and life moves on

Last week was my niece's first week out of school. She's a social kid (very unlike her aunt), and does not live in a subdivision. Her school is in the town where her mother teaches, so she doesn't live near any of her classmates. Her only cousins are college-age. It only took a few days, and she became very bored.  So bored that she was calling me twice a day (and I didn't count all her texts). Being the loving aunt that I am, I started sending her lists of things to do each day. By day three she quit calling and texting. Arrogant me could pat myself on the back and say "she's busy", but realistic me knows that she has simply found things to do and doesn't want to "read all that stuff" I keep sending her. She does want me to send her some sewing projects (as well as drive 13 hours one way to come get her). I think she had a good day with my parents yesterday (she learned to make small apple pies...flapjacks, some people call them) and saved the recipe in her phone "for later".

It's times like this that I hate living far away. I know that if I lived closer she'd drive me crazy with the chickens, would not want to help in the garden, and would not be the least bit interested in a summer book club or trips to the library no matter how much I enticed her, but it would still be fun to be a little bit more part of her life.

Meanwhile we're enjoying the last few days of having relatives here from Tennessee and enjoying what little time we have. And then it will be catch-up time with yardwork and housework...those things that never end but at some point must be done. And life moves on.