Another quiet day....and a good one to be staying home!  Anyone venturing out into todays weather has to be nuts.  My poor daughter has to fly out for Vancouver tonight.  Do hope the planes are getting out!  My poor son and daughter in law have to work tonight.....do hope everyone decides to stay home and not worry about going to the hospital tonight.  Poor Mike???  Well, he saw the ski report and headed west this morning!  Hope the roads were worth it! Kathy....has to drive in from Gull Lake today.....hoping she thinks twice about that one and stays put!  Trish and Gerry dropped by after church this morning for coffee and cinnamon buns!  Now that's love!  Barry and Wendy are getting pumped to head to St. Martins for a couple of weeks....(hate you guys!...well hate a little strong but definitely green with envy!)

I worked some more on my photo albums this morning.  They really stir up lots of old memories, that's for sure.  You start to realize how things change over time.  People die, people divorce, some move on or move away and you lose touch and others are still right there and have been through it all.  Still, I must confess it's nice to sit and think about all those wonderful people who have graced your life.  I had a phone message on the way home from Fernie the other day from my old friend and badminton mixed doubles partner.  I haven't heard from him in about 20 years but he had heard about my situation and decided to give me a shout.  I haven't returned his call yet but plan to this week.  The last time I saw him I had to smile.  My kids were just little and he was in town visiting family and friends.  He retired in his thirties and moved to Whitehorse where he was into canoeing, cross country skiing and baking bread.  At the time he was living with a young doctor.  The issue for them was that she wanted a family....he did not.  Not sure if they ever resolved that or if they are even still together.  I just haven't kept in touch.  But the day he came to visit me,  I couldn't help but smile at the contrast in our lives.  There I was still living in Calgary where I was born and raised, had two kids, a boy and a girl, was married, had the golden labrador dog and a station wagon to boot!  Talk about two lives going in opposite directions.  I'm curious where he's at these days and look forward to chatting!  I have had so many people like this surface over the past year.  I can't tell you how wonderful it is to touch base with people you haven't seen or heard from in years.  They may be gone physically from your life but they are entrenched forever in you memories.

As I worked on my pictures I started to think of things that remind me of people who have touched my life.  Music, recipes, places, experiences........  When I hear any music by the Eagles, I always think of my friends Margot and Tom who live in Montreal, when I bake breadmaker cinnamon buns I think of my friend Kathy who is now gone, ribs make me think of Brenda, apple pie and cinnamon buns, my Mom, horses make me think of Vicki and Ron, etc etc.  I'm sure we all have these connections but unless you really think about them they escape you!  Working on these photo albums has really made these thoughts jump into my mind these past few days and made me appreciate the people I have been blessed to know over the years.

It makes me realize I would like to reconnect or stay connected to people and this takes effort.  I must confess the computer and technology have simplified this somewhat but there is still nothing like sitting down for a coffee and a cinnamon bun on a cold Sunday morning with people you love.  That is what it's all about!