Empty nests

Tomorrow, Daniel flies back to Skidmore College, and Ned is with Geoff this week, so I will come back to an empty nest for Labor Day weekend. Both Colleen and Betsy left posts foreshadowing empty nests, and I ended up with one part-time and prematurely because of the divorce. It is always a shock to find the house empty. Mimi and I are planning our annual pesto fest, which will keep me busy. We usually make 20 to 30 sixteen-ounce containers of pesto concentrate for the freezer. I have eaten pesto at her house during lab parties; mine gets consumed at LAN parties and swim team potlucks.

LAN parties are local area network parties. We have a cluster of six or seven old computers in the basement, a mix of pcs and Macs. I bought this house partly because of the basement for LAN parties. I finished it (nothing fancy, just tile floor, paint, futons, area rugs) and we bought a bunch of inflatable air mattresses. Once or twice a month, we have from 6 to 10 kids for a sleepover party and they stay up all night playing Starcraft and Warcraft and wreaking havoc and mayhem in cyberspace. It is more civilized than it sounds; I feed them a formal dinner and make them sit down at the table with my blue and white china. Favorites are salmon and pesto, pork tenderloin and pesto, grilled chicken and pesto, or just pesto....And then there is usually french toast and bacon and eggs and banana muffins for breakfast.

Surprisingly, it does not disrupt my sleep. I wander between time zones so much I am pretty flexible, and I have a strong sense that this is a precious time for kids. High school and college go so fast, and these friendships and good times make for strong and lasting memories. And if they are in the basement, I know where they are and what they are doing. They don't seem to mind if I wander down and do laundry at 3 am. I will miss the LAN parties when they are finally over, but I expect we will keep having them even after Ned goes to college, since Daniel has used them to have reunions with high school friends when he comes home.

Last year, Terry and I spent Labor Day weekend with Allison, Jess and their many wonderful friends camping in Mendocino. The pictures Ali posted do not do the whole scene justice. Jess has built a campground that winds in and out of the woods and up hills, with a tree house, and gas stove, and outdoor shower in the middle of it. There are wonderful communal meals and good conversation. In exactly the spot Ali shows in the picture, we watched something miraculous last year. Flight after flight of red-winged black birds, from 20 to 100 in a flock, circled around the lake and landed in the reeds to spend the night. We watched, mesmerized, and tried to keep count. By the time it was over, there were easily a couple thousand birds making a holy racket until the sun went down. I would love to be there this weekend, but Terry needs a little more healing time before we can camp again, and I need to be with Daniel until he leaves.

Love, Lisa