Texas time

Near the end of January a few things happened: I realized I would have two weeks without work at the end of February/beginning of March, a professor of mine at UCLA canceled a class in March so he could go skiing, and I found the little stash of Christmas money and the 20 year old savings bonds my mom had given me when I'd been home in December. That same afternoon I got a phone call. The caller ID showed it was my cousin Jamee, who I love and adore and consider to be one of my closest friends. But I held fast and didn't answer the phone because I was working and on deadline for a table read that night.

Then the phone rang again. And I'm of that mindset that if someone hangs up and calls right back without leaving a message, it's probably important or even an emergency. So I picked up.

It was Hannah, Jamee's six year old daughter. She wanted to know why I hadn't answered her call the first time and I chuckled. For the next twenty minutes or so I listened to tales of her basketball team, what color their uniforms are, how there's another girl named Hannah on the team, that she just learned I live in the same city where they film her favorite TV show American Idol, etc. And my heart ached because I hadn't seen Hannah in almost two years. For three years in a row Angela and I had visited Jamee and the Brick family in Texas while we lived in Yuma. But once we moved to Los Angeles we didn't have the time or the money.

So that afternoon when all my ducks lined up in a row I made a decision: I was going to Texas.

And I did. And it was fabulous!

I spent five days there, Friday through Wednesday and loved every minute of it. I got to meet grown-up Olivia who's now almost three and was only a babe the last time I was there. In fact, Olivia and I became best buds. I got to cook with all three kids, grocery shop for veggies and fruits (their favorite), I got to comb hair and find shoes and visit classrooms and run and play and laugh and cry and wipe away tears and kiss cuts. I got to go to Swampfest and watch as they played silly games for silly prizes, I got to hold Olivia when she drank her milk each night, I got to explain to Hannah what mascara was and dab some glittery lip gloss on her little lips. I got to play Super Mario Bros. with David and laugh at how serious he became about the game.

And I also got to spend time with Jamee, above mentioned adored cousin and friend. We snuck off to the bookstore and sipped tea and sat on the floor and talked for three hours Saturday night. We talked while she prepped her classroom for a sub Sunday night. We spent all day Monday without kids and laughed and shopped and read greeting cards for several hours (so fun, really -- plus they were 80% off so such a good deal!). We ran errands together, we did the dishes together, we watched the Olympics and bad TV together (who else was aware that a GIANT sperm whale exploded all over a city street in Taiwan?!?!?). We stood outside in the freezing cold temperatures (it was 34 in the morning) and sun (I have the sunburns still to prove it) for ELEVEN HOURS on Tuesday holding campaign signs for Jamee's mother-in-law who was running for state representative. And even though she lost, we had such a great day. We sang, we laughed, we danced, we joked, we teased, and we talked. Boy did we talk.

And on Wednesday, when I hugged the little Bricks goodbye on their way to school I was a little sad but mostly I was happy. I was so happy I'd been able to visit with them, to be a part of their lives for a few days, to be a part of their memories. And when Jamee and I parted at the airport, I did have tears but again, they were mostly tears of happiness, of love.

And guess what I did yesterday? Started saving for my next trip this summer. Because Cousin Sarah needs more little (and big) hugs!!!