Done and Gone

I finished reading book eight of the Outlander series today.  Cliffhanger ending, gah!  But, a happy ending.  The author is writing book nine right now but it won't be out for another three years.  THREE YEARS!  The TV series won't be back on Starz until April.  Goodness.  I've read all the books back to back over the past few months and I feel like I've said good-bye to close family members and I won't be able to see them for a long time.

We actually did say good-bye to family today, since Tony and Lucy flew back to England.  I never thought I'd write it, but it was actually kind of sad to see them go.  I know!  This trip was SO MUCH better than their last trip here.  Maybe it was because I had super low expectations, but their visit overall was very pleasant.  It really helped that they stayed in another home and we just spent the days together.  It also really helped that Olivia loved them and they thought she was great.

Tony and Lucy would comment all the time about how different Olivia was from her cousins on Louis' side.  Olivia always came out on top.  I know it should have bothered me that they were comparing, but shamelessly, it didn't.  They were amazed at how talkative she is and how we can all eat a proper meal at a restaurant because she knows how to behave.  They watched Frozen for the first time and they are now hooked.  Louis burned them a copy of the soundtrack before they left.  They were very generous this trip and I feel so grateful for all the love they showed Olivia.

Louis' sister came up for a few days while they were here and we had the inevitable family drama.  But nothing at all like last time.  I'm so relieved.  I'm also really wanting to keep in touch with Tony and Lucy on a more regular basis so they can see Olivia grow up.  Nobody is guaranteed a tomorrow.

Speaking of which, I am sorting through all my beloved books and clearing out about ninety percent of them.  Some will be sold, some will be traded, but hopefully most will go to friends or donated to the library.  The amount of stuff in our home stresses me out and I feel such a sense of peace when clearing things out.

I'm re-reading some of the books before deciding whether to keep them and the first one I'm starting with is Now is the Time to Open Your Heart by Alice Walker.  I totally forget what it was about.