bursting

flowering crab apple in our back garden

Oh what a weekend ... and my apologies for the tres long post

A weekend which seemed chock full of little moments of pure goodness. Saturday as Winnie D and I were coming back home from our evening stroll in the park by the harbour we stopped on the street between my house and my neighbour Florence's. Her daughter and husband were visiting from Alberta. A couple who I've met a dozen times or so each summer often chatting about my dogs - Em & Jake their fenced in dog yard sprawls between our two properties and over the years any and all company visiting at Florence's would make at least a few visits to the Black Street Welcoming Committee the pale golden and rich red retrievers. The Hey ! how ya doin' we sure do LOVE company dogs. If you've ever known a retriever you'll know that's their big claim to fame. They LOVE everybody !!! gregarious and exuberant always - my red & golden ice breakers.

As I stood on the street Saturday night, Miss D way ahead at the far end of her retractable lead, tail completely tucked between her legs and shuddering slightly (she is the opposite of Welcoming - she's afraid someone will try to kidnap her, she has a very vivid imagination and tendency toward worse case scenario - sound like anyone else you know ? wink) this very sweet middle aged husband & wife (I can't remember their names which is terrible) and I spoke for 15 mins, mostly about our dogs. They said goodbye to their 12 year old lab Lady last year about the same time I said goodbye to Jake. They remembered both Em & Jake vividly, a highlight of their trips home was always a stroll over to our fence to visit with the red & gold Welcoming Commitee. I told them how It felt like I'd die of sadness when Jake died and they both looked at me nodding ... they new exactly how that felt. I told them I was in love with that dog. More nodding and she said I totally understand, I felt the same way. She told me it was just now, well over a year that they were starting to feel OK again. I nodded. We chatted some more about their travels -they're road trip people (something I've always longed to do, I'm a great navigator and all round excellent co-pilot) they drove to Nova Scotia from Alberta via California (if you look at a map you'll see that's a lot o'drivin') and they're off to Newfoundland later in June where they'll stay for 4-6 weeks driving around the entire province. You could tell that they were happy and in love with each other, they just kind of beamed.

As Winnie Dixon (who was now tremendously relieved that once again she had foiled the kidnappers and was safe again - if only for awhile) and I walked the few steps left to our door and came into the house I couldn't quite understand why I felt like crying. I felt that heavy catch in my throat and tears were beginning to well up in my eyes. As I puttered around the kitchen beginning to prepare my dinner I realized it wasn't sadness about Jake & Em - my tears were tears of gratitude, of feeling such connection. If you are open to it and always paying attention it seems goodness is really everywhere just waiting to be felt & appreciated. I wanted to run back over to Florences' house and say I can't remember your names ... it was so nice to speak with you, could I have a hug please ? that conversation meant so much to me. A completely out of the blue, casual, standin' on the street, swatting at the mosquitoes conversation absolutely made my day, made my weekend. It was a lesson. They're here for a few weeks, I'll get to speak to them again.

My 12 year old yard guy AJ brought me a tree Saturday, he hooked his red wagon up to his bicycle and drove to my house with a gift for me - a potted shrub. A variegated silverleaf dogwood. A shrub that I don't have in this vast yard and garden and one that I do love and have often thought of getting. Dogwoods of course have those lovely red berries in the fall that the birds love. He's coming back Tuesday and together we'll decide where the best spot to plant it is. How sweet is that ?

Deb and Maggy Sue arrived yesterday after lunch for what has become our every Sunday get an ice cream cone, sit a spell in the park and then walk with the dogs ritual. Winnie loves to see Maggy Sue - she's her best girlfriend and Miss D has come to believe that Deb is not interested in kidnapping her. Phew ! Deb brought me two cooked lobsters left over from the Volunteer Fireman's Surf & Turf BBQ & Dance held the night before - I cleaned the lobster and made lobster salad ready for lobster rolls on today's lunch menu. Swoony sigh.

Yesterday was hot and sunny and breezy and perfect. The kids were plunging off the big wharf into the cool deep water all afternoon. I puttered in the garden awhile, I planted a new bed of cosmos, I drank ice tea, hung clothes and bedding on the line to dry, I lay on top of my bed by the open window with a breeze blowing in and listened to the buzzing whir of hummingbird wings and I watched Oliver as he cleaned and groomed himself meticulously and I felt totally bursting with goodness.

Bursting with happiness.