This afternoon I visited the house of some other expats (from Nashville) to buy some children’s books. The family is moving back home and were selling the books for 30 pence apiece–not bad! I picked up 15 books (with all the money I had) and am now all set for “new” books to keep Katherine occupied on the upcoming rounds of planes, trains, and buses. If I dole them out very slowly this may actually work; she’s become quite keen on naming things in books, and even occasionally requests that I read to her (rather than just tell me what the books are about, which is the norm).
Sydney’s parents will be staying in the other half of our house, which we’ve rented from Sydney’s college. Today Sydney picked up the keys and we took a peek. Very cute! The house is quirky, like ours, and a bit smaller, but very nicely prepared for company. If I added a few throw pillows and whipped up a killer breakfast it might even pass for a B&B!
I realized that this is the second house we’ve lived in that has a “secret” half; in Ithaca Christi’s house (as in, the main house) was right on the other side of the living room door. Here the two halves of the house are fraternal twins, with enough similarity for me to feel at home, but enough differences to make me wish I could pop over to enjoy being “away” every now and then. It’s like living in a Nabokov house (he always has secret doors, mirrors, and other tricks of the eye in his novels). If we ever move into a house of our own I may find myself hunting for a door to the “other half.” Maybe Sydney will have to build me a secret study . . .
Erin
Alan Schmierer