home alone!

Paul taking a little break at our church conference last week...

I have missed him these last few days. I didn't want to say on here previously that I was HOME ALONE. ALL ALONE. Except for Rosie-The-Bad-Dog, the reason for me being HOME. I never figured out what to do with her. When I finally called the local kennel, they were already booked, so I just stayed here with her while the entire family except for Benjamin, camped in the Adirondacks. I drove up there on Friday, almost four hours one way, swam and sunned and sat by the fire with them, then got home around three a.m. My sister and two of her girls went too, and it was FUN, but sad for me to leave...

Being home alone: it was scary! The first afternoon, I went shopping with Cheryl. Driving Abigail's zippy little Nissan is pretty nice compared to our Big van and the Minivan. Anyway, when I got home, no Rosie to greet me. What? I was freaked. I called her, she didn't answer. I started looking all over the house, she was locked in a bedroom downstairs. She must have gone in there and somehow the door closed behind her. My heart was pounding...I think I was nervous being alone because of the stuff going on with the neighbor. He has been plowing down trees, and letting everyone know he gets mad when he is opposed. But since I haven't been home all alone in over twenty years, I can't say for sure.

So what did I do? I wish I could say I cleaned the house from top to bottom, but alas it isn't so. I did do lots of laundry, I was almost giddy knowing no one would come along and dry things that shouldn't be dried, or sneak their load in when I was planning another. I also bought some of my favorite yogurts, knowing no one would eat them. I bought ONE ear of corn. One plum. I took a shower with the door open. I exercised in the living room, knowing no one would be passing through laughing at the ridiculous way I exercise. I spent too much time on the computer, I cleaned Charlotte Claire'e room. I spent one entire afternoon at my sister's house swimming in her pool and visiting with her and five of her daughters, and her two grandchildren. (two of her daughters are each expecting their second child, it seems weird to be having a baby with them!)

So other than the Where Is Rosie scare, I wasn't too scared to be here alone. Kim came over and watched a few movies with me one night, then I took her out to dinner last night. We went to a nice place over in the next town, I had a coupon. We had BangBang Buffalo chicken for an appetizer, YUM...and we ate the sourdough bread with marinated lentils...then salads, then fried panko breaded haddock with fries (I only ate two fries)...and coffee. It was too good, and I ate too much. She came back here with me and we watched another movie. Sam and Evelyn were here, they came home with Emily who had to work today. So my time Home Alone is over. It was quiet and lonely, yet refreshing and relaxing. I wouldn't trade the noise and confusion and love and chaos for it permanently, but the few days were enjoyable. When I wasn't thinging about how it was No Fair that I had to stay home with the Stupid dog, that is.

So in a few hours, they will come tumbling in the door, asking for dinner, bringing their dirty clothes and damp sleeping bags and coolers of melting food, tired and dirty and glad to see me. I hope. (Joseph told me at the camp fire the other night that having me there increased the stress level by 25%, ouch! It is not my fault kids like to walk with marshmallow sticks in their mouths and catch the marshmallows on fire and let them burn too long before blowing them out and walk right in front of the fire instead of behind the chairs...am I supposed to just LET them?) So hopefully the big kids won't be saying things like how much more relaxing it was without MOM, and how the little kids behaved better, and how the campsite even stayed cleaner. If you are reading this and thinking my older kids are mean, just so you know, they love to bug me. They think they are pretty funny. And 99% of the time, it doesn't bother me because I bug them right back. It's how we function. I really do miss them.

Now I should do a little more work around here quick so they don't guess how much time I spent sitting around....