One of my dear friends from high school, Lorrie, texted me earlier in the week to let me know that her mother, who's health had been failing her, passed. While I knew she had been deteriorating, I really wasn't prepared for that news. Lorrie lost her father back in 1998, and now her mother has left her earthly body to join him in heaven. It doesn't seem like we are old enough to be dealing with the finality of our parents lives, however it seems to be happening all around me.
The funeral was held in Orange Friday, and I intentionally arrived early so that I could drive around town. I will tell you, I did not expect the strong wave of emotions that overcame me as I drove around the town that contributed to the person I am today.
My first stop was the first home I owned after college and lived in for 9 years.
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| 3305 Hillcrest |
While the house looks the same, aside from the garage door that is not the same color as it previously was, the landscaping had a lot to be desired.
I then headed to see the neighborhood I grew up in. Ever since Hurricane Rita hit the area in 2005 our old neighborhood has never looked like it did while I lived at home. We lost so many trees, and it still looks so bare to me.
Our home looks good, however, as with the home I owned, the landscaping could use a little extra care. The gentleman that bought the house from my parents in 2008 is still there and he changed the color of the paint. The rest of the homes in the neighborhood also looked pretty good. I videoed the neighborhood as I drove around and sent it to my sister, and we both agreed that the homes look like they could use some updating and extra lovin'. Driving around the block brought back such a flood of good memories. I could still name almost every family that lived in that neighborhood while I was growing up, which I can probably count on two hands the names of some of the families in our current neighborhood. Living in a big city has made me appreciate more not only the neighborhood, but also the town I grew up in.
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| 1908 Amsterdam |
I left our old subdivision and headed to see the school I graduated from in 1991, Little Cypress Mauriceville High School. As with a lot of things, it too has changed. Hurricane Harvey that hit in 2017 caused a lot of damage to that area, including the school. Had I had extra time, I would have stopped in and visited one of my childhood friends, Jeannie Hargrove, who is the school nurse there.
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| LCM High School |
I then headed into town and as I drove down 16th street, I snapped a picture of Trinity Lutheran Church, where we attended church each Sunday. It has since been bought and is no longer TLC, however it pretty much looks the exact same. As I continued to the driving to the downtown area, I was pleasantly surprised to see how nice the area looked due to the beautification they have done.
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| Trinity Lutheran Church |
After leaving the funeral, I had lunch with my longtime friend, Lisa. We reminisced about things 'back in the day' and then I headed back to Cypress in time for Casen's basketball tournament. He had two games on Friday and two today.
They won both of their games Friday, with Casen actually shooting and making a 3!!! LOL. On Saturday, they won their first one, and ended up losing in the finals. They really have come a long way as a team this year and have been fun to watch.
