Winter Visitors Flock to the Southwest
Midwesterners arrive
Winter visitors flock to your house when you live in the Southwest. That’s when Midwesterners droop and lose their color. Two weeks ago, Ed and I hosted my siblings and siblings-in-law. We had a fun packed weekend of food, drink, hiking, and sightseeing. A niece dropped by and camped out on the sofa one night. My brother and sister stayed an extra few days.
“If we have to work from home, we might as well work from your home,” they said.
We were happy to carve out some home office space to accommodate them. They left on Thursday and returned to Chicago just in time to experience another round of severe winter weather.
The crew arrives from Georgia
Two days later, just enough time to wash sheets and towels and restock the fridge, my son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter arrived. They escaped wet and cold Georgia to spend their week-long winter break with us. We enjoyed another fun week of hiking, dining outside, after-dinner games, and s’mores around the fire pit.
Peace at last
Today the house is quiet. All our company is gone. They’ve returned to their other lives, Ed and I will return to ours. How quickly we revert to our familiar routines. I’m a little sad as I tidy up the house where bits and pieces of the last two weeks remain.
Outdoor chairs scatter around the fire pit.
A half finished puzzle is left on the dining room table.
A post-it note and fabric scraps hang out near the wastebasket in the sewing /guest room where I helped Lillian make an apron for herself and we attempted to make a dress for her fashion doll.
(We discovered Grandma does NOT know how to make doll clothes. This accounts for most of the fabric scraps.)
Smears of flour, water, and egg are glued to the kitchen floor after a night of pasta making.
Suddenly, I’m not in a hurry to sweep away these reminders. Good times. Good memories. Good company.
Threads of Thought:
We live far away from some family members so we try to make the most of the time we have together. How do you stay connected with family and friends who may not live close?
