Before and after company

“I’m so glad you’re finally here, now I can quit.” Not the most welcoming greeting when company arrives, but with all the preparation I think of to do, it is the truth.
When our recent guest first began talking about making the long drive to Arkansas from Indiana, “They may not be able to come, but just in case, I found this really great buy on …”
As they left, “Please take some, I have too much. I don’t know what I was thinking about.”
The Saturday before: My husband took an entire day mowing, trimming hedges, edging cement and raking up the trash.
The Saturday after: He laid in the lounge chair watching TV and reading. The kids mowed the yard and called it good enough.
A week before I said, “I am not going to fuss about things. I know how to ask everyone to help out with the meals and dishes.”
A week after I admitted: “They were so tired from traveling and I was so hyped while they were here that I had Sunday dinner nearly finished by the time they all woke up.”
Before the sons came home for the weekend, “There are two lights out in the chandelier and one in the hall.” I put down my novel, grabbed my list of things to do and jotted down, “buy and change light bulbs in the chandelier and hall.”
After they left: “Hmm that light bulb in the chandelier was a casualty of the family pillow fight.” I looked up from my reading. “Yep, it sure does need to be changed,” and went right back to reading.
In the days before: “I know I went shopping yesterday for groceries but I thought of a few more things that I would like to have on and when everyone is here.”
The days after: “You want milk? For your cereal? Awww, come one, make up a jug of juice, fry yourself an eggs and burn some toast. You’ll be fine.”
Hours before the company comes: “I have everything washed and cleaned up. Each of you gather up your piles of cleaned clothes from the rack in the laundry and make sure everything is put away.”
This morning the last of the company left: “We’ll wash clothes tomorrow or the next day. Try to hit the inside of the basket when you toss the dirty ones in it.”
The afternoon before they arrived: “I can’t believe I am a year behind in getting everyone’s pictures into the album. School pictures. Thanksgiving and New Year’s visit. It seems like yesterday I had them developed.”
The day I got the pictures from this visit: “Aren’t they great? I’ll put them in albums — after everyone has seen them.”
The night the company arrived: “It is 10 o’clock. You have been yawning since 7. Why don’t you go to bed? They’ll be coming in and call you when they get here.” No one budged from the living room until the last one arrived at 2 a.m.
The morning they left: One by one we had wandered off to our beds and collapsed. Silence reigned by 10 a.m.
As we waited for them to come: We watched the clock and wondered when they could arrive.
After they left: We looked at the calendar and wondered when they might return.