Ten days have gone past since I was here last? How is that possible? The final person left yesterday and now I will be alone for at least a week or more. I am now totally out of the habit of writing and of being by myself. I realised that it is not so much the aloneness that I like so much as the lack of responsibility and drudgy servitude - as I have come to think of the cooking, washing up, laundry etc. which sets in when family arrive. When five people are here, even if they help, total chaos sets in if I don't wander round constantly 'picking up' or planning food buying/preparing etc. as they don't have the habit-like understanding of how the house runs. Even dusk activities like cat feeding, window closing, fire lighting which have to be done on time or the house gets freezing.....

For the last week I was left with my son and older daughter and we are the ones who potter on together with least argument. We ran our parallel lives in total harmony, even cooking separately. Drifting together for an hour or so in front of 'legnA' and then apart to computer or book or obsessive knitting (my daughter). And THAT is my perfect arrangement and not the sometimes scary at night and sometimes wild brooding by day hermit life, after all.
- posted by Iris @ 4/17/2004 08:24:00 AM comment