We Danced

To avoid another day of waiting I visited my grandparents yesterday afternoon. I love their house. Let me try to paint the scene...

5099 N. Gaynor, the air outside was crisp and overcast complimenting the leaves changing in all of the large front yard plants and trees that lined the walkway. Some Freesia flowers and many orange and yellow citrus fruits dotted the green trees and I thought how their yard has been my own fresh produce market since I can remember with cherries, apples, nectarines, peaches, plumbs, and every kind of vegetable, berry vines, and even kiwi fruits have been delivered in large buckets or plastic bags during their visits or when I can see them I wander through the trees choosing what delights me. I walked through the garage with hanging tennis balls to park their cars "just so" and knocked lightly before opening the door.
Little Mitsey was their barking and wagging her curly black tail along with my aunt's dog Zoë, who was apparently being babysat. Nonie and Papa sat at their kitchen table piled on one end with newspaper clippings, magazines with articles dating back to the early 50s, fresh flowers from the yard, and bits of Papa's art while they sat on the other cleared off end, with the plaid Christmas tablecloth and my great grandmother's placemats eating fresh soup and saltine crackers, vegetable sticks, and sipping coffee.
A fire was burning in their stove and after the meal Papa went to put on a new record that he had purchased that morning from the Salvation Army store on their trip into town. The house filled with old dance tunes from the 40s followed by swing and jazz, a Beach Boys album, and then an old Italian mix. We laughed and talked; Nonie used to dance with us and taught us to Fox Trot so we had a lot of fun with memories and recollection.
While Papa busied in his art studio with his paintings and some old yearbooks from when he was in high school, Nonie and I made Biscotti and played a few rounds of cards, talked about China, marriage, life, and her sewing.
I never leave their house hungry, but instead of cookies and cakes or other foods being forced at me, it's oranges and apples, grapefruit, walnuts...Papa will go outside with his flannel plaid over shirt and baseball cap to go pick anything that I want and he'll come in with a bucket for me to take home. Lol!
I think my favorite part was when he was working on the signs for his gate, the ones that read "Beware of dog" and have a picture of a vicious dog, which they don't have. and he decided that he wanted to add the words "Rabid Biter" to each one. I guess I should explain that it is partly his humor, but also his fear of germs or disturbance to their little world. Just idiosyncrasies of the Guaglianones I suppose.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time just experiencing life through their eyes yesterday and appreciating and loving the family that I have. they are very special and I wanted to share them.


An entirely different subject, Staci tagged me to complete this survey:
A - Available or single: No way!!!
B - Best Friend: Jesus. In 7th grade I wanted to cry while walking down the halls at school and instead I cupped my hand by my side and decided that Jesus could be my best friend and hold my hand. He’s been with me step by step ever since. Patrick is my next best friend :)
C - Cake or Pie: Neither…unless it is microwave yellow cake that is warm and moist. Mmmm.
D - Drink of choice: I really only like water, unless it is a social drink: coffee with Patrick, Italian soda with Megan, Green tea with Nonie or Auntie Monica
E - Essential Item you use everyday: Toothbrush appx. 7 times, aloe Johnson and Johnson baby lotion for my face
F - Favorite color: White
G - Gummy Bears or worms: only extra-hot fire cinnamon gummy bears
H - Hometown: Clovis, Ca
I - Indulgence: Blank paper, Kierkegaard, soft and fuzzy blankets
J - January or February: February-official most school holidays month
K - Kids & Names: Not yet, and probably not for a while :) I hope God continues to incite that desire in me
L - Life is Incomplete Without? Desire, divine inspiration, and the faith to pursue these dreams
M - Marriage Date: January 28, 2007
N - Number of Siblings: 2 brothers, 1 sister
O - Oranges or Apples: Tangellos off of the tree- a mix between a tangerine and an orange, sour and tangy and cold
P - Phobias or Fears: Probably almost everything. I’m good at thinking of reasons to be afraid or apprehensive…but then I get over it. My weirdest phobia was of the microorganisms that naturally exist in furniture including mattresses and feed off of skin cells. I went to bed and tucked my pajama pant legs into knee high socks to keep them off of me for two years in high school.
Q - Fave Quote: "Heavenly expectation begins precisely at the moment when earthly expectation sinks down in weakness and despair." Soren Kierkegaard
R - Reason to Smile: When the sun wakes me up at 6am and I know I’m alive another day for a reason. I love to smile when I wake up and praise God.
S - Season: Winter. Midnight rollerblading or bike rides to look at Christmas lights, stars, and to see your breath!
T - Tag 3 or 4 people: Patrick, Megan Halterman (who else has a blog?) I think I would love to see Justin Scott fill out one of these. That would be the day :)
U - Unknown Fact about Me: I knew I would marry Patrick the first time that I met him. I wrote it down.
V- Vegetable You Don't Like: I have always LOVED vegetables!!! I eat them like candy. Never had one that I don’t like. I don’t like when people make them sweet though, like sweet potatoes with brown sugar or marshmallows. No thank you.
W - Worst Habit: Overthinking
X - Xrays: Stomach/esophagus/throat -many times (I got to eat radioactive eggs! I know, I’m so cool), ankle, foot, mouth pallet, teeth
Y - Your Fave Food: Frozen peas and apples currently (I get stuck eating one food for about 6 months and it is practically the only thing I eat and then I shift to something else. The previous one was turkey sandwiches for every meal. Now I eat frozen peas and apples ALL of the time)
Z - Zodiac Sign: Cancer, I think