Back in the saddle again

House guests are a funny thing.  I really get the overstaying your welcome thing now.  For so long, we desperately wanted to host out of town guests and weren't in a position to do so.  (We lived as newlyweds with a dog in 600 sq ft... oh and we had lived in separate apartments pre-marriage, which means twice the stuff!)

Now we can host and we've had guests out the wazoo for this prolonged holiday season.  I loved getting to visit with each and every one of them, and I was glad that I could put them up in comfortable homey digs.  They all said they felt welcomed and loved the feeling of staying with us, and I loved being able to provide that.  So please don't get me wrong.  BUT... the flip side is that your own personal world is kind of turned upside down.  I would work long stressful hours, then go home and host until I couldn't do it anymore.  Then I'd have to excuse myself to get ready for bed (which this past week 3 times was falling asleep across the bed still in my clothes because I couldn't even make it through the bedtime routine first).  They would still be up laaate into the night.  Then I'd have to get up extra early and slip into the kitchen to get stuff prepared that I normally would have prepared the night before, clean up the little messes that accumulated so that I continued to host with a clean house, and repeat.  Exhausting.

 

Like I said, I loved getting to see everyone, but I'm kind of really glad we're done for awhile now.  I can change into PJ's when I get home.  I can concoct crazy snacks for one.  I can take pictures of my food.  I can eat vegan dinners.  I can read and write blogs.  I can eat at home.  I can watch the TV shows I want when I want.  The dog follows commands.  I can go to bed when I'm tired.  I can take off my bra.  Heck, I could wander around in my undies if I wanted (although it's a little chilly for that)!  I can live a politics-free life.  So, life is good with or without house guests.

 

  

I don't have anything new and delicious to share.  I came back from a long day at work to heated up canned soup for dinner with a side of coffee (my request).  I have some dessert left over from the Long Visit, so I'll polish that off before bed.  Boring, not all that healthy, still vegetarian at least, but not a photo op.

One super exciting thing I want to share with you before I go.  I consider it a big victory.  Lunch was catered in for us today at work.  It was a surprise and I was told to come fix a plate after it was delivered.  I walked in and saw meat of every shape and size.  I felt a little anxious.  I had just congratulated myself for eating fully vegetarian for a few weeks now, even WITH the house guests!  I grabbed a plate and surveyed.  I strategized a way to get only the grains and veggies without getting meat.  I was successful and got a bellyful.  That was a major victory for me.  I felt so proud that I figured out how to make it work.

Thank you Marla of Family Fresh Cooking for the Coach's Oats!  I can't wait for them to arrive so I can try them :)  Now if only I could win the Vita-Mix too, I would be the happiest girl on earth!