Hardi and I were both single parents till our wedding 10 years ago this past December made us step-co-parents, and we became empty nesters several years ago. We aren't grandparents yet and our own g'parents are gone, so we can't celebrate that one just yet.

So-- we've declared both the May and June Parental Beings Holidays as Empty Nester Days.

We will honor our own parental beings (and friends of that ilk) on the appropriate days, but at our home we plan to celebrate both of them in a sort of mutually-organized pampering that celebrates the single-parenting job we did despite resenting the holiday honoring the missing and non-active parent, and we want to wallow in the peace and quiet our home now enjoys (when we aren't putting Mudcatters and other traveling musicians in the guest rooms!).

How nice that the Giro d'Italia (bicycle road race) starts today-- after church, it's "To the recliners!', then grilled steak with spinach potatoes, go out for ice cream and hop into the pool and hot tub at the club!

Happy Mother's Day to all those who celebrate it, and all the best to them as don't.

~Susan