The Shift

Christmas Table

The earth shifted yesterday. Did you feel it? I did. Mr. FixIt is about halfway through his guy getaway to Florida with his buddy and I’ve been staying at his house…feeding cats, cleaning, decorating, rearranging. It’s been great fun.

For those of you who have been following from the beginning, I downsized and got rid of ninety-five percent of my personal belongings when I sold my house in 2014. I brought those things to West Virginia that I could not part with. A friend has been so kind as to let me store them in his basement all this time. I went over a couple of weeks ago and brought a whole truckload over to Mr. FixIt’s house. The Christmas decorations were all put out so yesterday, I got into the boxes of decorator items. A pink Fenton hurricane lamp, an antique cast iron rabbit doorstop, some quilts, my raven decoy, a sign that says “Kindness Matters”…these found themselves mingled with Mr. FixIt’s memories. Looking at the finished project, they could have all been purchased together for just the same house

I went back into the storage room and lugged the heaviest box to the kitchen. This is where I felt the shift. Do you sense what’s happening here? I’m nesting. The lines of “yours” and “mine” are blurring. Nowhere did I feel this as much as when I opened that heavy box. It was filled with china. Precious cargo that has been carted from one side of the country to the other…never seeing the light of day.

One winter day, what seems like a lifetime ago, Mr. Virgo and I were shopping for a tablecloth. When I caught up with him, he was standing in front of a display of china. He was studying something intently so I followed his gaze. When I saw what he was looking at, I gasped out loud. Royal Doulton’s “Tennyson”. I’ve never seen anything so beautiful. And, six months later, I got eight place settings for my birthday. I sat down and cried like a little girl. I’d never had anything so…fine.

Those dishes were packed away in 2014 when I sold my house. Yesterday…I carefully unwrapped each one, inspecting them for chips or cracks. They were perfect. I carefully hand washed and dried each piece and set them out on the dining room table in Mr. FixIt’s house. I thought about how far I have come in the nearly five years since Mr. Virgo died.

Mr. FixIt and I still have an unconventional relationship. He has his place, I am taking care of the family farm. We stay a little here, a little there. We travel, and we stay apart a little. It works for now.

I am so blessed that Mr. FixIt gets me. He’s an angel…tolerant of many things. And he’s thrilled to spend whatever time he can with me. The feelings are mutual. ❤️

“Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain…”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭127:1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

 

14 thoughts on “The Shift

  1. I, too, am in a relationship that involves 2 houses, 2 sets of children, and the slow intermingling of belongings, personal and trivial. It is wonderful and terrifying, all at once. No one ever told us about this as one of the possibilities, so it feels very much like forging new territory. It is steady and secure, while simultaneously different and unknown. And yet, I can’t imagine another way for us. May we all find the love and comfort we seek, in whatever way that speaks to our souls.

  2. Father in heaven, we are so grateful for the love you have brought to our friend Ginny. Lord please bless them with many many years of love and happiness together. This I ask in your holy name. Amen. And Lord…please bless the rest of us with someone so wonderful. xx

  3. It does seem that the Workd does not contain many guys like Mr Fixit. You are a lovely lady. You deserve happiness. I soon cross the 9th Anniversary line and begin the 19th year. How times flies. At present I am building a life I can love just for me. If a Mr Fixit comes along, well, maybe? I really just don’t know. God has me centered. For now it is enough.

    1. I know what you mean, dear one. I had just decided I would be fine alone when along came my old and dear friend from high school. Were the planets and stars aligned? Was it sheer coincidence? I don’t think so. This was Mr. Virgo and God having a little conversation on the back nine in Heaven. This was destiny. It could have just as easily gone the other way. I could have been traveling in another direction. I realize how incredibly blessed I am to have this wonderful man enter my life at just the right moment. As a matter of fact, I’ve been teary -eyed off and on all morning. I pray for everyone who wants a partner to find the very best one. There should be more “happily ever afters”. And…if you are happy alone, that is a blessing in its own right. ❤️

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