Dear Reader:

True confession time! After I retired and subsequently became an ” empty nester ” I made a dramatic ” Scarlet O’ Hara” declaration, in which I vowed…that I never wanted to hear the question ” What’s for supper ?” again in my lifetime or attend another “meeting.” I was cooked and “meet-ed” out!

And though I have been retired for quite a few years now-these two “vows” have been kept in check!

My memories of teaching while being a single parent can be summed up in one word-TIRED. In those days I stay tired-bone-marrow tired.

The easiest part of my day was teaching-then it really got wacky-like a pinball machine-working out rides ( drop-off’s and pick-up’s) for every sports practice and game-in addition to play practices, school or church functions …multiplied by three. Remember there were no mobile phones-so a last-minute change-in-plans call wrought total disaster.

And then just when you thought everyone was ” covered” … the inevitable question from the back of the car whined out” What’s for supper … I’m starving!”

Of course I was thinking to myself-Well guess what?I am starving too-I had lunch duty so didn’t get to eat and a teacher’s meeting after

school, so I couldn’t get to the store , as planned, and I have laundry to do and papers to grade. Once again the Golden Arches called!

These days I rarely hear the dreaded supper question and I always agree to do a presentation- as long as there are no meetings attached-just show up and do it.

Life is good. When the cupboard is empty I can make do with a bowl of cereal for supper and the whining ghost voices of yester-year have now

fallen on my adult children’s ears. Life is fair… if we just live long enough!

In this article from the Boston Globe by Priscilla Kipp on this same subject she adds some humor to her situation-she and her husband are newly ” empty-nesters” and her husband just retired while the wife is semi-retired-working from home.

…” The house is empty after family left and then my husband asks the dreaded question-” What’s for supper?” When I am stumped, he says ” How about hot dogs?” Some things never change. But being old now-and not naive-this much I know. I must be careful what I wish for.

The time may come when my cooking days are over. If l’m lucky, I will have a choice about what is served me on a tray. So I find the last two hot dogs, smell them to be safe, discover I have run out of mustard, and smile as I raise my glass: Bon appetit! “

So until tomorrow… if we really are what we eat… I am in a world of trouble-like the squirrel!

” Today is my favorite day” Winnie the Pooh