Thanksgiving Whirlwind

The house is strangely silent.  After 5 days of 5 adults sharing the house, and 7 more people joining us the past day and half, it's suddenly silent.  Everybody is on the way back to their own homes.  I will admit that at 12:23 am last night, as I stuffed the pillow over my head to block out the raucous laughter of 4 young adults partying in the kitchen just below my bedroom, I was longing for silence, now that everyone has gone, it feels too quiet!

Younger Son and his fiance were the first to arrive from Los Angeles on Monday.  On Tuesday Elder Son joined us.  Yesterday my sister, her husband and her teenaged children arrived, as did my cousin, her husband, and one of her adult children.  It is such a pleasure to have the "kids" all together  although the kids are in their early 30's.  WHERE DID THE TIME GO???  It was just yesterday that they were all chattering like magpies at the kids' table on Thanksgiving.  This year the "adults" were at the kitchen table, while the under 35's were at the big table in the dining room!

I am exhausted from the week of preparation -- opening up bedrooms, dusting and vacuuming rooms that get little use nowadays, and wiping cobwebs from corners of the living room and dining room ceilings.  I was awake at 3:30 am Thanksgiving morning, and finally up for the day at 4:15.  The bird was in the oven at 6 am.  I marshaled the troops as they awoke, getting out the good china and silver, rinsing stemware and filling cut glass salts for the nuts we crack.  Everything went perfectly. Out came the bird at 12:45 pm, in went the sides, and we sat down to eat at 1:30, half an hour earlier than I had expected.  It was so much fun visiting with my cousin and her family, with my sister and her family.  It was almost like Thanksgivings of my childhood with lots of folks perched on folding
chairs, hassocks, and the floor after dinner.

It's so worth the exhaustion!

I am thankful.