Fayetteville - grace grits and gardening

Morning Mockingbird

February 22, 2013 By Talya Tate Boerner

The loudest bird in all of Fayetteville roosts in our backyard. He mimics a car alarm. The first time he woke me, I was still dozing and thought someone was prying the radio from my dashboard. For a moment, I thought I was back in Dallas.

A mockingbird, perhaps?

The scout for all birds, he is the messenger for morning. Once he gives his signal, our trees are flooded with chirping, tweeting birds.

All night, the rain pounded against the tin roof, and the wind howled. I slept peacefully. Until the car alarm bird sounded.

talya

Musical Pairing:

Mockingbird, Carly Simon & James Taylor

Life Interrupted

February 7, 2013 By Talya Tate Boerner

Today I expected to wake in San Diego. I planned to hike Torrey Pines National Park with the Pacific Ocean to my west and the rest of life to my east.

Instead, life interrupted.

Instead I woke in our Fayetteville cottage to the chorus of birds chirping and chattering. I can’t imagine San Diego birds have anything on Fayetteville birds.

So there is no view of the ocean, but Mt. Sequoyah towers in the distance, the sun filters through the bare trees rising over the mountaintop cross.

Instead of lunch yesterday at a secluded oceanside romantic La Jolla cafe, we dined in Eufaula, Oklahoma.

At I Smell Bacon.

Next door to I Smell Gas.

Lake Eufaula was concealed just to the west over the treetops, a bit murky this time of year, the winter water churning and turning, preparing for spring, preparing new life.

I had a Chef Salad with turkey, cheddar, iceberg lettuce, one boiled egg and French dressing shot straight from a red ketchup bottle. Bland and boring, I could barely taste it. Somehow it filled a hollow space inside me.

John had bacon.

My father-in-law has pneumonia. He was agitated and disoriented and struggled late into the night trying to get out of bed, trying to pull various tubes from his body, trying to get something to eat. He would have loved I Smell Bacon.

Life interrupted.

talya

Musical Pairing:

Prayer for the Dying, Seal

I’m Home!

January 8, 2013 By Talya Tate Boerner

I eagerly anticipated Tate’s college Christmas break.

I envisioned family meals spread on the dining room table night after night. Piles of beef tenderloin with roasted potatoes, pot roast and carrots, his favorite cream of mushroom soup… (Tate is my carnivore.)

Tate had visions of Burger House and late nights with friends.

I had grown accustomed to my tidy third floor. Tate had grown accustomed to apartment living.

3rd floor

There comes a time when Christmas decorations need to be taken down and put away. The tree, fresh and fragrant, filled with bright twinkle lights, became instantly frazzled and tired by January 1. Garland and tinsel and cherished vintage ornaments need to be returned to attic storage to rejuvenate and regain holiday magic for next year.

There comes a time when college kids need to return to college, bittersweet though it may be.

Sunday, Tate drove back to college to begin the spring semester of his sophomore year. As I watched the Redskins lose to the Seahawks, Tate sent me a text saying, “I’m home.”

What? Home?

I wanted to respond… NO, you are back in Fayetteville. Home is here in Dallas. With me!

But I knew what he meant.

We all have more than one home. Home is the place where memories are strung together like pearls on a necklace. The place where all our yesterdays live.

I’m home as soon as I cross State Line Avenue into Texarkana. I’m home as soon as I cross the Red River back into Texas.

I am home any time I’m with my family. I miss Tate already.

talya

Musical Pairing:

There’s No Place Like Home, Elvis Presley

p.s. I miss Kelsey too!