Empty House

My little girls are gone. Julie and Lisa have only been gone six days, but it feels more like a month. The house has grown about 500 sq. feet. The cats are relaxed. Patch hasn't been under the bed yet. She must have stayed there most of the time for the last year.
Wow. Being a parent is a lot of hard work. Being a single 74 year old parent of kids who aren't even related was quite a challenge. We all survived. There was a lot of activity. I learned a lot. What I learned most was how difficult it is to compete with all the media and activities that kids have these days. I thought it was a good idea not to watch T.V. or use the computer on Sundays. That was the most creative day of the week for them, but also the most wearing for me as there was a lot more quarreling on the day of rest.
The best part was having some loving kids around.