On Friday ...

This is the boys' bathroom. It was clean 10 days ago, and only one boy has been home this week. (Normally it looks like this times 2 0r 3.)



And that one boy who has been home this week? His bedroom looks like this. And if his bedroom, his private domain, the place where he studies, relaxes, reads and sleeps, the place that he calls his own with the pride of ownership that comes from owning a bedroom with a new double bed on a wood and iron frame, hardwood floor, commercial sized desk, two sets of bookshelves and a retro night table - if this is how he treats the room the he loves, IMAGINE how he cares for the rest of the house.

Oh yeah.
The trail of 'him' is everywhere.

And this is why I whine.
This is why I am a lunatic.
This is one of the reasons why I never feel "on top of" the chores.

On Friday, after driving him back and forth to TWU, I had to leave the house. Just walk away.

Close my mind to it.

I met Lynne for tea.

And these scrumptious lemon bars. Holy cow were they ever awesome. Yum. Oh so very much a big yum.

If you ever have coffee at the Esquires in my neighbourhood, I highly recommend one of these treats to go along with it.

Sweet. Yet tart. Melty. Divine.

And the conversation?

SO just what I needed.

Without her knowing it, God spoke to me through her. In a huge way. I didn't even realize it when she was talking because I was too busy schnurfling. (I HATE that my eyes - and nose - are attached to my heart. Every time my feelings get engaged in a story, my eyes get all tingly and teary. And a trickle of snot drips down my nasal passage. )

We ended up teaing for 3 hours instead of one. Which is good, because despite efforts to meet more often, it ends up being only once a year. Thank goodness for facebook and blogger.

A few hours after that I drove up to Stillwood to pick up Drew. Who would not let me take any photos at all. "Put the camera away," he hissed under his breath. So you'll just have to imagine how happy he was to see me, how tired his whole cabin looked and how overflowing the lost and found table was.