It's very quiet in my house. Kat, of course, is off at college. I knew that it would be quiet next week but I was expecting a noisier start to this vacation week. But last week Day was over at her best friend's house and asked (me, not the friend's family--they asked her first) if she could go on their family vacation to Ohio. Her sometimes ditzy best friend was not sure where in Ohio but thought it might be Pittsburgh. Whatever the destination, we said she could go. And so, this morning, their SUV pulled up and Day left for Pittsburgh, Ohio (which is more commonly known as Cincinnati.) She will not be back until Tuesday�and then just for a night before she heads out to New York City with the high school theater program.

I thought I would celebrate more than I am doing. I like the girls home but I also like spending time with FogieKnight alone. He and I will be fine together. We've done it before in the summers and I know that I adjust after a day or two. But it still is very quiet in my house.

We had a very noisy (and fun) Wednesday night. We were invited to a cousin's house for first seder. It had everything: wine, matzah, good company, babies and toddlers, and food. It felt like family. I missed Kat but it wasn't quiet. It also wasn't my house. Last night, Day helped me put together a seder here. (Why do children decide to leave just as they become real help?) Her best friend came and we had fun. But today, it is very quiet in my house.

In my childhood, we practically lived on top of family. Family was everywhere although it was mainly my dad's family. I loved it. In my teens, we moved to New Jersey and had family within holiday distance�and there it was my mother's family. I had three siblings and I was oldest and left first. It wasn't quiet�and I liked it that way.

But soon it will be just FogieKnight and me. I have only one distance cousin in town that I see once or twice a year at most. She is surrounded by family, her husband's family, but I am not. My family is scattered across the country. Only my brother is in driving distance�barely. Kat is four hours away. Day is interested in going even farther.

And it will be very quiet in my house. I guess I'm going to have to learn to like the quiet.

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