Empty house suddenly full

    My mother always said how strange it was, having to adjust from being just one person in the house to what seemed like an invasion of millions, when her offspring visited.
    Because - what you don't think about until it happens to you (which is now), is that grown up offspring return, but - they return with wives or husbands and children. They have gone forth and multiplied and then come back to visit - at Xmas.
   So your kitchen table which quite easily sat the family before, is now woefully too small. That is all easily dealt with, but - what is harder, is quite simply, having to adapt the quiet 2 person, pensioner, existence of fixed, boring routines, to a sudden whirlwind of people and chaos - Lots of people and lots of chaos.
   After the initial advance anxiety and then the initial shock to the system, it is wonderful and so happy.
But then just as suddenly they all go.
   That is the worst part, having to adapt again to the 2 person meals, the quiet and that feeling of emptiness and loss.