A Sort of Homecoming

Hello all, and Happy Easter to those who observe it. Hope your weekend was good, and that the Easter Bunny was generous. :c)

As mentioned in my last post, Thursday was moving day to my new apartment. It was an intense, draining experience (I had barely two weeks from viewing the apartment to moving day), but the hardest part is over. I still have some unpacking to do, and the apartment needs some additional work on the part of the landlord (finishing repainting in the living room and spare bedroom, fixing the fan in the bathroom), but overall it's in good shape.

It's funny; this is is less than a quarter-mile from my previous apartment, and about five houses from the apartment previous to that (hence the title of this post). But even though it's not that far distance-wise from my most recent apartment, it really does feel like a homecoming. This apartment is really quiet, which is a welcome change of pace. 

And even though it's only a quarter-mile away, this feels much homier. I went for a run today on one of my old routes. It was my first run in over a year, so I have a long way to go to get back to where I was headed pre-pandemic, but I'll get there. More on that in my next post (along with plans & progress on other post-move goals).

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Back to settling in. My sister and nephew came over Saturday afternoon to help me with the unpacking. My sister also picked out some curtains for the apartment. She has a real eye for interior design, so I'm happy to defer to her in these matters. I have to say, curtains make a *big* difference. 

Once the painting is done early this week, my nephew and I are going to hang some pictures. And after we finish we'll get dinner from his favorite restaurant, which, by sheer coincidence, is literally across the street from where I now live. (I'm sure spending quality time with his favorite aunt is the real draw for C, not the chicken cutlet & fettuccine house specialty, right? ;D)

My sister also brought a few housewarming gifts, including one of her beloved candles (she *loves* candles):

She also brought a really cute plant holder (see the top photo) - and, to my surprise, an Easter basket. Check it out: 

I saved the best for last. Check out the adorable gift I received from my dear friend Halle:

Needless to say, this occupies pride of place in my living room. :c) Thank you very much, Miss D!!! 

OK, time to wrap this one up. Have a great week, everyone!

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I'll end with a few U2 songs, starting with the song that provided the title of this post. This "A Sort of Homecoming," the opening track of their 1984 classic The Unforgettable Fire:

Next is the title track from the same album, one of their most beautiful and mysterious songs:

The Unforgettable Fire was a transitional album for U2 between their first three albums (Boy, October, & War) and their commerical high point, 1987's The Joshua Tree. War had been a beakthrough album for them, but rather repeat its sound, they chose to take a risk and completely retool their sound. One result of that is that the band chose to leave off some excellent songs that simply didn't fit their evolving sound. This is "The Three Sunrises":

Another standout track that didn't make the cut for The Unforgettable Fire is one of their most beautiful songs - "Love Comes Tumbling":

You're definitely on a songwriting roll when songs as gorgeous as this are relegated to B-sides (and, in the case of these two tracks, the Wide Awake In America EP).

That will do it 'til next time, everyone!