Dreaming Again

My H and I have been talking about doing something with our back yard and patio. Our hot tub is broken and our cement patio could really be spruced up with some kind of outdoor tile. We talked about putting up an awning over the patio.
Oh, and then there’s me . . . one of the first things I came up with was, “It would be so fun to have a little coffee shop back there!” Sometimes I’m still the little girl that likes to play house. I imagine an Italian back porch with a cute round table and serving homemade foccacia bread with balsamic vinegar and oil, or maybe a large warm cinnamon bun or crepes with coffee, or . . . Then reality sets in and I realize what the commitment of a coffee shop would mean. My guess is that I couldn’t just put up a “Closed” sign whenever I don’t feel like getting up early or whenever I want to go and visit my grandbabies, for that matter.

We have lived in this house for almost 22 years now. If only the walls could talk of the happiness that we’ve shared in this home! Morning breakfast as a family and three kids taking off to school just down the road. School activities and stressful science projects that involved the family . . . taking owl pellets apart, building miniature forts and studying for tests. If walls could speak they would remember the piano practices, from the first 'twinkles' to the sounds of arpeggios, scales and duets that followed. Off tune violin scratches that turned into beautiful concertos! And yes, we would be reminded of the drum practices in the basement! How could we count the laughter at birthday parties, the giggles at sleepovers and family nights playing hide and seek!

I remember coming home late at night from road trips, after having checked into different hotels along the way, and my H would teasingly say, “This is a nice hotel!” To which the kids would cry out, “No Daddy, it’s not a hotel!” It was as though they felt he was desecrating our home by those words.

There came the time to move some walls and move bedrooms to accommodate our growing kids. And believe it or not, I almost forgot the late night talks, and times we wondered when they’d come home. Did I really ever worry?

These days I must say that there is something about living in a house where our grandkids can play in the same playhouse that our kids enjoyed.

Where our grandkids can swing from the trees that we planted when ours were young.

Where the yard that is old enough to produce peaches, plums and grapes.

Where the rooms have names and the old toys are still under the bed or in the toy box downstairs. A place where we can tuck sweet little ones into the same rooms we have always kissed kids goodnight in.

So, as we make plans to do our patio, we will remember the picnics, barbeques, games and fun we’ve had and will continue to have. And just maybe this summer I can invite you to come and see my (pretend) coffee shop under the awning.