Kathy, Matt, Geoff, & Ginny around our Dad at his 87th birthday party. Photo by Kevin, thanks.

Mine is a tale of two homes between 2009 and 2015.

My family of origin includes my father (Dad–Dave) who passed over February 2015, my spiritual mentor/partner sister (Kathy), and my two master-mechanic brothers (Matt and Geoff). They all live north of Denver, along and in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains.

My own family includes my true love (David) [We met at college while working on our geology degrees.], our grown children, daughter (Elizabeth) and son (Devin). David and Devin live in Fairbanks, Alaska, while Elizabeth lives in western Colorado about a five-hour drive from her aunt and uncles.

Elizabeth, David, Ginny, Devin on road trip May 2013, in front of Mt. Drum of the St. Elias Mountains of SE Alaska. Photo by David, thanks.

I spent 15 years working as an elementary reading tutor in Fairbanks. I took care of Dad during my summer and winter breaks, beginning in 2009. Then in June of 2013, I quit my job and moved to take care of Dad until he passed over to the Other Side. I expected to be back home by Christmas 2013.  Dad held hard onto life, bless him, and finally was able to pass on February 12th, 2015.  I returned to Alaska April 9th, 2015.

When I first returned to my birth family in the summer of 2009, I had hardly seen them for 30 years. Wow, my little brothers were all grown up—I had forgotten that, since I missed most of it! I loved meeting them all again. Dad had almost died that April, but revived when he returned home from the hospital and “rehab” (nursing home, to me). The family got together often, and we had a wonderful time rebuilding relationships.  Due to that long hiatus, we met up again adult-to-adult, and were able to leave childhood dynamics behind.  ‘Whew!

I also was thrilled to see much more of my daughter, Elizabeth. She visited her Grandpa and me two or three times each summer, and I visited her twice. Deluxe!  Now that I have returned to Alaska, though, visits are few, sigh.

My problem, of course, was that I missed my husband and son while I was in Colorado. And when I am home in Fairbanks, I miss my siblings and daughter. (My sister Kathy and I Skype for A Course in Miracles most days, which helps us keep in contact and up to date on all the news.)

In April 2015, I returned to my true love, David, ‘whew. But that involved yet another transition, since we’d been apart so long!  So, the saga continues.  A month after returning home, all my boxes arrived.  However, I didn’t know where to put so much, so my son’s old bedroom was full of open boxes.  (I can hear you muttering under your breath, things like “Use it or lose it,”  “Time to re-evaluate and let go of all the souvenirs of the old-you.”  Yeah, yeah, you’re right.)

After a few months, I did sort and purge clothing.  Months later, I still had a few boxes  in my daughter’s former bedroom, which was becoming my office and meditation area.  I still had to purge, clean, and reorganize non-clothing storage–a daunting task. Fortunately, David is  very patient.  All the unsorted piles were out of his way, and he did not expect me to get my life in order overnight, bless his heart.  At our anniversary on May 7th, 2015 (#38), we both said my “re-entry” went smoother than we expected.

Then MY purging had to wait for David’s (oh, darn, LOL).  HE took over our son’s bedroom and remodeled it.  I finally was home during one of his projects; he designed and installed a tile floor!  He likes big projects during the winters.  Summertimes he tends his beloved peonies.

Once his office was set up, it was time for all the upstairs windows to get replaced.  Almost everything upstairs had to be moved–FOR MONTHS!!!  The guys were wonderful, pleasant, and kept the noise and clutter to a minimum; but the disruption to schedules and ablutions stressed me much more than I expected.  They finished up just before winter started, fortunately, so that my S.A.D. was not exacerbated.  (Actually, that and allergies have been MUCH better ever since I retired.  Hmmm.)

David’s winter 2016/17’s project was the remodeling of Elizabeth’s old bedroom into my office.  Still rough disruption, but for such a good cause!  I did not finish organizing the new office, though, before the Summer 2017 project of replacing all the DOWNstairs windows began.  And the downstairs-desk stuff moved up to clutter my beautiful office.  Will it ever end?  (Of course not, but don’t tell me that.)

Meanwhile, my sister and brother-in-law bought a house in Iowa near his parents (2016).  Kathy and Kevin planned to support his parents in their “golden” years.  So naturally, Kathy was very busy, and our contact slipped a bit.  Kevin’s mother passed in October 2016, and his father is grieving.  Kathy found a part-time job she enjoys.  The Midwest is proving to be delightfully sociable and relaxed.

I have travelled to Denver and Iowa in 2016 and 2017, to maintain some contact with my siblings and daughter.  I hope to keep that up, at least once a year.  Kathy and I still Skype for A Course in Miracles, adding in mid-2017 the sequel (?), A Course of Love.