August 14, 2025
I made my "going away" dinner for the kid tonight - grilled sirloin tip steak with red wine mushroom sauce, some of the best white corn of the season, and green beans from our garden. Tomorrow it's her turn to cook for us, probably chicken alfredo or carbonara or something similarly delicious. Then Saturday morning the three of us go to Richmond, and only two of us will make the return trip. Her next adventure begins this weekend and classes start Tuesday.
It was a long and wonderful lingering conversation over and after dinner til it was too dark to see out on the porch, the site of so many cherished family and friend experiences in the 16 years since we bought this old house. We didn't plan out this way of honoring each other, but somehow it doesn't surprise me that we all fell into it quite naturally. We did a few cool things together this afternoon, especially a favorite trip over the mountain to Nall's farmstand for fresh corn and peaches (and of course root beer). Her last for this summer. And tonight, a final family watch of our current favorite "Strange New Worlds".
And somehow, that seems fitting too. These next few days are gonna be pretty thick, and strange, new and different. It all got set in motion 18 years ago, the hopefully inevitable journey of a newborn to this moment of taking their first solo flight from the nest. I think we did ok, looking back on it. I know she sure did.
I'm sure looking forward to lingering long over dinner tomorrow night too.