We'd stayed up late into the night piling on stories that you cant ever fully review in the course of a busy week. It's heaven to have such leisure with your grownup kids. It leads me to push Ed again on the subject of finishing the construction of the writers shed. Once the second grandchild is born to the Chicago family, it will be a tight squeeze in the two bedroom farmhouse. Ed, of course, is anything but keen on the idea of undertaking a construction project of that magnitude. Nonetheless, we toss around the idea periodically until it fizzles. And then comes back again.
This morning, aka "the morning after" began when Primrose, our youngest visitor from Chicago, nudged us to get up and get on with the day.
We had a quick breakfast of left-over croissants...
We played. Or, more accurately, she played for us.
But very quickly, the young family had to go off on their round of visits: old high school friend, my mother...
By noon, they were back again and Primrose and I took a walk to the barn to search for eggs.
At the house, they read books, I fix a frittata.
This cheeper egg dish is such a farmhouse staple that really, I could do one with eyes closed. Today's had tatsoi, leeks and mushrooms. And of course, a small mountain of Farmer John's cheese.
And yes, it did feel like the day after Thanksgiving. There was left over pie, there were chicken bones to shuffle around in the fridge (waiting for Ed to turn into a soup). To top it off, I did my first Christmassy thing: I brought out four candles I had purchased from different candle makers (each claiming to provide a whiff of the quintessential holiday smell of pine). They voted which was the most authentically Christmassy. (Brooklyn Candles, appropriately called "Christmas tree.")
And then they had to leave. The next time I see them, the family will have grown (or be in the throes of growing!).
My Thanksgiving holiday with them has ended, even as the second Thanksgiving, the one with the rest, is still in its earliest stage.
In the meantime, just to tie these days together, in the evening, Snowdrop, Sparrow and Sandpiper, along with parents, come over for supper. So much to review! (Do you love this as much as we do? Reliving the best moments by rehashing them at least one extra time?)
Toward the end of the evening, my daughter picks up a book I had left for future perusal. Snowdrop noticed. And that's how we then moved to an hour where my daughter did a masterful job of explaining an important chapter of American history.
Dishes done, families back at their homes, and me, I'm now on the couch with Ed. Feet up. Definitely feet up. And I keep thinking that we are one lucky family. We have each other.
With love.
