The End of An 'Endless Summer'

6:50

Marisa Flies

Up at 6:50, the sun higher in the sky than I remember for this early in the morning, burning its way through the morning fog. It's an eerie feeling, to be sitting alone in an almost empty house, as the gang are now home, Bristow, Darien and Kansas City, no doubt still sleeping in their own beds. Marisa, however, is still with us, to keep us alert and active for a few more days.  And Beth is at a three day workshop at the Lily Dale Assembly, the spiritualist community nearby, founded 135 years ago.

Hayden's Dance Pose

When it is over, it's over.  One moment we were a house of eleven to fifteen, the next moment, there's just three of us, the end of our summer of family, shocking in its quietness, solitariness, and stillness, especially this morning.  No Drew, Rami, Beth, or the girls, just me, hoping that Evie sleeps in for the first time in weeks.  It's 7:45 so I am hopeful.  And I cannot wait for our granddaughter, Marisa, to wake, as we get her to ourselves, to spoil, for two whole days.

Mitch and Rami Dueling Over Water

Rami and Tyler Caught In Mid Air By Evie's Camera

No one was in any great hurry to leave yesterday, so we sat around sipping coffee, as the kids gathered their clothes, toys, sundry items and packed the car.  After egg bagels, coffee, and orange juice, both cars were ready for the road and headed home around 10:00 leaving four of us.  And, like always, when the kids leave, Evie and I fill the vacuum in the house by working to put the house back in order, which we did, with Beth's help, for a couple of hours.  Evie worked on our bedroom and bathrooms, and I did the downstairs, vacuuming, picking up and organizing, though the kitchen was spotless, thanks to Beth and Jill the previous night.  By noon, we were pooped, ready to relax, so we had lunch, BLT's on the front porch, and did little the rest of the day.  Beth and I did some more rock painting, while Marisa and Evie played a new card game they learned from Hayden called Speed, quick and fun, somewhat like a competitive solitaire.  Then Evie introduced Marisa to another card game called Pounce -- a little like Speed but many more steps.  Just after lunch, Marisa and Evie went for a long kayak paddle, Marisa in her own boat this time.  They paddled down to the  reeds, found some floating treasures, to bring back to the house, both excited by their finds.

Lake Lost and Found

Beth left for Cassadaga Lake and Lily Dale around 5:45, after a snack of koftes in tomato sauce.  Evie, Marisa and I then went for a swim, as the algae seemed to have dispersed, the lake looked much more swimmable.  I moved some of the floats in, so that I could easily bring them in next week when all are gone.  Dinner was simple, a flat bread pizza for Marisa, leftover koftes and salad for Evie and I.  It seemed like a luxury to do almost nothing for dinner after feeding mega family for a couple of weeks.  We then watched a movie with Marisa, about a young women who ventures to the wilds of the West to teach.  Amateurish and predictable but Marisa seemed to enjoy it.  We were all upstairs by 9:30, to read and then sleep.