Three cats on our bed in our small bedroom in the old house in the tiny city is an unusual sight. I don't remember ever seeing the three of them on the bed in our "country estate," so this may bode well for the future of cat relations in this household (though a fight over the cat tree this morning between the two male cats did much to contradict such hopes).
Interestingly, neither Hamlet (the black cat to the right) nor Darwin (the gray tabby to the left) have expressed any interest in remaining outside when we've given them supervised outings. This is especially surprising in Hamlet who used to roam far and wide away from our house near my small college on the hill. So far, in fact, that sometimes you could hear him coming through the tinkling of his collar bell from a long distance. But the move (and spending about 1.5 hours outside one morning when he woke us up at 4 a.m. and then again at 6 a.m. and Lance put him outside, as we used to do in the other house) seems to have cured Hamlet of his wanderlust, at least for now.
We have settled nicely into a routine here though not everything is at it should be or as we want it to be but I keep telling myself that patience is a virtue and that all will get done in its own time (and definitely before I start teaching again in the fall!). For now, things around the old house are more or less comfortably arranged and we now can find most of what we need so that's a sign of progress.
Meanwhile, the "country estate" is up for sale and while we know that January is the worst month to hit the market it's hard to think that no one is interested in the house, at least not yet. But I'm a hopeful person so I know how to hope and wait. (My husband just came in to say that there are three showings of the house today! Here's to hope!)
For a week, we've been pet-sitting for one of our "college daughters" (students who have, for one reason or another, become like family to us), and Zooey, a reddish tabby, adapted terrifically well to our household, which (until later today) has consisted of six furry children. Zooey has clearly expressed her preference for my husband, spending long hours on his lap, and I am thankful that she and Chiquita have enjoyed chasing each other and playing, which gives the Chihuahua some much-needed attention and exercise (since no one else in the household wants to play with her).
Yesterday afternoon, I bought a small webcam that my husband set up for me so I could Skype from my computer here. I intend to offer Skype office hours this semester (to the few advisees I have) and next fall, when I start teaching again, as a way to make up for the time I won't be on campus anymore. Yesterday, I had my first Skype session with one of my informal advisees (she's not an English major but comes to me often for advise of all kinds) and it was a success. I used to have "chat" office hours when I taught at OSU, which were really well attended so I think this idea also will work well and give students face-time without my having to be up there.
Being here has allowed us to do things we would have never dreamed of doing up in the town near my small college on the hill. Not only have I had the chance to reconnect with girl friends I hadn't seen in a long time, which has meant having company to go to the movies or to try a new tea salon, but my husband and I also got to attend a fundraiser for the Columbus Dance Theater last night. It was in a downtown theater we'd never been to and it gave us the chance to have a very nice dinner, meet new people, and watch a lovely dance performance. I felt like a little girl being taken to the ballet for the first time (that's how unusual it is for us to do such a thing on a Friday night). One of the highlights of the evening was seeing my very handsome husband dress up in his dark suit and black coat. He was the best-looking man there!
I'm also really appreciating the ability to simply walk out the door to take Lizzy for her walk (I used to have to drive her to my small college on the hill or to the nearby town), and as I walk these streets I know so well, I have come to realize that this place is full of good and happy memories for me. Geni and Rusty were alive here, as was my dad, and nothing sad or traumatic happened to us during the years we occupied this house. Thus, it's a happy place and that's, I'm sure, why it feels so much like the home we left and have now returned to.
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