Aaaaaaaaah

The houseguests have left and the house is back in order. It's always nice to have visitors, and it's nice to have visitors......leave. A great visit, lots of fun and good food and drink, but now it's back to what Carlos and I call 'normal'.
His Aunt Gloria, who lived in Miami for many years before retiring back to Mexico City, arrived last week with her friend, Luz Maria, for a week-long stay. Carlos calls Gloria his 'Second Mother' and, one day this week while she and I were chatting, she told me that Carlos is the 'Son of Her Heart.' Very sweet way to put it.
Gloria has always loved hearing Carlos play the trumpet, so she planned her visit to coincide with the Camden community Band's Winter Concert to hear Carlos play. It also didn't hurt that the visit would include the day of her 83rd birthday.
Eighty-effing-three. Amazing. And she still drives. In Mexico City. Where traffic is a nightmare of epic proportions.

For her birthday we took the ladies up to Biltmore in Asheville. I thought she'd been before, but it was her first visit and she was thrilled to tour the house and gardens--and, as thrilled as I was to do some wine-tasting. Hopefully, when she comes for another visit, we can tour the house in Spring, when the flowers are blooming, or in the Fall, when the leaves are turning. And, well, Christmas is beautiful there, too.
One of Gloria's favorite holidays is Thanksgiving, which she began to celebrate after moving from Mexico to Miami. She loves the turkey and every single thing that goes along with it. But, sadly, her last visit here, for a Thanksgiving--several years back--was so cold that she was miserable. So, we told her that since Thanksgiving is about appreciating and enjoying many things in life, like family, that we could have a Thanksgiving Dinner whenever we wanted one. Which we did, on her birthday.

So, Thanksgiving in March-slash-Tia Gloria's Big 83 was a wonderful meal. Turkey. Stuffing. Gravy. Homemade cranberry sauce. Margaritas and Mediterranean Sidecars, and wine. And good friends David and Neal, along with David's sister, Barbara. Such a great meal, after which Carlos presented the aunt he calls 'La Bruja'--the witch--with an actual witch for her birthday. And she loved it. And loved touring Smallville, and the surrounding Smallvilles, as well as going in to Carlos' job and meeting his co-workers.
All in all, a lovely, lovely visit.

I'm still getting teary over that whole 'Son of My Heart' business.