My wife's family converged on our home here in western Oregon for about a week this past week. They came from various places around the country to celebrate my mother-in-law's birthday. The population in our home grew from two to ten last weekend with an influx of 5 more local family for meals and visiting. One of the ten that stayed was a 4 year old. Needless to say that since our children are grown and gone our home is not child proof. I spent a few frantic moments running ahead of the kids putting breakables up higher. When all the folks came in the door all the efforts of my wife to straighten the house for company were erased. The entry looked like the baggage terminal at the airport. Well maybe not quite that bad but there was a lot of luggage. Once we got everyone settled into their sleeping areas the luggage followed it's owners. All in all it was good to see everyone, to visit and catch up on lives in distant places, see the growth of little ones, be family again. Ours is a large home and I am sure that other people would think nothing of 10 people in a space as large as ours but we have become used to having it to just the two of us. Having an open floor plan with all these people was also a challenge. We built a folding screen for the shower so no one saw any bare buns. It is all quiet on the western front now that all the return flights have been caught and everyone is home safe and sound. My wife even drove her sister back to Washington so I have the house to myself for the weekend. The folding screen has been put away until the next crowd comes to visit.
It is peaceful here - hot but peaceful. I had thought about going up to the CO beach on Sauvie Island today. I would have taken my text books and study material, spread out my blanket on the sand under the shade of a cottonwood tree and studied. But I opted to stay home today and enjoy the solitude up here on our mountain. My wife encouraged me to go but it is a 2 hour drive to the beach and I hate going by myself. If the weather is nice again tomorrow perhaps I will go then. As I look out the window towards the west it looks like clouds forming on the horizon. Perhaps I missed my window of opportunity to spend a day at Collins beach this weekend.
It is peaceful here - hot but peaceful. I had thought about going up to the CO beach on Sauvie Island today. I would have taken my text books and study material, spread out my blanket on the sand under the shade of a cottonwood tree and studied. But I opted to stay home today and enjoy the solitude up here on our mountain. My wife encouraged me to go but it is a 2 hour drive to the beach and I hate going by myself. If the weather is nice again tomorrow perhaps I will go then. As I look out the window towards the west it looks like clouds forming on the horizon. Perhaps I missed my window of opportunity to spend a day at Collins beach this weekend.
No comments:
Post a Comment