Blueberry Rum Spritzer

Three days ago my husband and I quickly ate breakfast as we dashed for our car and headed downtown at 8:45 a.m..  Pleasantly surprised by not encountering much commuter traffic, we pulled our car into an alley parking garage off of Stewart.  Holding hands, we walked up a few stairs into a high rise building only to separate for a few minutes.  Me?  I headed straight for the Godiva coffee shop calling out to me from the lobby while Rob continued to walk up another flight of stairs to the elevator hub.  Moments later I reunited with him in a small office overlooking Puget Sound and the west side of downtown.  We sat down and we started the process of signing escrow papers on the house we’ve lived in shortly after being married eleven years ago.  With a latte in one hand and a black ball point pen in another, I listened to our closing offer go over the details of each form we were signing with a sad but joyful heart.  Every form we signed brought us closer to saying goodbye to dear friends and neighbors simultaneously building anticipation of moving into our new home.  We left the office that morning holding hands once again with an unspoken but understood smile on our face.  

We always thought we would only live in this home for a few years.  But instead, this became the home we not only raised our three children, but where we found community with some of the kindest people I have ever had the pleasure to know.  We’ve been fortunate to live in a neighborhood where all the neighbors don’t park in their garages but instead park in driveways and hang out in front of their houses.  There is always someone outside to talk to and catch up on the happenings of the day.  Walk up and down our street and it’s not uncommon to stop and chit chat for awhile.  This is what I’m going to miss the most about leaving here.

When we purchased our house we had big dreams of what it would be like to grow old together, raise a family, and imagine what our lives would be like in ten, twenty, forty years from now.  With each new chapter of our life whether it be a new baby or new opportunities, we relished in growing old together.  I know this sounds so cliché but it’s true.  Through the darkest of times to the best of times, signing those papers legally finalized the closing of one chapter of our life so we could begin another.  Our house closed two days ago.

Yesterday I waited all day for a phone call from my husband to be ready at a moment’s notice to drive to Bellevue during rush hour to repeat the process of signing escrow papers, again.  This time as the buyers of our new home.  As we signed each paper I felt a little disbelief this was all really going to happen.  The last few forms we signed showed our names with our new address.  This was really happening.  When I initialed the last form I let out a big sigh of relief.   We walked out of the office holding hands with a sense of relief and panic.  No more dilly dally packing.  The clock was ticking and everything was made legal and official.  I pulled into our driveway and notice immediately that the real estate for sale sign was taken down while we were gone.  It had been put up only weeks before and disappeared as if it had never been there this whole time.  I walked into our home to a living room full of empty moving boxes just waiting for me to fill them up.  I’ve been hesitating these last few days because I’m trying to hold on to enjoying our home before it’s just an empty shell.

Last night my daughter and I walked home from our neighbor’s house from down the street.  We walked slowly as we shared a tender moment on how we’ll miss walking home from the home of one of our closest friends.  With the dull white noise from the busy highway just blocks away and a familiar distant fire truck siren fading into the night, I tried to absorb the sights and sounds of living in our hood.

With most of my kitchen things packed away, I wanted to share with you a simple recipe for Blueberry Rum Spritzer.  Fortunately I had some blueberry sauce, limes, and club soda in my refridgerater from a post I did for PBS Parents, and a bottle of rum which I hadn’t packed yet.  The drink itself represents the blueberry harvest we’re having right now as well as acknowledging the last days of summer.   If you want to make it fancy, you could muddle it with mint for a mojito type cocktail.

It’s going to be a bit quiet around here as we officially move out Monday and get settled into our new home.  But until then I hope you enjoy your Labor Day weekend.

And, to Jill and Tim, Ray and Sharon, Claire and Steve, Sarah and Shinya, Andrea and Chris, Mike and Jen, Molly and Hunter, Tim and Wendy, and to my very special friends Michelle, and Alison and Dean, thank you for the gift of community we’ve been privileged to share with you.  It is because of you we’ve loved living here.  Thank you all for the gift of friendship, community, love, and support.  We love you guys.