Acceptance

  It is not a disturbing sound. It is not loud or invasive. It is not even annoying. It is an interesting sound. It is not calming, per say, but it is a sound which is easy to accept. This sound raises curiosity in me. It is a train whistle blowing in the distance. I can also hear the rolling of the wheels on the track. It is far away enough to not be loud. But the train sounds are distinct. You see, my new space, is in a neighborhood, one mile from an Amtrak station. It is a small station. I went there last Christmas to take, and pick up my daughter, when she traveled to Portland to visit a friend for a few days, while vacationing here. A train is scheduled to come through, only two to three times per day.
 I guess the curiosity arises when I imagine the people on the train. I wonder where they are going or where they have been. I remember waiting in the station for my daughter one night. Dark and cold outside, but warm and well lit on the inside. Many benches fill it. Very few people were there, so the benches sat empty, for the most part. I remember people bundled in warm coats, only one or two pieces of luggage they toted. A young man with a back pack slung over his shoulder sat on a bench with music plugged into his ear through an iphone. An employee sat behind the glass wall monitoring us. I did grab a schedule, just in case I had future use for it. I have traveled with this system three times in my life. Once, from MN to CA with my mom, aunt, cousin and sister to go visit my sister in CA for a couple of weeks. Then, as a sophomore in high school, my friend and I went from Tacoma, WA to Butte, MT to visit her grandparents. The last time, I was a senior in high school, and again, I went to spend time with my sister in CA. It is a fine way to travel and not nearly as hurried as airplane travel. Of course, you need to allow a lot  more time to travel on a train, but I remember the enjoyment of that mode of transportation. The freedom to walk about, the scenery to view, and all of the people seem to be more relaxed. I will travel this way again.
  I received notification via email from our blogger friend, bill. His comment on, "Cobwebs in the Corner", was this, "Haven't heard from you in a while. Hope everything is okay." Literally, it brought a smile of fondness to my face, a warmth in my gut and I instantly went to our blogs and read for a bit. This still amazes me that people from far away have such a connection with each other, and to, especially, lil' ole' me.
  I have settled into my new space with Jill. She is a doll. She and I have chuckled already at how similar our styles are. She has sweetly cleaned out an extra cupboard for me and my stuff in the kitchen, and spent quite some time helping me get my computer properly hooked up. She is 29, and dare I say, almost a younger version of me. I told her to follow my advice and not make the same mistakes I did and she'll do alright. (laugh here, as she and I did.) She works at a bank with a stiff-type of a boss. She was married a few years ago for barely two years. She has a clan of friends, of which I have met one of them. Her parents were here a week ago, and I clicked with them immediately. Her dogs are calm and sweet and she keeps a tidy home. I remember, this is good for both of us. Financially speaking, anyway. She made a nice comment recently and said, she felt lucky I answered her ad for the room rental. I feel the same.
  My mom's home is pretty well cleaned and she did well selling almost all items at a garage sale, recently.  I was amazed at how well it did in the crappy November weather. She will be leaving for MN on 11/29/11. Six months turned to six weeks which turned to a week and a half. (sigh here). This is good for her though it will be very strange not having her near. She is the one who dragged my tail here, 34 years ago, after all.