It was by no means the most important thing that happened today in the world – a day when Pres. Obama announced his first nominee to the Supreme Court, a day when the State of California upheld Proposition 8 – or even in my community (a horrible accident about a mile from our house snarled traffic on three freeways for hours). But on the day when Jupiter and Neptune (co-rulers of my 4th house, the house of Home and the Past) met in their long-awaited embrace, with the Moon in sentimental, domestic Cancer, I had the chance to revisit the first house I lived in after moving to San Diego. This is where Jonny and I made our first home together almost exactly 16 years ago, and it’s just a few yards away from our favorite neighborhood restaurant; so we pass it often, and when we do my heart always feels a tug. A couple of weeks ago we saw a “For Rent” sign in the yard for the first time in ten years; passing by today, we noticed the front door open and peeked inside. The daughter of our former landlord was there, cleaning the place, and was kind of enough to let us walk through.
It’s larger than I remembered, but otherwise almost exactly like the picture I’ve carried in my mind all these years. The beautiful 1920s period details had survived two subsequent sets of renters completely intact – the built-ins, the picture railings, the ironing board folded into a wall of the kitchen. The floors were better than I remembered, a rich, reddish wood in gorgeous condition. And standing in the middle of the living room, my old office, the kitchen… I found I had nothing but happy memories of living in that house. Of course, I’m sure a lot of that has to do with the fact that I was 16 years younger, an ecstatic newlywed, and hadn’t yet experienced the inevitable losses and disappointments that come with the territory of growing older. Back then, everything was still new and lovely and full of possibilities, and all the happiness dizzily overflowing our hearts was contained in that beautiful old chalice of a bungalow. For a few sweet moments this afternoon, I could still taste it.
