Born in Eugene, Oregon a few moons ago (haha 🤣), I lived there until I was 12 years old. A change of position in the company my dad was working for led us to move north to Vancouver, Washington. Over the next twenty years my parents lived in a number of different homes in Washington, including a move up to Seattle for a few years.
But we always said we were Oregonians!
So when they moved back to Eugene in 1994, we all felt like we'd gone home. Even though I had a family of my own by then, and was living in Czech, there was a sense of rootedness knowing they'd gone back to the town of my brother's, my mom's and my births!
Whenever I make the familiar drive into Eugene (in this case, through Junction City where my parents used to take our kids to the DQ when they were little!) it's always with a tender sigh of relief.
Because then I'm "home"!
Of course "home" is not a place, since I've never lived in this home with them. But it's home because of these people. My dad, above...my brother, below!
And of course because of my mom too!
She fixed us an amazing lunch to come home to - shrimp salad with all the extras!
How good to sit around this familiar table with my family.
I remember when my dad had that table delivered on a Valentine's Day years ago, when I was probably 6 or 7 years old! He always was, and still is, a big romantic when it comes to my mom. He adores here!
And so do we!
It's not often that I can go out and buy flowers for my mom, so I loved being able to do that today - and give them as an early birthday present to her!
This evening she and my brother cooked up another wonderful meal - a Thanksgiving dinner! It's one of my favorites because it reminds me of spending that holiday at my grandma and grandpa France's house here in Eugene, especially with the smell of the dressing that my grandpa always made, wafting out from the kitchen!
My mom's smells like his, but tastes even better than what I remember as a child.
I love the touches in my mom and dad's home that are connections to ours in Czech. The Polish pottery and Czech porcelain pieces, as well as a painting from an artist just up the road from us!
And nothing says home like my mom's gluten free carrot cake - taste tested earlier by my dad! She baked it just because she knows it's my favorite. Thanks Mom!
It was the perfect end to a great day, catching up and just enjoying being with my family.
I so love this post and seeing pictures of your parents home. I can't believe I've not actually been to their "new" house...so it's fun to come with you through pictures. And your mom is the best cook ever....and I LOVE that she made a Thanksgiving dinner with all the fixings and dessert. YAY!!!
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