I am alone for the first time in a week! The house is empty except for the Cat and me and the cat is asleep in her "condo" (safe refuge in the basement where she has lived the past 6 days). The last family has just left for their own home. B.G. has gone off with our RV camper to have the hydraulic thingamabob fixed by his good friend Bob the fix-anything man who lives at a nearby lakeshore. I am ready to take a catnap myself after really "putting out" a lot of energy and a lot of my "work ethic" since last Wednesday. I have prepared many meals and snacks. I have used up all the leftovers—-even the gravy. Only one small jar of cooked cranberry preserves and three small pieces of pumpkin pie remain. I forgot to mention that which is in the freezer….3 qts and 1 pt of turkey broth ready to be used for soup or more gravy with other meals. There is also a small package of leftover frozen turkey meat which will be used in a creamed turkey/chicken recipe this Thursday to put over baking powder biscuits. (yummy memory of childhood meals) Even the massive output of our personal lefse factory has been devoured or taken to Bismarck for Christmas feasting.
There are towels, sheets, a tablecloth and a few miscellaneous items to be laundered and put away til the next holiday comes in a few weeks. In the meantime I can rest and reflect on the holiday just past. We have the most wonderful daughters in law! Our sons chose girls who are like real daughters to us and what a blessing they have been and will continue to be. Our sons are the delight of our hearts….fine grown up men with their own families. Our eight grandkids love to come to our home and are sincerely sorry to go when they have to leave us. Another true family blessing! We have tried ice skating on the frozen – over, glass-like "dead river" and if the snow holds off for awhile,we are going to have skating conditions like those described in one of my old favorite books, HANS BRINKER AND THE SILVER SKATES. Oh how I hope for that blessing in December!!! We had our first "winter picnic" on Thanksgiving Day afternoon and roasted "tube steaks" (hot dogs and ate them with potato chips and Doritos and corn chips). We all got "smoked" but good, and we could smell bonfire smoke for the rest of the day inside the house when we all came inside. What a blessing and what fun we had doing it.
There are still some dishes to clear up in the kitchen and on the table, but for now I will enjoy these quiet reflections and probably ignore the kitchen til a bit later this afternoon. First a quiet sit-down in the recliner with today’s newspaper, the crossword puzzle, maybe a bit of reading in my current novel (A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS) and maybe a little snooze for refreshment. The sounds of silence are a welcome respite.
Another thing to be thankful for—–the liveliness of children and grandchildren is such a delight; the good natured shouts from the game and card tables are a joy; the massive load of dirty dishes, glasses and pots and pans are acceptable. The quiet reflective time I have right now is delectable and I am going to savor it for this one afternoon!
