Empty Nest

This weekend was the Happy Hands trunk show here at the shop.  Kim stayed with me from Thursday till just a few minutes ago.  Then Gretchen had to get to the Airport by 5am this morning so I said come stay with me and you will be that much closer to the Airport.  Then it turned into spinning and knitting and a dinner and Family Feud and more friends.  The house was bustling with activity and there were bodies everywhere.  All the dishes were dirty the cupboards were empty and so was the refrigerator.  You could hear the wrrrrr of the spinning wheels and the once in a while swear word.  Needles were clicking and the dog was eagerly chewing on a smoked bone his Auntie brought him.  We had an awesome time, and finally went to sleep like a group of little girls, just about passing out from exhaustion.  Then this morning very very early we got Gretchen off to the airport, had coffee and then yet another visitor!!!  After a busy day at the shop and lots of friends I haven't seen for a while, I came upstairs and my house is empty.  No lumpy pile of blankets on the couch.   No suit cases standing at attention by the steps.  No dirty dishes, no trace of the party the night before....except ....one flame less candle flickering atop the pie safe.  It is quiet but for the sound of Iggy still chewing on that smoked bone.  The sound of silence is deafening other than the fact that I am dead tired.  I am like a little girl, I didn't sleep knowing Kim was coming, I didn't sleep knowing my friends were coming, I didn't sleep in fear the alarm would not go off....I will sleep tonight!  I miss my friends and the laughter and how we make stupid jokes about stupid things.  It is so true friends love you for you, no matter what you do or who you are.  They accept you and are there for you, well feeding them helps.  My house is so quiet and clean, you know woman clean up after themselves, if you could have seen it last night it was like a bomb went off and now it is clean and sparkly, but so very, very quiet.  How come I love the quiet but I miss the noise, I miss all the different conversations going on all at once.  I love my friends!!!