“Stay busy, mom.”
Katherine in her dorm room @ Hollins.
These precious words of wisdom came from my 18-year-old daughter as I left her behind to start her sophomore year at Hollins University in Roanoke, VA. The 3 1/2 hour, solitary ride home was a bit melancholy (except for the few moments of rage directed at rude truckers on I-81), but here I am: home alone. And what am I doing with this new-found situation? Duh! I’m rethinking my house.
Hmm, shouldn’t I just paint all that dark woodwork that my grandmother left for so long?!? Cathy (of Heather Grey Designs) has inspired me to rid myself of everything I haven’t used in the past 6 months (this is a really big house, and we’ve been here 8 years, and it’s attic is still full of stuff left by my grandmother when she lived here!). So this is the beginning of my plan. I’ve drawn up my lists and already seen, in my head, how beautiful, organized and peaceful it will all be. Note the clean surface of the coffee table, the sleek lines of the sofa . . . Then I look around and realize that of the things on that ‘6 month zero use’ list way too many are cleaning products, and the reality of not having vacuumed in I’m-embarrassed-to-say-how-long sets in. First things first. Girls, I miss you. And mom is staying busy. The suburban packed to take our youngest (partially hidden) to St. John’s College in Annapolis, MD for her freshman year.
