Home for the Holidays
Bella and Tessa enjoying my Homemade Potato Soup, first night home!
September marked one year on the farm in Palisade. It also signified our first year as empty nesters! Overall, it’s been wonderful reconnecting with my husband Andy, and starting this new chapter of our lives together. That said, our first holiday season on the farm in 2023 was a little stressful. We closed on the property the middle of September and were still settling in and unpacking when Thanksgiving rolled around. That year the girls and my mom came out for a week. Or rather, Andy took the train back to Denver, picked everyone up and drove his car that he left for Bella, back to Palisade. Once they all arrived, we figured out sleeping arrangements and put them all to work! After Thanksgiving, Andy drove them all back, in a snowstorm and took the train back to Palisade. Although it was great showing them our new home and property, neither were particularly set up to take on so many guests.
Fast forward to a year later. Mom has opted to stay in Denver this year as traveling in her mid-eighties proved to be too stressful for her. Andy and I started saving up for the girls’ train tickets in July, it should be noted that the train from Denver to Grand Junction is not a cheap endeavor, especially when you are trying to get a business off the ground and your two adult kids don’t have the funds to pay for their own tickets! The girls arrived via train late Saturday afternoon this past weekend and Andy and I both met them at the train station. Although their train was three hours late, the overall journey out was way less stressful than the year before!
Per their request, I had homemade potato soup ready for them upon their arrival. Funny thing, now that they’ve lived on their own for a year, they seem to appreciate my cooking a great deal more! I announced over dinner that this year, they did not have to do any work around the farm. Obviously, Andy and I still had things we had to get done but manual labor was not mandatory, and the girls were allowed to enjoy their Thanksgiving break. I know this makes me sound like a real slave driver and truth be told I probably am, there is a reason I’m known for my determination and drive… unfortunately that drive sometimes spills over to my loved ones and I put them to work, whether they want to or NOT!
The only real condition I had was that they couldn’t spend all day on their phones, which is something they do a lot in Denver. Both Tess and Bella are city girls, through and through, they were born in Denver, and urban life is all they have ever known. In contrast, Andy and I grew up in small towns and moved to the city, multiple cities, after college. Moving to Palisade was like coming full circle for us, we know the benefits of fresh air, and spending time out of doors. This is why I insisted on limited time on the phones. I’m happy to report they acquiesced, and it has paid off. Both have slept better than they have in months, it is amazing what being outdoors and fresh air does for a person! Thus far we’ve gone nut hunting around the property, they girls spent time bonding with our neighbor’s cows, and we gave them a tour of what we’ve done so far, including showing them the finished Airbnb.
Once they were settled in, we then ventured out to enjoy some of the wonderful things Palisade has to offer. Bella having just turned 21 this past February, requested to do some cider and wine tastings. Neither girl are big drinkers, this translates to they DON’T drink, but Bella is curious. Not surprising, as growing up, both girls have been to pretty much every winery here in the valley because both their parents enjoy wine! Like us, they have been coming to Palisade for over 20 years! They did not part take at the time, their roles were official dog watchers, while Andy and I enjoyed the spirits of the valley.
Bella tasting Cider at Talbot’s Cider Co.
Our first stop was Talbot’s Cider Company where Bella tasted a variety of different ciders while Tess enjoyed a glass of non-alcoholic apple cider.
Bella tasting Fruit wines and Meade at The Meadery and Talon’s Winery
Discovering that Bella gravitated toward sweet wines, the following day we went to the Meadery and Talon’s winery. Here, she tasted a variety of sweet fruit wines as well as different mulled wines. We have now confirmed, that like her Nana, she likes wines on the sweeter side. Both girls also seemed to like hot mulled wine, which is our go to wine on a cold, chilly night outside by the fire! Andy and I bought a packet of mulling spices and a bottle of Talon’s Blueberry wine with the intention of enjoying it with the girls on the patio by the fire when we got home. Instead, Andy and I enjoyed it while the girls went to bed early!
Today, the day before Thanksgiving, I will be prepping for Turkey Day, in theory the girls will be helping, and we will most likely enjoy a quiet day inside, it’s been raining nonstop for the last 24 hours. We’ve been playing games in the evening and will most likely continue to do so, Sleeping Queens card game being the current game of choice. We’ve also completed Christmas shopping, per the girls request and will finish that up today as well. They wanted to get all their shopping done while they were here, so they didn’t have to bring Christmas presents on the train when they return for the Christmas holiday. Smart girls I must say… wonder who they got that from?
All in all, it has been a slow and enjoyable week. Slowing down is not in my nature and at times does feel a bit weird, but I know that it is probably good for me to take a breather as well. It has been wonderful reconnecting with the girls, and while I am enjoying being an ‘empty nester’ with Andy, I do miss our girls. They have grown up and the adult women that they have become is lovely to see and experience… they will however always be my babes, and I will always look forward to them coming home for the Holidays!
