Treemie

Tonight I got to thinking back to Melanie and my first Christmas. We lived in the upstairs garage apartment of Mr Emory Gray on Camp Street in Lake City. I had as a bachelor finally secured the quaint one bedroom for $125 a month after being on a waiting list. I believe it was Vicki Morrell who lived there before us.

At the time, Landon was not due until August 25th and Melanie worked in Gainesville as a RN at Shands in the NICU. That is where we got the name for our little live fur tree, Treemie, after the preemie babies she nursed. In the painting one sees the trappings of bachelorhood in place, the running shoes, the barbells. On the curtain rod is her Cockatiel Hank. On the Sony 13inch TV is Barney from Andy Griffith. Her cat she bought from her apartment in Williston Callie and Andy my black cat.

The oil of the fisherman, my first painting at age eight behind Treemie along with the oil of Renoir painting from my Florida Southern days. It was a grand first Christmas in that wonderfully cozy garage apartment.

Much has come full circle in many ways twenty six years hence. With Melanie now working back in Williston at the hospital she began in, Monday thru Friday, it is like the old dating days of only seeing one another weekends.

I cannot say I am enjoying our arrangement. I am not working, being a houseman. I have not even the desire to set up our many snowmen we have. 

Perhaps we will find the time this Saturday. With our son and grandson away in Japan, having heard nothing from them in nearly two years, we sag terribly this year. We desperately need our garage apartment back!