Empty Nest

  • Empty Nest

    My Very Last “Empty Nest” Post

      I remember my first glimpse into the empty nest. The Consultant, Princess and I left Buddy at home to work while we vacationed in British Columbia. As we traveled west on Highway 1, it felt like our family vehicle was missing a wheel. I wrote in my journal –   July 30, 2004 This has been a funny summer so far. With Buddy working as a gate-attendant at The Calgary Stampede, he was unable to join us at the Shuswap … This feels like a transition summer, as though I’m being eased into the fact that Buddy is really growing up into a new stage.    Then, in the blink…

  • Empty Nest

    The Kids Didn’t Know What They Were Doing, or Did They?

    What were our kids thinking when they decided to throw a surprise 30th anniversary party for us? After all, I wouldn’t consider thirty years one of those great milestones. They said this was how they decided to thank us for all that we’ve done for them since, well, basically the beginning of their lives. We were just doing what parents do, taking care of their kids’ basic needs and a little bit more – a place to try sports, a good education, and a little vacation once in a while. We were trying our best to prepare them for life. That night back in April, we arrived at our neighbourhood…

  • Empty Nest,  Family Legacy

    Back to My Accidental Dream Home

    In a few days, season three of our temporary life in Slave Lake will come to an end and we’ll be heading south – home to the starter house we bought 30 years ago. It’s nothing fancy. My 1,050 square foot, ‘50s bungalow was never meant to be my dream home. We bought it because it was affordable and in a good neighbourhood. It was always our intention to pay this house off quickly, keep it as an income property and move on up. But, priorities changed when two kids came along. Neither The Consultant nor I had anticipated the emotional impact starting a family would have on us. Our…

  • Empty Nest

    Time For Play

      “Plenty of play in childhood makes for happy, smart adults — and keeping it up can make us smarter at any age.”  – Dr. Stuart Brown, physician, clinical researcher and founder of the National Institute for Play.                              If you’re like me, you might have let Play slip out the back door as your career and kids came in the front. Over the years, she hovered around. I’m sure I caught glimpses of her from time to time, seldom intentional however, welcome. Sometimes, she even arrived for a fleeting unplanned visit – short but sweet. There’s…

  • Empty Nest

    Blissful and Blessed

    I haven’t quit smiling since I left Calgary for Slave Lake yesterday. After a week of connecting with family and friends, I am feeling truly blessed.   I can’t express these feelings any better than Janelle Ross has in her post, All My Blessing Breathe. Thank you, Janelle, for allowing me to share it with my readers here today.   All My Blessing Breathe They drive off, the three of them, in the oldest’s truck, and I walk back into an empty house. Not empty-sad, mind, just empty. And I think, there go my blessings. (to READ more click this link – Source: all my blessings breathe | My Men and…

  • Empty Nest

    My Two New Loves

    Dear Buddy and Princess, Sorry kids, I have two new loves. When you started moving into your “big people” lives, there was plenty of room for a mom to fill and I’ve been determined to fill it with good stuff. I had to dig way back in time to reconnect with that person I was long before I had children and pull out my desire for a right-brain life. It’s in my nature that I’d fill some of that space you left behind with creative pursuits. Writing is an obvious choice for me and I don’t think the time I’ve spent with my journal or laptop has surprised anyone. But,…

  • Empty Nest

    Can We Go Back to Where We Fell in Love and Fall Again?

    Travel back to 1978 with me, and you’ll see us on the isle of Crete looking like a couple of characters from the flashbacks in Mamma Mia. The Consultant and I had been dating for eighteen months and we’d already extended our agreement. The agreement was to go our separate ways if we reached the one-year mark. We thought it was sensible since we were so young and neither of us had been looking for a partner when we met. It was reasonable to think, at 17 and 19; we needed to keep our worlds open to other personalities and experiences. But when the anniversary arrived, we were enjoying life. We…

  • Empty Nest

    Life In This Family

    The sun’s refection bounces off the iced-over lake and warms my face. Any minute now, Buddy and Princess will pull up with their partners. I have tiny butterflies in my stomach. It’s the anticipation of family time. The Consultant and I will enjoy our afternoon with them.   We will spend some time outdoors, today. There’ll be skating and ice sailing. Back at the cabin, we’ll gather around the table to chatter and share favourite snacks – chicken wings, smoked turkey, buns, fresh veggies and dip. I know ours is just like many others but I still want to believe my family is unique.     Our Family – is…

  • Empty Nest,  Temporary Life/Travel

    Princess, Our Fifteen French Favourites and Me

    Princess and I had great plans to post on my blog while in France. Despite our best intentions, we found ourselves too distracted by the experience to focus on writing. It was our last day together before we jotted down some ideas and agreed on our highlights. Then I left her to continue her travels with friends while I made my way back to Canada on my own. So now, at last, here are our thoughts and memories.   The Trip From Princess’s Perspective – The thought of travelling with my parents has always excited me. Growing up hearing their stories about adventures they have had all over the world…

  • Empty Nest,  Temporary Life/Travel

    Making BIG Memories

    Oh, how I wish I’d followed through on plans for this one dream – to take a big trip with Mom – just the two of us. Over the years, we took a few little ones here and there but I wanted something adventurous with special bonding time. We’d even talked about what that trip would be – a Caribbean cruise. Time went by. Life got in the way. We never made it happen. Since I became a mom, I’ve carried that regret with me. Now I’ve waited long enough. My kids are starting their adult lives and I’m carrying the dream forward. Over the next few years, one of…