The way I figure it I have bought enough housewares for my children’s homes that if I had all of it I could start my own Goodwill. Unfortunately they move and leave things or they kick their girlfriend out and she takes most of the items I bought for my child, or the houseware’s gnome takes it. Who knows what happens to all of it? I am banking on the houseware gnome theory myself. Yes, somewhere there is a gnome that has a 5 bedroom house filled with items I have bought for my children such as towels, washcloths, pot holders, coffee makers, fry daddys, electric can openers, spatulas, etc. You get the picture. As now as my youngest son embarks out into the world I find myself heading back to Wally-Mart to buy a whole new set of housewares for his first apartment. But you know, if I didn’t buy my children dish sets and silverware I have the feeling they would eat off of paper plates with their hands. A mother has to do what a mother has to do. I am pretty sure it is all in the mothers “empty nester” handbook…which the housewares gnome stole.

Another tradition we have in our household is that the child who is leaving the nest has the right to take everything that is in their bedroom if they so choose. That includes items such as their bed, dresser, entertainment center, bookshelves, TV, DVD player, etc. The other two didn’t exercise that option to the fullest and usually left their bed. But Sonny Boy is taking everything that isn’t bolted down. And that is fine, I don’t have a problem with that. But do you know what this means? It means I will have an entire empty room to fill. Oh the possibilities. I am getting rather excited about this empty nest thing. I could have my very own craft room, or I could turn it into a computer room. I like the computer room idea actually. I could see it now… I would have a spiffy desk with lots of drawers. And I would put an oversized comfy armchair in the corner with a TV in the other corner. That way the G-man could sit in the room with me and keep me company in the evenings. Oh the possibilities!

Have you ever heard of a Cicada (also spelled Secada)? They are these horrid looking flying bugs that make this annoying sound on summer evenings. They are also known as Katydid’s. We have Cicada’s here in Indiana in great abundance unfortunately. This morning as the G-man left for work he noticed a funny looking pile of dirt by the front door with a few dead Cicada carcasses laying nearby. While at work he did some research and when he came home for lunch he broke the gruesome news to me.

It was a burrow where a Cicada-killer had burrowed a nest in. Then they drag cicada’s in there to feed their young and toss out the hollow carcasses after they suck all of the meat out. Are you as disgusted as I was? I am cringing as I write it. The G-man put some special poison on it before he went back to work. They don’t hurt humans but the thought of such a thing living by my front door really freaks me out. Indiana is turning into a really buggy place as far as we are concerned. I am almost afraid to see what new bug will turn up tomorrow!