I am catching up, getting back into our usual routine. It hasn’t been easy this holiday season. Yesterday (Friday) was quite sad for me, but I pushed through it. Why so sad?

My twin brother J and his wife, who have been visiting since before (U.S.) Thanksgiving in November flew back to their home to Italy. I drove them to the airport and bade farewell. It was hard to hold my emotions in check, but after all, J and his wife also need to get back to their lives and their daily routine as well.

I loved having J and his wife be with us through December, especially Christmas. I remember our Christmases as little boys very fondly, and while I have my spouse and “our” Christmases to remember now, I enjoy the memories that having my brother next to me helps me to recall.

Last I wrote on this blog, I wished everyone a happy new year. I wrote that from my mother-in-law’s home in Pittsburgh. My spouse and I drove back to our home in Maryland all day Thursday, New Year’s Eve. We arrived home early enough to make a salad and meat-and-potatoes dinner — nothing special, but hearty. (No chickpeas, either. None of us eat those things; yuck!)

My brother and his wife went to a sister’s house for New Year’s Eve, while I went to my best friend’s house, as usual, for our 30th year of celebrating together. My spouse stayed home — again, as usual. He hates parties, noise, and such.

I arrived home by 12:20am on January 1, and celebrated with my spouse a little bit, then we hit the sack at 1am.

I rose on New Year’s Day fairly early, made a huge breakfast for everyone, then began the trek across the river and through the woods to bring my brother and his wife to that far distant airport in Virginia where they caught a non-stop return flight back to Italy.

I was rather melancholy for the rest of the day, as well as dead tired since my sleep cycle was upset. By the afternoon, I was shot.

I kicked off my boots, and lay next to my spouse on the bed. Before I knew it, we both were snuggled for a two-hour winter’s nap.

Today, Saturday, it is bright and sunny! I will pick up several senior pals to take them grocery shopping. After the fun of chasing LOLITs around the store and helping them unload their groceries in their respective homes wears off, my spouse and I will get busy cleaning a house that I own. The tenants who rented it moved out at the end of December, and we have to prepare it for the next tenants.

Double H Gel Ice work boots are the boots of the day. Quite comfy and durable. As good for chasing little old ladies as they are for vacuuming, painting, and house clean-up.

Life is short: get back to routine!