Drving it all home

There are so many reasons why going home to Kingston for the weekend is wonderful. Time with my parents, three days in kitty paradise for Zeus, birdwatching/feeding for M, my father's 52' plasma TV, Bubba's poutine for me, Wok In for M, boat trips, shopping tips, plane rides, my mother making me egg salad sandwiches, the comfort of being in the house I was raised in... many, many good things.

One of the things I used to do a lot back home was drive. I drive every day in Toronto, but it's really different driving. A lot more stressful. Kingston driving, it's roads, turns and lights I know like the back of my hand. In high school, being the DD, I would often take off for drives during parties that had become too stupid for me to bear and return in time to drive people home. Driving in and around town listening to music is growing up in a small town to me.

This past weekend my father was kind enough to let me drive his new Infinity G35X when I went out on my own for a shopping trip while M napped. It is a truly excellent car. The weather was warm, the streets were largely clear so I may have taken a few extra turns on my way there and back.

Timbaland's "Apologize" was on XM radio and I had one of those moments. The air was warm and clear, the sun starting to slip behind the trees, wind blowing in my hair, the car effortlessly carrying me down the road and around corners and, most importantly, a song that was helping me work through some of the issues I'd left behind in Toronto. I had a Zen moment. I usually only have them when I'm driving or walking. Only when I'm moving and always with music. Everything in my head clicks into place and I get it. It's not always the answer I'm hoping for, but I get it. And sometimes that's most of the battle for me.

This time it helped me get centred, since things have felt off kilter for the last month. I got home to my husband, my parents and my cat feeling a bit more restored, thankful and closer to being at peace. Remembering who you are and being with the ones you love, I daresay that's what going home is all about.

Today's sing-a-long song: "Apologize" by Timbaland featuring One Republic

HRH

The woman in the mirror

This past summer my grandmother moved out of her apartment and into retirement facility. She's 93, so really, she's more than proven that she could do it on her own. Living on your own can be a lot of work and it was becoming a bit much for her, so after a bout of sickness this summer, she and my mother decided that it was time for the move.

When she moved out of the big farm house and into her apartment years back, she and my mother did a huge purge of stuff. I remember playing in that house as a child and it was enormous. Every room furnished and full of a lifetime of stuff. With this most recent move there was an additional scaling back of belongings. Which means some of the family treasures are starting to make their way to me.

My Nana passed away just over seven years ago. When I moved back to Canada my parents let me take some of her sterling sliver. I find polishing it tremendously therapeutic, and, unfortunately, because of a long protracted illness, I never really knew my Nana that well, so having some of her things is rather meaningful to me. Two of those sterling silver items were a brush and mirror set my Nana was given as a wedding present.

As a little girl, playing in my Grandmother's house I was always fascinated by her ivory brush and mirror set and she promised me that one day I would have them. And that day was today. I now have a brush and mirror set from both Grandmothers. Though from what my research is telling me, cleaning ivory will be no where near as fun as cleaning sterling silver.

It also makes me wonder, will my still theoretical granddaughters treasure my Mason Pearson brush this much?

HRH

The apple doesn't fall far

As M and I were finishing dinner this evening, the bus stop across the street from our house was besieged by a gaggle of girls. All dolled up and waiting for the bus to take them somewhere. And they were singing.

Okay, singing is being generous. They were shouting Motown hits like Lean On Me and Ain't No Mountian High Enough. They were very, very annoying and they were interrupting our enjoyment of Restaurant Makeover.

I was doing a whole lot of eye rolling and M said to me "You know, you were a young girl once too. You did things like that."

I was offended and appalled.

"I've never done crap like that in the middle of the city," totally forgetting the musical adventures Kari and Wendy and I had all over the streets of Prague. "I would maybe do something like that at camp."

M replied "They kind of look like they could be part of a camp."

"Yeah, an idiot camp," I shot back, thinking, "Wow, I sounded a lot like my father there.

To which M said "It's funny how much you sound like your father sometimes."

I am proud to say that my willingness to suffer fools comes pretty strongly from the paternal side. Thanks for that, and everything else, two days in advance.

HRH

Always setting a good example

A rare double post today, but for very good reason. Today my wonderful parents celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary! They're both pretty private people so I won't go into gushing detail about them, save stating that they're amazing people, wonderful parents and I couldn't love them more. I just wanted to take a moment to recognize how happy I am for them that they've been able to share the last 40 years as best friends... and had two fabulous daughters in the process (modest too!). I raise a glass to you both tonight.

Today's sing-a-long song: "Time in a bottle" by Jim Croce

HRH