Loose Strife

I think we’ve probably had more days with visitors than without since we moved to Ashfield. When we first moved last summer both of our parents visited to enjoy the New England rural summer. And then Laura was diagnosed with cancer, things went way downhill, and Laura’s parents and my mom spent many weeks here in the fall. All of Laura’s brothers, sisters, and in-laws came for Thanksgiving. And we’ve had friends from California, New York, and elsewhere come to stay. Then my parents returned for a few days recently. They left just as Laura broke her leg and things started to really turn south again. Laura’s folks arrived about two weeks ago now and have gone through a roller coaster since then. My sister visited last weekend during Laura’s surgery.
But our best visitors so far have been three of Laura’s cousins — Jack, Chris, and Matthew — from Arkansas. They traveled all day both ways to spend not much more than a day with us all. These boys don’t usually stray very far from home, so it was an extra special gesture to have them here. Luckily they escaped just before we got iced in from a horrible snow, sleet, and freezing rain storm that left inches of frozen slush and floods in Ashfield. Anyhow, it was great to have them here, even if it was for a short time!
And the visits aren’t stopping. PJ, Heather and her daughter Sophie are here for the weekend. And next weekend it’s Justin and Elena. After that several more very welcome guests. Then, if all goes well, the four of us along with nanny Fran (“PJ”) Drescher might take off for a pacific island. Actually that’s a little uncertain — maybe a little too ambitious — but more on that later.