Thanks-Birth-Long-Weekend

My face feels like butter. On Friday morning, it felt more like 10 miles of gravel road. My heart feels like it swelled up to pumpkin size and then shrivelled back down to the face of an apple doll before settling at about half-full. My tummy – well, let’s not even go there. 

I have so much to be thankful for. Erin and Rob arranged their busy Ontario visit schedule so they could spend a night at our house before heading back to the GTA. Erin treated me to a facial and some velvety products from the Idlewyld Spa. It’s the best facial I’ve ever had, and Erin enjoyed having her toes tended to. It’s a beautiful spot and the estheticians are wonderful. (Rose and Alma.)

We visited and laughed and went for dinner at London’s new Mandarin location, where the staff has been well trained to make you feel welcome. In the morning it was over all too soon, but not before we learned a new way to express the need for another coffee.

Heehee.

They went their way and we went ours, first to my high school pal Ellen’s new antique shop near Caledonia. Ellen is amazing. She used to have her own clothing company, Berry Ellen, and eased her way into dealing in antiques and “cool junque”. She renovated a wonderful old farmhouse and uses the beautiful old barn beside it as her shop. We made an investment in real estate.

The one on the left is a painted brick. Ellen has three embedded with the paving stones on the walkway up to her door. They’re painted by our Grade 9 classmate Chris. The three on the right are wooden and attached by hinges. They remind us of the east coast.

After that it was on to Mom’s condo for her first solo Thanksgiving. It was delicious as always, with lots of laughter despite feeling the absence of Dad. What hit me hardest was seeing only Mom’s name on my Birthday card. Yes, my birthday falls on or near Thanksgiving, and I appreciate having a long weekend to celebrate it! We made off with loads of leftovers. My brother bestowed upon me an unusual gift. It’s a mug meant for a brother but he decided to give it to me, so it will remind me of him!

It works! He also loaned me the best-seller, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k by Mark Manson. It’s brilliant. It’s not about not giving a f**k about anything, it’s about having only so many f**ks to give, and making sure you’re giving them to the things that really matter. The book offers a completely new way of looking at stuff in our lives that we just accept. Example: our society’s pursuit of self-improvement does, by its very nature, tell us repeatedly that we are not good enough. You have to think about it for a minute and then you go… heyyyyyy! There’s some simple wisdom in that. I’ve only just started reading it. A review will follow.

The rest of the weekend was low-key with friends and family dropping by here and there, including five – count ’em – five dogs! For the first time in a long time, I didn’t want to make a big hairy deal on my birthday. I spent as much time as I wanted at the keyboard, on a new still-to-be-revealed writing project. I burned most of my fingers because I should not be left alone with a hot glue gun. I had some lunchbag-letdown in my heart after Erin and Rob left. Tabitha, Ryker and Vienna face-timed me on Sunday morning and it pumped my heart back up a bit.

My gift from Derek? The happiness of a warm bum in the dead of winter. A portable Obusform seat warmer. My previous Kia Soul had heated seats but alas, this one does not. Now, thanks to my husband, I can look forward to toasting my buns on my way into work in winter at 3:30 am.  😀