<p>We once had 17 guests at our house for a few days (plus our family of 4). They weren’t all in the most comfortable accomodations, but we managed. I have discovered that I will not be planning to run a bed & breakfast anytime soon!</p>
<p>With both gone for 2 yrs now (youngest turns 20 this weekend-- officially no more teenagers!) empty nest was actually ok (they were often both gone for the summer so it was sorta familiar). But DH has been travelling a ton for work since January, and is/will rarely be home. Empty nest was ok-- empty house is not!</p>
<p>My empty nest adventures this week. All of these activities are things that I became involved with in the last 5 years. </p>
<p>Auditioned for a film that a local college student is directing
Auditioned for community theater
Auditioned for a local variety show
Attended a casting meeting for my local community theater (I’ve volunteered to be an assistant director)
Turned down a request to be campaign manager for a local political candidate
Went out for dinner with H
Went to lunch with a friend
Started taking digital photography at my local community college
Will host an open house tonight at my local Buddhist center
Will audition tomorrow for a local musical
Will be a pirate wrench serving drinks tomorrow at a local fundraiser pirate party</p>
<p>–
My nest will be even emptier in a few weeks when H – a college prof – works abroad for the summer. Older S, 26, lives thousands of miles away. Younger S, a rising college senior, at most will be home for 6 weeks this summer. I’ll have my two rabbits and my activities keeping me company.</p>
<p>My oldest is very excited- she called me to talk about her recent visit to the K-8 school where she will be training ( she will start a MAT program in the fall, she graduated in '06 )</p>
<p>Her summer job is a continuation of her school year job, which is at a public K-12 school, she was sad she was going to miss their ocean trip this summer, because of orientation at grad school, but they are going to change the date so she can go.
That girl has better karma than I do.</p>
<p>I am happy that they both are on this coast- I am going to go get my youngest today for the weekend- she wanted to come home for Mother’s day/her dad’s birthday and while next weekend her school is having family/alumni weekend, she said she is going to be too busy with Relay for Life ( she is a captain).</p>
<p>( her 20th birthday is also this month- she won’t be done with her freshman yr till end of June- last year she took off and spent her birthday on the Palolem beach in Goa * turning 19 on a beach in Paradise- kinda seems like having Brad Pitt as your date for the prom- what do you do next?* - it wasn’t all fun and games, she also worked in Tamil Nadu at an orphanage)</p>
<p>If I think about it & how stressful their childhood was ( money plus other things) it makes me upset and sad- but I am so happy they are both doing well- that my H and I relationship is on the mend and that we can only go forward.</p>
<p>This past year has been hard, not only was my youngest out of the country for so long, but then she was away at her camp counselor job, then with my mother dying unexpectedly and our 16 yr old dog on her literal last legs- I am too aware that life is short and am determined on all of us getting together for some sort of vacation- * at the same time even*, which we haven’t been able to do for a couple years.</p>
<p>I’ve never been that good at playing- but I am getting better.
:)</p>
<p>I love my husband, and he LOVES the dog…so, I sort-of love the dog ;)… but I do wish sometimes that we didn’t have him. Without him, I could leave work and swing by a gym on the way home - or stay late and work without worrying about puddles and lonely dog inside, or stop on my way home and pick up groceries or have dinner with a friend, or go somewhere at the drop of a hat without making dog arrangements or rushing home. Oh well, it’s not too bad a problem!</p>
<p>Wow! That Wall Street Journal article linked in post 364 is funny.</p>
<p>"CANTON, Ga.—Ever the doting mother, Christina Stafford exposes her little one, Lilly, to a full program of enriching activities. There are swimming lessons, a twice-a-week agility class and, on a recent Saturday, a sheep-herding course.</p>
<p>It’s a busy schedule for her white poodle.</p>
<p>Vicki Davis, of Canton, Ga., with her Jack Russell terrier Buddy, after Buddy won first place at a ‘lure course’ competition in North Carolina. Dogs chase plastic bags that are on battery operated pulley.</p>
<p>Ms. Stafford, a 59-year-old retired banker and mother of two adult children, is one of many baby boomers who drive their pets from activity to activity as they once did their human offspring. “I believe dogs, like children, should be exposed to things,” says Ms. Stafford, a cheerful woman who carries a fanny pack of treats for Lilly…"</p>
<p>Miami, S2 is in NZ this semester. One day recently his Facebook status was: “Just drove past Mt. Doom. It looks just like in the movie except without the fiery death”</p>
<p>Shh… Can you hear it??? It’s my husband and I jumping for joy in our empty nest!!! Finally we get to see each other and every weekend does not need to be spent traveling to tennis tournaments. We can’t wait!</p>
<p>A friend was telling me about her empty-nester sister who is going with her church on a mission trip to an orphanage in Colombia. She said that her sister will probably come home with two orphans in tow. Now I love kids…but it would take a LOT to get me to give up my empty nest! ;)</p>
<p>^^^
That was D1’s suggestion for H & I when we casually mentioned looking forward to grandchildren one day, that adopting a few kids would keep us busy (not that we aren’t already!) and make us less anxious for grandkids…as if!!!</p>
<p>Help! Empty nest seems worse to me right now, with DS away all summer at a music festival. (Last year I rented a cabin near the festival in order to finish a book project).</p>
<p>A couple of months ago a client called me to ask me for a favor. “Now that your son is going off to college, would you consider fostering a “troubled” teenager?”</p>
<p>Me: “Ummmmm . . . I don’t think so! I am looking forward to our empty nest. I’m honored you thought of me but - ummmmmmm, no.”</p>
<p>It’s not that I don’t feel for these kids, but we had our son later in life and we’re tired! We need our rest. LOL</p>
<p>I sang my first solo on stage tonight. It was a comedic role as a badly singing diva in a musical. The audience laughed appropriately and applauded at my exist. Younger son was operating a spotlight. Another thing to cross off my bucket list. :)</p>
<p>Yes, I’ve been bitten by the bug. Frankly, I’ve always longed to be on stage, but didn’t have the guts to start auditioning until about 3 years ago. Over the last year, I have been in shows consistently. That streak is continuing as I’ve just been selected for the ensemble of yet another musical.</p>
<p>Amazing what singing and acting lessons can do! I used to sing so off key that when I tried to sing lullabies to my younger son when he was an infant, he’d reach up with his tiny hand and cover my mouth!</p>
<p>NSM, Brava! Congratulations on your solo! How wonderful. My voice is such that my son was very young when my offers to sing were met with, “No, tank ewe, mama.” </p>
<p>I thought singing lessons were for people who could already sing…I’m absolutely fascinated by the idea that you learned to sing. </p>
<p>Our empty nest started early as PMKjr is a camp counselor in NY this summer. We’ll pick him up, descend on my sister’s house for a week of shopping/packing and then take him to school. We’re starting to feel like the house has been quiet for a bit too long. I think coming back to Texas after leaving him in Boston is going to be a tough time. Thank goodness for the pups who don’t mind us doting on them, in fact, the demand it!</p>
<p>I’ve embarked on my first empty nest activity; I’m learning to garden at the ripe old age of 40. When Mr PMK was deployed, I grudgingly did the yardwork but our yards have always been very basic. I like flowers, it seems that maybe growing my own and making my yard more colorful might be a good use of my time. We’ll see how it goes.</p>
<p>"I thought singing lessons were for people who could already sing…I’m absolutely fascinated by the idea that you learned to sing. "</p>
<p>Much of vocal sound is based on how your breathe and raising your soft palate, keeping your tongue down and lifting your cheeks while not spreading your mouth wide. Learning how to do these things has made a big difference in the quality of my voice. I could not even sing in tune when I started my lessons a year ago.</p>
<p>I doubt that I have the physical structure to become an excellent singer, but I can do community theatre – particularly in the ensemble and in some character roles that depend far more on one’s acting ability than having an excellent voice.</p>
<p>If you have any interest in singing, it’s worth taking singing lessons. If there’s a university nearby with a graduate music program, you may be able to take affordable lessons from a graduate vocal student. </p>
<p>"
I’ve embarked on my first empty nest activity; I’m learning to garden at the ripe old age of 40. "</p>
<p>You are so young! I’m 59! I think of gardening as an activity that many people take up at a much older age than you are.</p>
<p>I am going to looking into singing lessons this fall. I love to sing, I absolutely love it but I very rarely sign along with others because I can hear how off tune I am. It would really be a dream come true to be able to sing along when camping and such. When I’m alone I sing a lot…my poor dogs!</p>
<p>Gardening here in south Texas, if we get any rain, is an extreme sport. It’s good that people have mainly switched over to the hardy varieties of plants, trees, flowers and grass that grow well here on an average year but when we get more rain than average? It’s like trying to fight back a jungle. </p>
<p>We were just spending so much time mowing, trimming and weeding and all for a yard I just didn’t care about. I figured, since I’m out there so much anyway, why not learn how to put things I like in and how to care for them? That’s my attitude for now, we’ll see how it goes!</p>
<p>I have a theory about age; I think becoming a parent puts you on a different track. I have way more in common with other parents who have teens/college students than my peers who don’t have children or who have very young children.</p>