Day 1062 Quiet after the Storm

 

And just like that, the house was quiet.

It had been a full and busy morning, as I slung pancakes, served up bacon, and made endless cups of coffee for everyone. After breakfast, the kids packed up, did one last loop around the house looking for forgotten belongings, and by 11 a.m., everyone was headed off in different directions.

I made a run to the airport, piggybacking a stop at Best Buy to see if I could get my iPad fixed—no need to make a separate trip past the tower if it wasn’t necessary. I must say, it was worth the stop. I was genuinely impressed with the service. The technician took a quick look, saw that a piece of the charger had broken off inside the port, and used tiny tweezers to remove it—sending me on my way at no charge, all within a few minutes.

Since Best Buy happens to be right next to one of my favorite thrift stores, of course I had to pop in. It felt odd to be there on a Sunday! I meandered through the aisles, enjoying the luxury of time, which is rare when I’m usually thrifting on a tight schedule. I found a few treasures (of course!) and then headed home to my now-quiet house.

Tim had started the laundry while I was out—stripping a couple of beds and generously overstuffing the washing machine (but hey, his heart was in the right place). He was eager to head to the Ocean Mist to see a band, but I had no intention of leaving my peaceful haven. I loved every minute of the visit with family, but the calm after the storm is pretty darn nice too.

I scurried around the house alone, enjoying the silence as I folded laundry, gathered toys, ran the dishwasher, changed bedding—and by 6 p.m., I was in my pajamas, heading to bed with a bowl of ice cream I unapologetically called dinner. Friends were at the beach, Tim was dancing his heart out, but I was happy as a clam at home, and I wasn’t budging.

Sometimes, the sweetest moments are the quiet ones that follow the chaos....But I'm already looking forward to them all coming back!