It was time to take Pappy home to his little lake in West Texas. Sometimes we just drive him home and other times we continue on with a short visit after he is comfortably deposited in his own space. I have suffered from a hankerin' to visit Santa Fe for several years and finally stomped my foot and demanded that Ol' Abner come along with me. It took him several weeks to warm to the idea...until I was able to find a favorite outlaw there. A former family member, removed by divorce but kept close in our hearts, turned up with a website when searching on a social network. I promptly fired off an e-mail hoping to hear back from her before we left home. It was less than a day until her reply appeared.
Some connections never end and my Mammy loved this one. The outlaw, formerly cuz-in-law, brought such joy to my mother during her time in our family. When the divorce was final, our attachment didn't end. Over ten years have passed since she accompanied us to the "Little Cabrito" canyon in New Mexico to scatter my mother's ashes. We corresponded by e-mail a time or two afterward and I lost track when a Christmas card I sent was returned and we moved, acquiring a new e-mail address.
Her reply to my missive included an invitation to not only see them while we were in Santa Fe but to stay at their home. We accepted and arrived to open arms that immediately were familiar. So many changes in the last ten years had little impact on the connection to this vibrant exciting woman. Now we are the grandmothers and our children live in many different cities. Our husbands have all gray hairs on their heads. We choose to mask our gray a bit. A late night visit after the fellows adjourned to their beds, brought laughter and a tear or two. She lost her mother just months ago and the knowledge that my mother was available to welcome her into heaven gave great comfort. Her father suffers from Alzheimers and she was saddened to hear that Pappy is no longer mentally sharp. The more things change...the more they stay the same. That tune floats in my mind with a certain satisfaction that things that matter really never change.
On our way to Santa Fe, we hopscotched up North a bit to have a meal with my sis and her husband, on to spend a night and visit with an uncle and aunt. The following morning we continued on to stop for a call on another uncle and aunt before following the highway south into Santa Fe. As we traveled home, a stop in the city where I grew up, allowed us to spend a night with good friends since college days. I think I'll write about that tomorrow. Right now I just want to indulge in the delightful memories of our time in Santa Fe and thoughts of my mother. Amazing...gone from home over a week and not one night in a hotel, my mother would be proud!
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