I'm Like the Godfather

I've practically become a recluse this summer. I go as few places as possible. When the kids were younger, I'd be on the go constantly. In fact, there was rarely a day in which we didn't go at least two places. I'm older now, and those days are far behind me.

Normally we have a family cookout on the 4th of July, but this year we didn't. Ted's brother and sister-in-law (UT and AP for short) had been planning on a mini-vacation for the weekend. Since they wouldn't be able to be here, I decided that it was a good time to break with tradition, and we didn't organize a cookout.

Then my friend Terre (a frequent commenter here), her husband, one of her daughters and this daughter's fiance' were spending the weekend in Ohio, seeing her dad and a very dear friend. They asked if they could stop for a visit on the 4th.

OF COURSE YOU CAN STOP!!!

Then, toward the end of last week, I found out that AP and UT's plans had changed and they weren't going on their weekend get-away. Instead, they were planning a big cookout for the 4th, and we were invited. Ted told them that we had visitors coming from out of state and we wouldn't be able to make it until later on, if at all.

In the meantime, remember when we went to Sam's Club back in March and I found a patio set that I really liked? Well, it went on sale! So Friday night Ted and Joe went to go get it. It was sort of an "involved" situation, but the bottom line is that the patio set that I really wanted is now on our pack porch and I'm very pleased with it.

So Saturday afternoon, Terre and her entourage arrived. She and her husband are great people. They have so many life experiences because of his years in the military and the fact that they live fairly close to Washington, DC. She's a middle school special ed teacher too. I have so much respect for her. I don't handle the middle schoolers very well. They can drive me crazy.

Terre and Rus have four kids and we'd met two of them before. This time they brought their younger daughter Alyse, and her fiance' David. We had a very nice time talking for a few hours. It was great to see them again.

While they were here, some people from AP and UT's cookout came over to see Ted's sister and brother-in-law's new home next door to us. (Just a reminder...once Peg and Mac actually move in next door, we'll all be living together on the "compound"...UT is a Kennedy fan, and likes to refer to the area where our houses are as such.)

Our niece Kelly came over to us while we were on the back porch, with her son Michael for a few minutes, while Terre and Rus were here. We don't get to see Michael very often, so that was really nice. As people were leaving from going through the new house next door, they shouted over a little so we had a "brief" conversation.

After Terre and her family left, another group went to see the house next door, led by our other niece Holly. After they came out, Holly and her friends came over and sat with us for a while and we all talked.

The day reminded me of the movie, The Godfather, when everyone went to see Don Corleone, instead of him going to see them.

I sort of like it. Like I said, I'm becoming a recluse this summer, and it's working out for me. I'm sure it's driving others crazy, and maybe that's not so good, but for right now, I'm enjoying it.

So if you want to see me, you know where I am...and if you call and I don't answer the phone, don't be offended. Recluses sometimes don't even want to be bothered with phone calls, hahaha!