Good-bye Katie, Hello New Day

We had just returned from taking Katie to the airport for an early morning flight.  I was missing her and  resorted to my usual form of therapy - the garden walk.  Coffee mug in  hand, I spoke to each flower. I complimented many of them, welcomed a few first blooms, and questioned others as to why they were not doing well.  "Am I giving you too much shade, you little sweetheart?" "If I set out beer for the slugs tonight will you promise to recover?"  I swear they hear my every word.

Before Katie left I told her that when I looked at the porch I was going to miss her.  And I did.  Katie is our third daughter, and geographically the furthest away.  She is a guidance counselor in Phoenix, AZ. Her school calendar allows her some flexibiity in the summer for a well deserved flight of fancy.   After a long string of temperatures above the 115 degree mark, she needed a cooler escape and I'm glad she chose "home."  We had five days of good times with family, kayaking, the usual raucous meals on the porch, cycling and enjoying a memorable anniversary dinner at our favorite restaurant.  But all of Katie's "inbetween times"  were spent on the porch.  With her book, with her laptop, dozing, giggling on the phone with her boyfriend on the other side of the country.  She loved the porch moments - feeling the cool breeze, listening to the birds, looking out onto the garden, hearing the night noises of tree frogs.  It was truly her niche.

Last night at 10:00 we sat on the patio, wrapped up in blankets, and watched the light show that the lightning bugs gave us.  It was a breath-taking, twinkly wall in front of the woods.  I really think that when we retired, people expected that we would buy into a small, maintenance free, one level house where we could anticipate needs for the aging.  Feeling grateful that we were physically and mentally able to put in gardens and mow a lawn, we plunged right into a two story, four bedroom house with plenty of outdoor areas to absorb our energy.  In six years we have not regretted that decision for a milli-second. We are grateful that our kids and two grandkids love to come here. Filling the house and porch with family and friends is the joy of our life.