Here
we are, the man I married so long ago, forty years this year, and I. Alone. We are what is known as "empty nesters." Silly
term. Sounds as if the door is always open, but actually, I want to put up new locks.
But,
we do have all this time that seems empty. What are we going to do now ?
We
have both tried a few of the new things that we always wanted to do when we had the time. I
know he has time on his hands when he buys and plants
flowers he knows nothing about. Just because they are pretty. He never noticed flowers when the kids were small, when I did
all the planting. He was as apt to stomp on them as to step over them. He didn't notice them.
I
used to watch my mother make her quilts when I was small. I always admired them, they were so pretty. Well, guess what?
Yeah, two years ago, I made sixteen (16)! quilts! I gave them to all my kids and grandkids for Christmas. I haven't
been able to sit at the sewing machine since. I put it into my closet and tried to forget I even had one.
I
have boxes of material and scraps from those quilts. I look at them once in a while to assure myself I still could make the
perfect quilt if I just had a room where I could have a cutting table. You have to have a cutting table to cut all those pieces
you know? You can't always use the kitchen table.
Sometimes
the little ones, the grandchildren, find the box and pull out the long strips to tie around their heads so they can become
NINJA TURTLES! !
Anyway,
since that year of constant cutting, sewing and tying, I can't even sit in the chair in front of a sewing machine without
getting a back ache. Really, my back screams at me, "don't you dare sit in front of that monster!" So, I have to put
it away again.
I
have read so many books, I have decided I could open a used book store with them. I used to read a page here and there, in
between the important stuff. I would dream of being able to read a book and putting it down when I chose to, not when
somebody else needed me to.
I
like to go to yard sales. Sure, it'is easier to go by myself, without children, but not nearly as much fun. Sometimes
I grab a grandchild or two and find the sales. Then of course, all I get to look at are the toys and games. If I chance to
look at big people stuff, I hear, "Grandma! Look!" You ought to see my house of bargains. It's all Good Stuff.
I
don't know what else I could do. I have just about ran out of ideas.