Maybe it was the gray raininess of the day, but when Matt, Eliza and Hannah drove off Sunday, I felt a pang of melancholy! And then when Phoebe, David, Henry and Calvin drove away, I felt lonelier still. By the time Bonny, Bruce and girls left (which was a bit later - but that's a whole other post!) I was feeling a physical ache.
Harry, Dawn and kids then showed up for dinner. Dawn could relate to my feelings of melancholy - she said she always had the same experience when family left or she left from home. So I didn't feel so alone.
After everyone was gone, Dad and I went through the house picking up, putting away, vacuuming, washing dishes, sweeping, mopping, moving furniture back where it belonged, putting futons away, folding bedding, washing clothes, finding lots of little treasures that had been left behind. I thought that should all have been "closure" but I still really "missed" everyone.
Today dawned rainy and cold. I usually don't watch the parade, but Dad and I checked it out for a bit. Maybe it was more interesting in the rain!! Those clear plastic ponchos have a certain panache! Harry showed up with Eve and Porter, and we were still in our p.j.'s and hadn't even eaten breakfast yet. A true holiday morning!
So I started putting Christmas stuff away - not all of it - I didn't feel up to the task - but I did move all the traces of Christmas out of the bathroom, kitchen and bedrooms. Then I cleared off the mantel and the hutch - and put the regular pitchers back.
And Dad made pancakes - from a recipe - a first for him - he said, "Where's the pancake mix?" Since there was none, he did it the old-fashioned way!! (With the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook!)
I started piling up Christmas stuff in the family room and put the Christmas dishes back in their boxes. I packed up the Christmas tee shirts and sweaters and linens. And it kept raining - we had fires in both fireplaces.
As Christmas faded away, I thought about all the things I should have said and done. One of the problems with a large group of people is that sometimes it's hard to have private conversations of any length. Especially if you're the mom in charge. And large groups of people can have "difficult" moments, and we don't always show our best side.
Dad and I talked about what worked and what didn't - now the key is to write it all down and look at it before next year's celebration!
I think we made some positive changes this year - assigning meals was a stroke of genius - thanks to all who did them - they were great! Clocker's Corner, Kidspace, Burminco and tandem bike riding were plusses too. We didn't communicate perfectly, but we did better than other years!
So why the Queen Anne Cottage pix? Maybe it's to say that a house is only a building when no one is in it. A loving family makes it a home. And when some of those family members leave it, they take something with them - something we miss - and when they are back for awhile, we start thinking we've gone back in time. And we have for awhile. And we have to readjust everytime.
But it's worth it - missing you guys, welcoming you back, saying goodbye -and looking forward to the next visit!
