...until my family returns from their 4th annual Labor Day weekend camping trip/Mom's sanity time after 3 months of "I'm bored". It has been heavenly. Just to give you an idea of how quiet it's been: I can hear my computer humming as I pass by it. I know the house hasn't been this clean and organized since last Labor Day.

Typically on these weekends I compose a monstrous to-do list and attempt to cross off every item. My crew headed south on Thursday afternoon and I immediately began painting the hallways and stairways. After four years of living here, looking at the walls you might think "10 years" Yuk! Five hours later I collapsed. Friday morning I woke up with a very sore lower back and took a hiatus from all things physically taxing. Saturday I tackled the walls again and finished about 85% and called it a day. A friend who didn't know I was alone called and we walked and had a long, uninterrupted visit. Again, blissful.

Despite how relaxing and self-serving this time has been it makes me realize that even though I've made the threat many times this summer, I really don't want to live alone. It's just plain, I don't know how else to put it: LONELY. Life is meant to be shared. We need to experience sacrifice to appreciate the solitude. Focusing on myself for 72 hours has been soul filling but I can't imagine living this way and not feeling a bit empty at the end of the day.

In four hours and forty minutes the noise level will return to its normal decibel, dishes will fill the sink, the bickering will resume, cute boys will fill every bed and my heart will be content. Until tomorrow. :)