texas

This morning as I woke up I heard the sound of rain on the roof. It's an unusual sound here in Colorado, where we have more sunny days than Hawaii. I laid in my cozy bed for as long as I could until two of my sons joined me for a morning snuggle. Finally, out of guilt, I left my warm nest to make my husband's lunch and the boys' breakfast. I remember thinking it seemed like a Texas kind of rain. Long and drenching. Unlike the usual afternoon thunderstorms that tear through here and are gone within hours.

Later on in the day, at the end of April, mind you, the rain turn to snow and so far we've had over 9". Of snow. In April. It was a very bad day. Thank goodness I'd not yet passed on our winter clothes to the friends we send our hand-me-downs to. It was an icky, slushy, gray day. In April. And we could not go out to play.

Then this evening after watching American Idol, I tuned into what I thought was "The Ace of Cakes" on the Food network. Instead, there was Rachael Ray (annoying) doing a show about Austin. She managed to show all the places I'd been or ever hoped to have been...Shady Grove, the Salt Lick, Taco Cabana...and before I knew it, I was in tears. Although I saw how she was sweating as she sat there in "Shady Grove", I actually missed the sweat. The humidity. The heat.

And I've never actually lived in Austin. I've lived all around it and spent lots of time in it, but all of a sudden I felt like that was my home. That was what I had been missing. Forget the Rocky Mountains. Forget the pine trees and good hair days. I am a Texan.

Texas is where my people are. We used to live within an hour of my parents and siblings and my husband's parents and siblings. We still didn't see everyone as much as we'd hoped, but at least there was the option. So far my boys have only two cousins but by the end of the year there will be two more. All in Austin. Is it a sign?

The thought of moving back made my heart leap. To be close to family and friends again. Old friends that really know me. Don't get me wrong, I've met so many wonderful people here and am grateful for them, but we have no history. At least not yet.

I feel like a tree that has just started to put down roots in new soil, but not enough so that re-transplanting it would cause any damage.