The Brother Cometh

My brother was recently here in paradise (Sarasota, FL) visiting for a week or so from Blackstone, MA. He's retired but clearly does NOT understand the concept. It took him about 4 days to be so bored sitting around doing nothing with us that he begged to be allowed to clean out our garage?!



My husband Tom and I have no problem doing very little and being the happier for it. Not so, the brother. He gets up and goes to his "part time" job for five or six hours a day then comes home and works around the house doing every little job nobody else wants to do... plus, he babysits for the grandchildren whenever he's called upon. I figure, in total, he's working more now than he ever did when he owned his own Shell service station.

When Tom retired from school administration ten years ago he picked up the house jobs I had always done: food shopping, cooking, vacuuming, floor-washing, laundry, etc.... He's always been happy to pitch in but since 1998 he's really been the compleat house-husband. When I retired in August 2005 I figured some of those jobs would revert to me but, in truth, we each just do whatever we see needs doing now.

Let's just say that neither of us is severely over-taxed!!

I keep thinking a job would be a good idea but I can't figure out how to fit it into my busy schedule of lunches and shopping and hostessing. I've discovered that the less you do, the more difficult the decision to do more.

Yet Sonny (yes, we really do call him Sonny!) was begging for more! Tom and I just looked at each other when the garage-cleaning idea was thrown at us. "Lunacy," was written on both our faces. I can honestly say I don't believe either of us has ever considered offering to clean up a sty area of our host's home on any vacation we've ever taken??! But that was his way of saying, "Thanks for a good time," I think.



At least... that's what I'd LIKE to think.