A Great Weekend

This past weekend started out rather slowly. Friday evening and most of Saturday was spent trying to read and respond to at least one of everyone on my lists articles here on Gather. As you know, it can be very time consuming. However, if I expect to be read, I feel it is important to at least attempt to read some of the hard work of others.

Sunday was fun day. My younger daughter, who has moved to Burlington to be with her new love, Jeremy invited me to visit. This time, she said I could bring my much-loved puppy, Angel. They have all floors and no carpets, so it wouldn't really matter if she had an accident. Jennifer said to pack a bag, as I'd be staying over and that they'd pick me up about 4 p.m. I couldn't wait, because I so enjoy spending time with Jen and Jeremy is a fantastic cook. (More on that later!)

Okay, so I took my time on Sunday – got up late, did a few chores and spent a little time on Gather. At 2:30 p.m., Jeremy showed up. Yikes! He wanted to surprise Jen when he picked her up from work by having me with him. So I hurriedly packed a duffle bag with what I thought I would need, as well as some things for the dog and off we went. While I was doing this, Jen called to tell me they'd be there soon and to make sure I was ready. Of course, I played along, not letting her know that Jeremy was standing in my hallway waiting for me.

Oh, first of all, we had to make a stop at my older daughter's. The family is away up north at a cottage for two weeks, so I've been assigned to take care of the house and Cutie Pie, the cat. I knew I'd worry about Cutie Pie if I didn't stop in to make sure she had food and water first.

Then off we went to Burlington, which is about a 15-minute drive along the Queen Elizabeth Way (highway) from Hamilton. Burlington is where I arrived years ago when I was adopted at 8 years old. I was raised there from then on and it still holds a special place in my heart. It was only a town back then, but now it is a bustling city. It sits right on the edge of Lake Ontario and if you go down the main street, you can't miss the lake. Jen and Jeremy's apartment is only a few blocks from there.

We picked Jen up at the Quality Inn and she sure was surprised! The first thing she said was, "Oh, my favorite people are here!" meaning Angel and me. She really loves the dog and as for me, it sure was wonderful to hear.

We arrived at their apartment at about 3:15 p.m. and more or less sat around enjoying each other's company. Then Jeremy began teasing us about what was on the menu for dinner. You see, Jen gets many of her dinners cooked by Jeremy and it's always such a wonderful surprise. It's surprising, because he truly is a man's man and work's very hard. Jeremy has a blonde brush cut, big blue eyes and tattoos over half of his upper torso. Not the kind of fellow that you would think would enjoy spending hours in the kitchen.

I should mention as well, that Jeremy is very health conscious and is very particular about what he eats. When dinner was finally set on the table, it was a feast both for the stomach and the eyes. On the plate were two main dishes. One was a spinach and mushroom mixture inside a sun dried tomato wrap, which was absolutely delicious. The other was a real delicacy – a big, dark mushroom filled with several melted cheeses and spices. Oh, man! This one just melted in my mouth! To round out the meal, we had Strawberry Zinfandel, a wonderful, refreshing wine. I was in heaven!

After dinner, Jeremy retired to his computer room for a while, so Jennifer and I got into a big bottle of Baileys and played Skip Boo. I learned this game some years back and taught it to both my daughters. Since then, we have spent many an hour playing. At 8 p.m., it was still pretty hot and sticky, but a light breeze came in from the large, screened windows of their fifth floor apartment, so it was quite pleasant.

From there on in, Jen and I continued to play cards and talk about many things. She told me Jeremy was the man she'd been looking for, for so long. She noted that because Jeremy is 32 and she is 26, he is much more mature than anyone else she has known – including her ex-husband. She said she's happy, which makes me happy. I could see that they got along well together.

We had quite the heart-to-heart between mother and daughter, which thrilled me to no end. I think a mother always wants to know that she is needed, regardless of her children's ages. Jennifer is my younger daughter and I will always see her as my baby. The good news is that she is extremely close to me too. She calls me every day, just to say hello and make sure I'm all right. Now that she has a new love in her life, I know she will continue to be just as close and that makes me feel so good.