House Party Week

My nephew had outpatient surgery last Wednesday. He's 27, unmarried, and lives about 100 miles away. His mom, my sister, couldn't go over for the surgery, so I volunteered. Since I never had any biological children, I am very close to my niece and nephew. After the surgery, I brought him back to my house to recuperate...and be spoiled. He stayed with me from Wednesday until Saturday, when his mom took him home.

My college roommate (and friend for more than thirty years) arrived Friday night. Her nephew graduated from college Friday evening in a nearby town, and she (at the suggestion of her wonderful husband) came here and stayed with me until Sunday morning. Her first husband died after less than ten years of marriage, so she understands a lot about what's going on with me. We drank coffee, laughed, and went out to dinner at a new Mexican restaurant.

My niece and great-niece arrived early Tuesday afternoon. A friend of my sister's family is visiting the United States from Scotland, and he drove over with my niece and the baby in order to spend the night with my sister and her husband on his way to Memphis to visit his daughter (and then to Austin to see his son). I am now the proud owner of a high chair and play yard (is this what we used to call a playpen? I guess "pen" is not the best way to describe a place to keep a baby...), purchased to accommodate my 11-month-old great niece (and her future siblings!) so that she and her mother could spend the night at MY house.

What fun having a baby in the house, especially one with such a wonderful smile and BIG blue eyes. She woke up around 6:00 a.m., and "helped" me feed the dog and cat (she petted the cat quite nicely; she's still not sure about the dog...). She also "helped" me fix my lunch, while her mother fixed formula bottles for the day, and beamed at me sweetly until it was time for a bottle and a short after-bottle nap. I had to go back to work, but I got to see the baby again for a few minutes after school before they left for home.

I have two more weeks of school, and then I'll have my first summer in nine years without DH...without him puttering around in the yard, coming in to cool off and play his computer games, working in the kitchen together to cook a "traditional" Southern summer meal (fresh vegetables, cornbread, sliced tomatoes, pot roast or pork roast...good eating), playing with the dog, and enjoying our time together. I was blessed to have had him as long as I did...

I talked to three people last week who didn't know that DH had passed away...and they all cried with me.