After living with a person after so many years you would expect us to know each other. Rather, this is not the case. This stay at home ruling due to the current pandemic has caused all of us to see each other with a new outlook.

We are but two people, retired, no outside activities like we were used to and having to use the internet to communicate with the outside world. There are no children to keep us busy feeding or entertaining or schooling them. So, there we are sitting across from each other during breakfast and lunch reliving past memories and actually talking to each other.

This is not to say that we don’t talk to each other but now, we have long winded conversation and that’s when we found out that we really didn’t know how the other felt or knew about their livelihood and their feeling about certain aspects of the lives. Before, we had jobs to go to and after retirement each of had different things we were involved in and that took time. We discussed those things that mattered for a little while and then we’d go on doing the things that matter. Watching TV, reading or just any other thing that we wanted to do. The ideal life.  Well, that changed.

Now we have debates on current subjects or religion and politics. Whereas, we never discussed those issues at the table before. Fortunately, we never come to blows but rather retreat to our corners and start refreshed again. This is not the only thing that has changed. As I am seeing it for the first time, my house changed. I am starting to look at the kitchen, living room and dining room.

We had converted an old shelve where a TV stood inside into a small grotto with a statues of Mary is located. We lite real candles during the day and at night, we have battery operated candles. There are now new candles that I hadn’t noticed before. Next to it is a hope chest where on top is a beautiful bible stand which my friend Speedy Davila made for us. I hadn’t seen it before.

There’s another shelve in the dining room where we had teapots which I never notice before. There are four shelves and there are two teapots on every shelve. There were gifts and we have never tried them because we don’t drink hot tea. There’s also an empty Borden milk bottle plus different other coffee sets.

Across the room there are three shelving units. In one of them are the “curiosities” which I had never noticed before. Little trucks and cars pointed in one direction. An empty Pepsi Cola bottle, four porcelain Santa Clauses, porcelain pots engraved with our names, some I’ve never seen before. The other shelve contains our special plates for special occasion but, two glasses that came from a gas station bought with green stamps. Then there are the shot glasses that were bought from each town we visited in Germany.

Each item tells a story and one item that my niece, Debbie Lopez, gave us, is an angel with words “Go Spurs” stands out. I had never seen it. It was next to a couple of “cascarones” pained with the image of Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.

While I told about those items that I wasn’t aware of, there were more curios and they were scattered about all the shelves. I forgot to tell you that I had a special spot where all my Lanier High School memorabilia from when I worked there is located. 

Recently there was a marriage in the family. Now we have a new item to talk about. It will be a happy dialogue.