Meet, Eat, Play

Friends, family and flames. That is what consumed me for the last week, and I loved it. There is something supremely satisfying about keeping connections and spending time with people that matter to me.

Last week my friend Jilly and I kept what has become an annual tradition. We stole a day from our busy lives and spent it together, wandering High Park, chatting excitedly as we walked, exchanging all of the revelations, events and opinions accumulated since our last meeting, pausing to take in the sunshine and natural beauty of the foliage and ponds. We don’t get face time very often, nor do we speak on the phone except to make plans. It matters not.

We have been friends for a lifetime; we are the keeper of one another’s secrets. When we finally get time together, we pick up exactly where we left off. She was telling me that she read that with a good friend, time doesn't pass by -- it's more like you're floating on a sea of time. That is how it is with J - easy, effortless, and eternal. A few stops for refreshments, a hearty veal sandwich and my first Chai latte and we called it a day – until the next time. I drove out of the city back to my little waterside town owning contentment like it was nobody’s business!

Surprise! Kidlet said “yes” when I asked her to go see "Eat, Pray, Love" with me. After I scraped myself up off the floor and bolted for the car before she could come to her senses¸ she mentioned that she wouldn’t mind grabbing some food. Well I’ll be darned, will wonders never cease. I listened to her life lamentings over teriyaki and took mental pictures – frozen moments for future sustenance. We topped off our together time by a late night visit to Walmart for some dorm gear. I'm gonna miss you ...

The week wrapped up with a weekend at the cottage with hubby. Just hubby and I. We swam, we played, canoed, soaked up UV rays, slathered on SPF60, ate when we were hungry – or weren’t – and fanned the flames – literally – of our shore fire and the morning fire hubby stoked to kill the chill. We gazed at the inky black sky spottled with diamonds and the plate sized moon and marvelled at the changing personality of our lake at sundown, and at our good fortune.

We weren’t home five minutes and I was out the door and down the street to see Pops and T who had just returned after weeks away on vacation. I stayed for hours catching up and covering the usual topics of debate.

I fell into bed exhausted, sun toasted, and contented.