Stillness after the Celebration

I hate the day after, when everyone is leaving and all is quiet. I love the commotion when family and friends gather....and I really don't like it when they go. Yesterday the day started out with a flurry of activity. It was like a beehive...everyone just started doing something that was to get ready for the party. No one was told what to do...they just picked up a broom or a rag or whatever they thought they needed to do, and went to work. By noon when the guest started to arrive, it was all in order and the food was spread ready to be eaten. I'm not sure how many people were here, maybe in the 40's, but everyone seemed to enjoy the day....the kids swimming and tubing. Eventually all the food was diminishing and all the tummies were full and the guests started leaving, the cards came out. First Phil and Kathleen, Gary and Judy played spades, then later I played in place of Kathleen, then Phil decided it was time to go home and like his wounds. We took a break and needed to say our goodbyes to Karen's family that were leaving, and several others were leaving, we took a break from cards. The rest of the afternoon we sat and visited out on the deck till all of the guests that were leaving were gone. Some where inbetween the card playing and the visiting the cabin was clean again. I'm not sure who did it all, but they did a great job...you'd never know we had all those people and all that food a few hours earlier. Emily thoroughly enjoyed the day, and never took the smile off her face. We did manage to get a picture of all eleven grandkids, as Jack arrived late and Bill and Kim were leaving. Someone remembered that we wanted a picture of all eleven and we stopped them and called all the kids to gather on the deck for one last picture for the day. My pictures were not the best versions of the group, but I atleast have one.

We did continue to play more cards later in the evening and Gary continued to dominate and won every game no matter who was his partner...or what game they were playing. But hit of the night was when Jimbo challenged Gary and Kathleen to a game of Criss Cross and Ann and Jimbo proceeded to give Kathleen and Gary a slew of points thinking they were being so cleaver while Kathleen and Gary watched wondering what the heck they were doing. We all watched in horror and tried to warn them they were playing in the wrong direction (in Kathleen and Gary's favor) and they shushed us before realizing what they were doing. We all laughed so hysterically we were crying...Jimbo might have really been crying too! Crying in his beer? But I don't think he was drinking beer. Anyway they went on to loose by a lot...kinda like being double skunked in cribbage. So Gary continued his winning streak, and Jimbo hasn't showed his face to the rest of us yet this morning. He snuck out of his bedroom by the lower door and went down by the lake. Today more will be leaving, and Kathleen, Gary and Judy will be my only company. This morning, all are moving slow, Tom cooked up 3 lbs of bacon which is already all gone, and Gary has taken over the kitchen and is frying eggs and potatoes for everyone who wants. I need to get this done, as I've been writing this for hours now...but there have been so many distractions, that I can't seem to get it done. So I'm just going to sign off. Love and prayers, m