While I was still a working woman, I had my routine down pat, up at 5:30 am, showered, dressed, fed and out the door in one hour. Now that I am retired I am a little more relaxed. I get up when I wake up, usually 7:30 am, make breakfast, read the newspaper over coffee, watch Canada AM and then shower and dress. I do have a rule to not go past 10 am to be dressed but this past Saturday the rule changed. It looked like a good day to clean house and I would shower and dress after the work was complete.
The bathrooms were clean, the vacuum pulled out and the feather duster sprayed, ready to do their jobs. That was when everything changed, the phone rang and I immediately recognized the voice of a dear friend from Oshawa. When she asked for our house number, my mind scanned the next weeks activities thinking that they were planning on a visit. But oh no, they were on our street and seconds from the door and I was still in my P. J.s! I gave them directions and then called down to the ‘old guy’, “we have company from out-of-town coming, in 20 seconds”. The ‘old guy’ was dressed in his blue, paint splashed work pants, held up with the brightest red suspenders you will ever see. He was preparing to re-paint our book-case with the fourth reincarnation of colour.
Our dress and the housework were quickly forgotten as we welcomed our friends with hugs. We were surprised and delighted with their visit. The unplanned can often be the best visit. For the next three hours we reminisced and shared what was going on in our lives since the last visit.
In the bedroom the vacuum sat forlornly in the middle of the floor and the feather duster was abandoned on the dresser. The vacuum cleaner, feeling sorry for itself, moaned “she never leaves me out like this”, to which the feather duster responded, “get over yourself, you are not the most important thing in her life!”.
In the living room the conversation flowed with laughter as we shared stories about our grandchildren and past fun we had enjoyed as young families. Old friends who are no longer with us were remembered. They told us about their furnace malfunction on New Years Eve. The furnace spewed black smoke and soot throughout the house and they had to make an emergency evacuation. Fortunately no one was injured.
I did manage to sneak away for few minutes to get dressed but did not want to waste any precious time away from our friends.
With reluctance we said our goodbyes. More hugs were shared and promises were made to visit each other again. They had a date in Kingston to watch their grandson play hockey and did not want to be late for that. Not only are they great friends but also loving grandparents.
Friends that you don’t mind seeing you in your pyjamas are treasurers. You know that they did not come to see if they could write in the dust on your furniture or if your floors needed to be vacuumed. They came to see you and you alone.
I do have to admit that as they drove away I turned to the ‘old guy’ and said, “thank goodness we made the bed”!
Notes from Napanee 