Across the Pond

The empty nest isn’t always a bad thing. The longer I am living in one, the more I am finding that out.

Oh, I miss my children terribly and I can tell you the dates when either they will be home or I will be with them. But, there are certain perks to this empty nest life of mine.

For instance, when your fellow empty-nester, Downton Abbey obsessed friend says “Hey, do you want to go to a vintage lawn party at Highclere Castle in September?” you can actually consider it without laughing in her face.

Let’s see . . . no football games to attend, no parent-teacher conferences, no school plays or concerts. No childcare to arrange, there aren’t any grandchildren yet so no grandchildcare either! Our calendars are clear and our husbands say “go for it”. (They are both big football fans, I’m sure they won’t even miss us).

Did you ever have the “one day” conversation with a friend? You know, “one day, we should go see the northern lights” or “one day, we should go to the longest yard sale” or “one day, we should go to Highclere Castle”. Well, our “one day” is today! We are headed across the pond, costumes in tow, ready to experience Downton Abbey in the form of a lawn party at Highclere. When I mentioned my trip to my son he suggested that we might play the role of the crazy American cousins. Ha! I would play the role of scullery maid to have the opportunity to peek inside the home of Downton Abbey.

So cheerio and all that! And do what you can to turn your “one days” into today!