The best laid plans...rerouted....greetings from Hagerstown and not the
Greenbrier! Greetings as the mother of three living with my parents, not
an almost temporary empty nester!
Here is the scoop. The kids were supposed to be delivered to their
West Virginia Camps today. We were supposed to all be at the Greenbrier with
my parents catching up with my niece who finished a week of Mini-Camp. My
sister was to have a special day at the Greenbrier with Greg, who had never
been before we all arrived and I was to have a large group gathered in the main
dining room with formal dinner and dancing....oh well- the horrible flooding
recreated our plans and here is where are now.
Sarah is on her way to Hagerstown with her happy camper. Camp Alleghany kept
the young campers and staff safe, dry, happy. We can't wait to hear more
details! They were delayed a day due to road closures, access across the
river (they go by barge- part of camp charm!) and who knows what else.
Sarah had to retreat to Lexington, VA- she found another Mom in a same
situation....she and Greg enjoyed the college town as best they could while
missing their dear daughter.
We left Joe behind in Ohio. Clare and I are like minded and had the
expectation to leave town on Saturday. When we heard the Greenbrier was closed
and knew camp would be delayed it didn't change our desire to move on with a
trip, an escape, and reunion with my parents! We thought about other
hotels- Berkley Springs, The Homestead....where else? We knew we needed a
place to set up camp to wait for delivery time, wait to see Louisa....etc....We
made the call to just go home- go to Maryland! As the news came in on
Friday I knew where and how I wanted to be processing all of this...sitting on
my parents screen porch with a scotch! Instead I went to MCC and had a
martini.
Yesterday- Saturday Joe loaded the car with the three trunks, golf
clubs and dress up clothes for dinner (left over plan) and I headed east over the
beautiful Allegheny mountains....we sang camp songs and had a great
drive. Once I hit the mountains a bit of melancholy hit of the state of
things further south and our need to redirect. As soon as I arrived at my parents’
I went right to the porch! Mom put a glass of ice tea in my hand and we
chatted nonstop. Emails and texts continued to arrive and plans were
formed- Peter goes Wednesday to camp- I'll take him from here. The girls
go next Sunday- my parents will take them. You see the to be empty nester
Leithausers are flying to Colorado on Saturday.....hip hip hooray for Mom and
Dad!
We had a lovely dinner at my parent’s club- looking over their dry pretty
golf course. It wasn't the same but it was so very nice. Grandparent time
and parent time means the world to me and I'm so grateful for time like
this...and the reality is I needed it. Today is a low key relaxing day in
my life on Newark-Granville Road. Home- how do we define home?
Special places that call to us....West Virginia is one, Hagerstown
another....Denison and Mercersburg...future blog post topic....for now I share
that I am happy at home- on my parents porch...anxious to welcome Louisa, Sarah
and Greg home!
West Virginia weighs on my mind....the damage, economic and health wellfare....we will do as able to support...grateful a special home away from home is moving forward with summer plans...although altered. Grateful for communications to keep us connected.....more on this later as well.
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