Refuge

There are certain places in the world where you just feel happy. A place where everything is right and warm and fuzzy. I'm very lucky to have a few places that feel like that; today I spent the afternoon at one of them, with Paul and Linda at their acreage. I've known Linda for 16 years. She is my husband's step-mother's niece. Yeah. A shirt tail relative who feels more related to me than many of my 'real' relatives. (No offense intended, 'real' relatives :-)).

Since I met Lin, I have been 'Aunty' to her daughters, Sheena and Ebony, and she has been an incredible presence in my life whenever I've needed her. She's married to Paul who brought two sons into the mix, Tam and Mitch, and at one point they had 4 teenagers living with them, not to mention the barage of teenage friends who, to this day, enjoy the household hospitality as much as I do. In fact, when I arrived today, Sheena's friend from "back in the day" was in town and popped by for a visit. He and Lin were sitting out on the back veranda having a chat and he was laughing at the loving insults that Linda was hammering him with. It's her crazy way of showing love (have I ever had a conversation with her that didn't start with "Hi Skank"?) and everyone loves her for it.

Linda is a talented hair dresser and saves me from myself in that department. She did my hair on my wedding day, and also spent the months leading up to that day making and freezing cabbage rolls and perogies so that we could have a homemade dinner at the reception. Cabbage rolls and perogies. Labour intensive food. For 125 people. Who does that??

No matter how often I need to be at their home, for whatever reason, Paul welcomes me with open arms. Even better than that, he usually has a glass of single malt scotch on ice for me. (Balvenie!) Today he asked me how I was doing. I told him I was ridiculously cranky so he quietly poured me a Sambucca on ice. I love Paul. We discuss politics (a lot) and I value his opinion. I like to think he values mine too.

Paul and Linda have raised four incredible kids into thriving, adventurous adults. Sheena is in Australia raising two lovely little monsters and is an absolutely beautiful mother. I see Linda's influence when I watch Sheena parenting Dex and Kodi with a mixture of discipline, intense love, affection, and humour. Ebony is a firefighter, social worker (top of her class and about to take her Masters) and placed 4th in the world as a power lifter (please allow me to brag, Eb!). I see Linda's influence when I watch Eb's determination and compassion. Mitch and Tam are both about to embark on international adventures and I feel Paul's infuence when his son's greet me warmly and hug me even though they rarely see me. Paul and Linda are 'Aunty Lin and Uncle Paul' to my children and my kids feel warm and fuzzy when we go there too.

Paul and Lin love each other like crazy. They are openly affectionate and respectful with each other and they laugh together often. They have worked their asses off to be this happy and I go to them for advice for my own life knowing that they will always be honest, compassionate and most important of all, they will call me on my shit. I love them for that.

Today Linda cut Jack's hair, poured me a pink lady and let me raid the basil in their garden so that I could make a batch of pesto in her kitchen. While we were there, Sheena called from Oz and gave Bridget hair advice over the phone. Paulie puttered in his beloved gardens and all was right in the universe. It was a perfect sunday afternoon spent with two of my favourite people in the world. Thank you so much, Paul and Linda -- for everything.

(Linda, don't you dare complain about me being too
sweet to you in this blog post, you freakin' skank.)
xoxox