Winding down

/ J. F. Riordan

The French retreat officially happens on Saturday morning, so we have three days left. Tomorrow is the family birthday party for our grandson, so I have things to do, but my enthusiasm for big extravaganzas is at low ebb. We are keeping it simple: birthday cake, champagne, and sparkling cider. AFTER dinner.

The weather is making it a challenge to keep the house clean. There’s been nothing but rain and mud for weeks now. There are splashes of mud on the wall in the back hall, and the little corners of the toe moulding need to be cleaned wherever the dogs have walked. I had hoped to convince myself to let this go, but I can’t.

We will not discuss the bedspread.

Knowing my boys, they will want to come pick up the cake (notice I did not bake it myself) and buy fresh flowers, and maybe even use the last of the Christmas cookie dough to cut out cookies. Tomorrow grandpa will take them to the bounce place to get everyone out of my hair.

I have loved having everyone here, but I am tired, and need the long, uneventful days that are my ordinary life. Next week my real work begins, and in contrast, the full days of writing will feel like a vacation.

But there are a few more days of happy chaos to come.

One thing: I think we can be fairly certain no one at the party will strip to the waist to play hide and seek in the dark.

24 thoughts on “Winding down”

  3. You need to take more than a few days before trying to get back to your “normal” routine. Let the house go, sleep, wallow in missing the family, and rejoice in the peaceful house with just your husband and the dogs. THEN you’ll be ready to go back to work!

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  4. I have often wondered about your bedspread.

    I have my husband’s family to visit on Saturday, and then a New Year’s Day dinner for 12 to host. I too, am longing for some quiet. At age 66, I tire more easily; but more fully understand and value the family, including the chaos.
    ❤️
    Peace

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  5. I empathize- I, too, look forward to a return to the daily routine while savoring these last moments of chaos and time together.

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  7. “We will not discuss the bedspread.” That is when I throw one out and start over. I resorted to covering the entire bed with a sheet for the pets. It’s worked pretty well.

    And I know exactly what you are speaking of with longing for the normality of our lives. Since I have spent half of each of the last four months traveling 400 miles to help care for a newborn grandson, I just want to hang at home with my dogs, waiting for the husband to come home each evening. Quiet life is really good, although the experiences we have with the new generation are priceless.

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  10. I, too, am tired from all the happy Christmas chaos, even though we have simplified somewhat this year. I used to hate winter when I was cold-natured, but now I find that I love January. The Christmas rush is over, the yard and gardens no longer need our care, and we can settle in in front of the fireplace with a cup of hot chocolate. HUGE bonus if we get snow! Of course now, all I want to do is sit quietly and watch it fall outside the windows.

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  11. I happy you’ve had such a joyous Christmas and thank you for sharing your stories with us. You’ve all made some wonderful memories. Next week you can have peace and quiet and go back to writing the wonderful story we’re all waiting to read. Although, you may still be dealing with rain and mud splashes. One day, however, you’ll hopefully share the stripping hide and seek adventure.🤭🤭

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  12. Pat Conroy wrote that he and his writer wife, Cassandra King, would literally dance and kick up their legs after all the family left from an extended visit. He said they looked “like a couple of the Rockettes!”

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  16. We look forward to the holiday season, but it’s also nice to get back to our regular lives. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you, Charlie, and the boys! Barbara & Doug Bell

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  17. I sure can relate to your situation and the longing for the “ordinary life”. So funny. It just starts to feel like chaos when you’re sharing your life with multiple other people for an extended period of time. Especially with a Christmas hangover from too much excitement. A quiet house will feel like bliss!

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  18. I smile as I read your post. We’ve all been in similar situations, but have great memories made. Enjoy your last few days with the French invasion, relax a few days, then forge ahead with every day life. I know how you feel about the house being a little out of order. The good news is, the rest of us benefit from your writing!

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