My husband Jim grew up in a small family consisting of his mother, father, and older sister, Carol. Their household was quiet, peaceful, and organized. My mother-in-law followed routines. She always served lima beans with pork chops, took a one-hour nap at precisely 4:00 each and every afternoon, and watched "Johnny" as she drifted off to sleep each night. Carol married, moved away, and started a family. Then Jim and I married, bought a house, and had a son. But the routines remained the same in the senior Riggs' household. My mother-in-law continued to serve lima beans with pork chops, take a one-hour nap at precisely 4:00 each and every afternoon, and watch "Johnny" as she drifted off to sleep each night. I used to joke with my husband and call it the "Riggs' way".

Like any family we would gather to celebrate the holidays. Carol lived farther away and would occasionally travel home with her family to celebrate Christmas and of course we would visit to open gifts and share the traditional Christmas dinner prepared the "Riggs' way". When the holiday was over everyone returned to their own homes to resume life as normal. I remember my mother-in-law telling me on several such occasions that she was enjoying a "happy lonesome" as she returned to her normal routines.

I, on the other hand, grew up in a large family consisting of my mother, father, three sisters, and two brothers. There was no such thing as normal. Every day was disorganized and full of adventure. I loved the excitement and constant activity. I doubt my mother ever experienced a "happy lonesome". After Jim and I married, I became accustomed to a more quiet way of life but continued to enjoy family gatherings and all the excitement involved.

Now my son has married and moved away leaving Jim and me to enjoy a quiet, peaceful, and organized existence. At least my life is quiet most of the time. Last week, my sister Judy came for a visit. I wanted her to really enjoy herself so I planned activities to keep us busy throughout her visit. She was only here for four days but it seemed like much longer than that. On the night she arrived we attended a graduation party for my niece. The next day, I had to attend a meeting so she went for a tour of the Roger Tory Peterson Institute. We live close by and it is only a short walk from my house through the woods to the Institute. That afternoon we drove to nearby Salamanca to shop and then went to the Seneca Nation Casino. Neither one of us gambles but we enjoyed the buffet and watching the people play the slots. The following day we drove to Erie and literally shopped till we dropped and we still had two more action packed days ahead of us. The next day we went to the Nationwide Tour's Lake Erie Charity Classic golf tournament at Peek 'n Peak and followed the leaders through the first several holes. That night we attended a baseball game, our local team is the Jammers, and were treated to a 4th of July fireworks show. Finally, it was Judy's last day. We went out to lunch at the Bemus Point Casino, a nice restaurant with a deck right on the shores of Chautauqua Lake. In addition to all our adventures we talked, laughed, and even found some time to sleep.

I must admit that I never quite understood the term "happy lonesome" before. Now I understand it completely.