rug scrubbin'
I’ve been caught in a hurricane of change, finally the storm has passed and I’m more than ready to share, journal style.
August 30th Packers covered our house in the city (Nashville) like ants on donuts, and we moved into a hotel near to the house. It was a complicated pack/move as we were dividing the house up into two moves one to the ranch and one to California. Packing up the house I remembered an interesting meeting, last January I was attending a gathering with Lee when I met a beautiful Turkish, Indian palm reader who also happens to be a medical doctor. Of course I handed my hand over, she told me she saw a BIG book in my hand and that soon I would have to travel a great deal and leave home, but that home – Nashville would serve as my place of grounding. She told me that I used to worry a ton but that I’d seemed to heal that dis-ease. I giggled, pulled my palm back and thought about what she’d said. I assumed she meant I’d have to leave the girls to travel away from Nashville – I had no idea that we would all be leaving and returning here, I’d not seen this giant move in my own palm then.
August 31st Movers rolled on the scene to load the truck, Rusty our ranch foreman and Marty one of our cowboys loaded a Uhaul trailer attached to Lee’s pickup truck, then Rusty headed west on interstate 40 – destination Malibu, California. Jane Ellen, Justice, Mary Alice & Alma armed with magic erasers combed my house in search of scratches and dust, every time someone would get teary eyed about our departure I’d say, “scrub through it shorty gurl”, handing them a fresh eraser. Around 2:30 pm the professional cleaning company that we hired arrived and let me tell you they didn’t do much cleaning but sure did add to the funny banter that goes back and forth between me and my “Nashville people”. The guy walks in the door (yes guy, two of them to be exact) holding his back and complaining about how he threw it out, he must have been in his late 60′s. I KNEW we were in trouble when after only being there for 15 minutes he was raiding my fridge and noshing on the movers pizza they’d had for lunch the day before, thankfully his “partner” arrived who did have a little bit more pep in his step. I think cleaner number one had the munchies – if you know what I mean, ’cause he was like a stoned old monkey. Our lease had a tough clause in it that there be no marks or scratches on the walls, light bulbs changed and many other particular measures, I understood the reasoning as the house was brand spanking new when we moved in. At one point I watched these broke down cleaners push dirt around and knew I had to get in the game, I took to scrubbing the rug on my knees – returning a spotless house to the owner. The movers loaded our truck and Jane Ellen filled the back of her M.T.P (every girls gotta have one; only difference is her M.T.P is a super powerful truck). Jane Ellen pulled out of my drive heading towards the ranch with all of baubles that we didn’t want to go into storage, I felt sad but so glad that I have her in my life – there is nothing better than capable friends and Ms. Jane Ellen & Ms. Mary Alice are the most!
I collected the girls from my neighbors house as they were saying goodbye and then the three of us walked through what had been our home, stopping in each room thanking the walls for supporting us and wishing the next residents a pleasant experience – I thought it important my girls and I have closure with gratitude.
I sat with Mary Alice in the hotel lobby saying our goodbyes, my mind flashed as I recalled the first month we’d arrived to live full time in Nashville, me sick as could be, scared to death and completely alone – Mary Alice filled a space in my life better than anyone else could have, her direction and guidance has not only served me but my girls too. She became a sister, a friend, an aunt, a god mother and a guide. That night I fell deep into my pillow with the realization that we would no longer be neighbors. You see life in Nashville returned me to living from the place of my daily bread – ’cause a little goes a long way and take only what we need.
Sept.2nd – We boarded our plane to Los Angeles, a combination of excitement, hope, fear and sadness. Our plan was to arrive in Malibu, stop at the market, make the beds with bedding Justice had shipped fedex and rest a night before unloading the Uhaul Trailer that was on it’s way. We’d rented a furnished house for the year, bringing with us only art and personal items, bikes, surf boards and of course the MTP.
Once we landed in LA Lee’s phone rang, Rusty was waiting in Malibu with our stuff – he’d made it in record time. We dropped our luggage and began to unpack – this was turning into a marathon of moving that still isn’t done. You see next month I will return to Nashville for the next Noble Food Makeover and the movers will deliver our belongings from storage and we will move into our farm house – which will represent our “MAIN” house for the next bit of forever. Rusty was full of funny stories, one in particular was his meeting of folks in the grand canyon – he didn’t know what language they were speaking – peep his story below:
Sept. 3rd – 10:10am Rusty knocked on the door and with him his Aunt Betty & his Uncle Walter, both from Tennessee they’d moved here more than 40 years ago. I’d heard tale of them via Rusty over the years, as he’d come out to Malibu to see them, however we’d never met. Ms. Betty took a seat on my couch and I didn’t want her to leave. She’d been the principal of many of the public schools here in Malibu and knew every detail of elementary school life. I laid my heart on her lap as she shared with me tales of Malibu, I clung to the drawl of her southern tongue – familiar, comforting and trustworthy. I practically begged her to be my best friend! You see I’ve lived here in Malibu before, but that wasn’t really MEE who lived here, that was a person who still wore masks, had high expectations, believed the LA hype and spent her days driving to and from target, pre-school and cross creek. The Mee sharing a couch with Ms. Betty has done had herself a makeover, from the INSIDE OUT and she has a focus – I’m here with a plan of action, values in tact, gnawing on my daily bread.
Years ago when we lived here my values were definitely not the same. I’d moved to LA when I was living life from my characters point of view and “Just Something To Look At, Prada Is My Life, Procrastanita, Hi I Don’t Wanna Look At That and Please Don’t Make Me Connect” was who was running things. This time I’m here on a mission,one that is led by MEE, my authentic self and that mission is deeply attached to Nashville, my place of destiny according to astrologer Bill Attride.
Sunday Sept. 4th – Again Rusty dropped by for breakfast and then Lee drove him to the airport. As they were heading out, I stood on the front porch of my Malibu Double Wide, bottom lip quivering ’cause the train to Tennessee was pulling out of the station and I was here, literally standing on a platform that I’d created – one I’d dreamed of since I was 18 and my mother died.
Sept. 5th – The Angels arrived. Stories of angels have been passed through societies since per-biblical times. The Hebrew mythology is that angels are created on a need basis, they come to fulfill tasks and once the tasks are done the angels no longer exisit. Of course this makes sense when we apply this to our guardian angels they are here for the span of our lifetime and when we are done I suppose they are too. Mary Alice was hosting 3 angels at her house for a week and sent them our way, all we had to do was 1.) believe so that we could receive them. 2.) make a list of 3 tasks we each needed support with. 3.) pray with them every night.
I’d grown up praying with my grandfather and angels and I thought this a fine time for my girls to join in. Monday night the girls and I lit a candle, placed an apple alongside of it and opened our front door, spreading our arms as wide as we could, closing our eyes and feeling the presence of gods helpers. The girls and I slept better than ever.
Sept. 6th – First day of school for my girls, Lola Kindergarten and Ms. Bella 3rd grade. The MTP was loaded down with nerves, as the three of us (myself included) waltzed into another unknown. On the way there Bella asked, ” Momma are the angels still with us? Yes, for certain they are.” The first couple days were tense, but the school is super tiny and I’d known a couple of the momma’s from when Bella was 3 years old and attending Ms. Deanne’s preschool. Lola jumped right in and Bella eased in with hesitancy. I was thrilled to have met many new momma’s that welcomed us with great kindness and a pie! Yep, each new family was given an apple pie – sweet and homey.
Sept. 7th – First House Guest. Yep, that’s right not even four days in my DoubleWide and Fonso my BFF from NYC filled the guest room. For certain I was glad for him to be here, our conversations are always about reaching for our greatest selves and have been since college. This week we sat overlooking the sea, wondering again who we will be. That’s the thing we are both still creating adventures and dreaming up the next, and of course chair dancing in the car – peep below:
Sept. 9th – Lee left for Mexico City and the girls and I fumbled our way around LA and our new life.
Lee’s back and heading out again, he will return to Nashville this week and I will hunt for an office. I’m missing Nashville but loving the clean crisp air that blows in off of the pacific. I’ve printed up my manuscripts and sent them off to those that have been awaiting them, I can’t help but get nervous at the thought of sharing my deepest experiences with the world and yet there is a fantastic feeling of accomplishment, knowing that I did my best and completed one of my life goals.
Mexico filled me up, Nashville done raised me up, and LA is fixn’ to build me up…Another Adventure is on!
