Monday, December 21, 2009

Dear Universe: Home Edition

Backyard (1994-ish)

I just got off the phone with my mom. The event first discussed over a year ago has finally come to pass. The house I grew up in outside of Memphis has sold. 21 years of thinking of it as home and there will not be a Langsen living there anymore. Instead a young Canadian doctor from St Jude and his wife. I feel good about that. I like Canadians.

And it will still be home in a lot of ways because our family is there. Not blood relations, per se, but koumbara. That would be the Greek word for the family you're not related to, the ones you choose. Six degrees stronger than "community" implies, equally crazy and loved unconditionally. It was a great place to grow up. I'm surprised that I'm still surprised, even with plenty of time to get my head around it, if not every tendril. My parents have already divided themselves between Florida and the Cape, Dad officially retires in January. Times they are a-changing, etc.

Funny that today would be the day. Dear Universe, you may not be subtle but I kinda like it that way. Jaimeson is getting on a plane at LAX in an hour, bound for Chicago. With several boxes and suitcases because.....
Jaimeson is moving into Wicked Park with me (and HC, of course).

To the degree that he lives anywhere, this will be home for both of us now. We had a massive Craigslist/Garage Sale "happening" in LA last weekend and he has been going nonstop ever since to get here by Christmas. Like he hasn't had a big enough holiday season already (you can find his record HERE). We've talked about it loosely and gently for awhile and now it is happening. We've come a long way, most of it documented here.

I don't know how much will change because he'll still be on the road a lot and back to LA as much as he needs to be but it still feels like something. Something very good that smells like roast chicken and fresh lemons and some combination of lavender, rosemary and sandalwood.

Home is where the heart is, n'est ce pas?

In lieu of Jaimeson's traditional welcome back pie, I went a little over the top with Dorie Greenspan's Rosy Poached Pear and Pistachio Tart. Special, seasonal and involving pistachio pastry cream with a honey wine syrup. Welcome home, my dear.


*Note: Now that I live with a Greek, I will drop Greek words into posts at will. In tandem with the odd French words and phrases that help me up the "intellect" quotient of my writing about frosting, feline love triangles and being hungry. I could feel embarrassed for myself but I don't. I live with one. I am LEGIT.

**Note: Also, you're welcome for photographic evidence of why I have not capitalized on the "bangs" trend.

10 comments:

Lauren said...

that has to be such a weird feeling about your childhood home being sold. but congrats on the move-in! :)

Molls said...

How fun! Roommates (feline and human) are wonderful!

Maris said...

Jessi, I love this sentence. "...it still feels like something. Something very good that smells like roast chicken and fresh lemons and some combination of lavender, rosemary and sandalwood.."

TKTC said...

lk: It is strange. I feel like I put as many memories into that house as anyone possibly could. It did well by us and now it has a chance to reinvent itself. I bet we were exhausting:) Thanks for the congrats!

Molls: Couldn't agree more. Now if I could only convince him that my now living with a boy necessitates us getting another cat...

Maris: I swear to God...that's what he smells like. Some of that is the shaving cream I got him for his birthday but the rest of it is generations of Thessaloniki coursing through his veins.

Audrey said...

Cute picture, takes me back to the Dogwood days :) Hope you'll still make it down here occasionally!

Unknown said...

Welcome to to world of strange old-world dialogue peppering your sentences. In Italian (the early 1900's immigrant version), we call these extended family memers "Goumade" (goo-maad-ee). I know the two of you will do fine together.

P.S. How did you have the energy for a Dorie project after our Sunday bakeathon? I'm still recovering. P.S. Your Graham-licious treats were ranked No. 1 by JiT. More please.

nicole antoinette said...

Fondly remembering our airport meeting when this was all still so new. Excited as hell for you darlin!

TKTC said...

Audrey- Right? So crazy that it was that long ago!

RCA- Love. And a few loose screws brought on by rapid onset diabetes.

Nicole- You were there, my friend. Can you believe that was less than a year ago? How many lives have you lived since then?

the littlest reason said...

Ohhh, I'm missing you and our chats via comments! I'm working my way back...and how happy to read that you're gonna be shacking up!

stacy di said...

I'm happy for you and your beau! how fun :)

My parent's don't live in my childhood home either...it's strange, because now home is where my parents are...

oh and that tart...yum!