Empty Nest No More

Your house shall not be an anchor but a mast    ~ Khalil Gibran

Like most parents, I think my kids are the smartest, most well behaved and most beautiful creatures on earth and I truly enjoy being in their company when I can.  As it turns, out I may be part of a small group of folks that saw a bit of silver in the lining of  the very dark cloud of the Covid-19 forced stay-at-home order.

When both Mia and Ali were forced off their respective college campuses and moved back home for an extended stay I was thrilled. As the pandemic closures continued with no end in sight, I continued to be content and happy with the fact that they were at home.  In a sense, life got a little easier because none of us had to make plans, make deadlines or make decisions.  Our kids had absolutely nothing going on for once. No sleepovers, no weekends traveling to visit friends miles away, no school, no boyfriends, no work, no nothing- except the 4 of us at home in this strange new world.

We are blessed that the girls get along exceptionally well with each other and with their parents to0. See what I mean?  They are perfect!    Their older brother is in the Marine Corp and nowhere near home. Had he been forced home too, maybe we would have experienced more drama. Maybe not.

There comes a time, and all parents must come to respect this fact sooner or later, when their children are more comfortable living away from home and their parents.   We have accepted this and welcome our 3 children home whenever they wish to come but we want to have a little fun without them too!

With that in mind, once both girls left for school and the nest was empty, Ken and I planned to go to the beach to celebrate an anniversary milestone many people never reach, 25 years together.

JMU closes campus

Much to our surprise, 2 days prior to departure, JMU decided to send the freshmen home due to the unexpected rise in kids testing positive for coronavirus on campus. Not more than 2 weeks after moving our freshman in, she would be back at home with us.

My first thought was “Great! Ali gets to go to the beach again.” Classes were moving online and she can work at the beach just as Ken was planning on doing.   An unusual anniversary but, hey, we all have to go with the flow in these unprecedented times. Yada, yada, yada

In the end, she chose not to come with us.

She stayed with her college roommate, a young girl she had just recently met.

I was not hurt or offended.  Do you think I should you have been?

I was thrilled that she felt comfortable enough with this new friend that she chose to spend a few days with her.  I felt pride in the fact that she had come such a long way since the toddler years, during which she spent too much time in tantrums and bouts of anxiety to count.

I felt proud of her. I was completely happy with her choice.

I was proud of Ken and I for helping her learn how to cope with her anxiety. Yes, I was slightly anxious for her too.

Would we get a call in the middle of  the night?

How should we handle it if we did?

We never got that call.

My 2020 Mantra:  Choose Happy

It was strange without the kids but we did manage to enjoy ourselves even though it was planned as a “working” vacation for my husband and me, if you count that darn puzzle. It was a doozy! Very difficult to manage, would not cooperate at all and kept changing its tune depending on the time of day.  Like a chameleon. Honestly, I hope I never see it again!

While I am on vacation I still like to cook.  Doesn’t sound like vacation to you?

The hours that make us happy make us wise ~ John Mansfield.

I would rather cook than eat out every meal and, it’s fun for me to try create something new with limited ingredients in a strangers kitchen.  I always try to make vacation meals as simple as possible and I always look forward to eating fresh fish.

I just never know what type of fish we will find.

Clams are harvested from May to September and if you don’t mind the slightly chewy texture they are versatile and provide an exceptional range of nutrients.   They are low in calories, low in carbs and contain very high level of protein which helps you feel fuller longer. You may need to eat a lot of them before you feel full but don’t worry about that.  I have the perfect recipe for you!

Farm raised clams are harvested all year round and sold at many chain grocers all over the U.S.  Try something new and give this simple Clams in Clear Soup a go. Make it for a simple lunch or a fancy appetizer. You will be so glad you did, just be sure to let me know what you think with a comment below.