snacks are set out and everyone sits down again to gab. But my legs and joints are still stiff from the long drive so I wander out to their backyard to look around.
Barefoot.
A cool, moss covered brick patio greets my toes as I wander around the sitting area. A 15 yo hydrangea greets me with big blossoms pink, blue and purple. Roses cradle the patio.
I step out onto soft, soft green grass of the yard. Southern grass is broad and prickly. This stuff is like angels hair. My toes curl in delight. There are no weeds in this stuff! How can that be?
I wander along the borders. Peonies are done but the lilies are blooming. Rhubarb is ready. The black raspberries are still green. Ron's asparagus is tall and flopped over, exhausted.
Huge, huge trees tower over their backyard creating a wonderful shady spot. The leaves rustle with a slight breeze and as I look up I see a brilliant blue sky. I've often heard Ron moan about not having enough sunlight for a big veggie garden but I marvel at the beauty of this shade garden so different from my own heat soaked, hard baked, clay backyard.
I go back into the house and announce to everyone "Sometimes I miss Ohio."
SM asks "Ready to move back?" with a smile.
I pause.
"Nope." I reply with a grin of my own.
It may be hot. It may be humid. It may have Summer days that leave me gasping for air, but Carolina is my home now.
Sorry Ohio. You'll always have a place in my heart and I'll miss you.
Sometimes.
Oh, how I miss being able to walk in a yard barefoot!!
ReplyDeleteAnd the rich, black soil....don't they KNOW what they have!? Wonder how much it would cost to get some of that trailered down to us.
Don't miss it either.
ReplyDeleteI know exactly what you mean. Back in Illinois, the soil was rich, black and loamy. I could get two crops of green peppers in a year. Here it's a s-t-r-u-g-g-l-e to get one . . . in a good year.
ReplyDeleteThere are advantages and disadvantages to all places. But it's a good, good thing to be happy in the place you're living.
How nice that you have a place to visit and see another way of life.
ReplyDeleteInteresting that so many of us have travelled AWAY from that rich loamy soil (I'm an Ohioan, too) to our present state of stone/clay/sand/rock/heat. I couldn't do the heat and humidity - although there is something to be said about winter loosening his grip BEFORE June. I was walking around in my grass in barefeet this past weekend. I love the connection to the ground.
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