Time: sometimes I understand why it seems such a nebulous idea. It seems to capsize upon itself...

This is a picture of my mother, before she was married, circa 1950. I have always been stunned by her beauty...Dad is handsome, and I look more like his side of the family so I suppose I am handsome enough too, but the really astonishing beauty was Mother's. I think about this because in the last few days time's shadows have been flitting around my heart. We began with the heady events surrounding my reaching the half-century mark, then Dad giving a truly interesting fireside, I cooked up a Thanksgiving dinner attended by all my children as well as their cousin Audrey, plus a few friends. Then on Wednesday and Thursday we received a visit from Regan, whom we hadn't seen in over two decades.

We greeted him at the Ottawa train station, and Mom, Dad and he and I went out for lunch together, lingering over reminiscing until we had to go for our Ruhi 4 class in Wakefield. Regan was off to see other Ottawa friends and the next morning I went and collected him from the WUSC office, with which he has been affiliated through his work in Peru. We took the time to chat with several of his friends and colleagues before dashing over to pick up my second daughter and drive her to college. I then thought to take him to our Museum of Civilization; I wanted him to see First Nations Hall and the Great Hall, there, and we walked through Canada's simulated history on the fourth floor. Then we picked up some souvenirs before driving home to join Mom and Dad for lunch at home. We whiled away the afternoon, had supper, spent the evening chatting more, looked at photo albums, spoke of Regan's family, of many old friends especially in Saskatchewan, and generally discovered how each of us has different memories but that they have accumulated to provide some very good stories for all of us. I think Dad especially was very moved to have a chance for this visit, although there is also a very nice picture of Regan and Mom having a little cuddle and laugh, which I will post in a few days. Bernie and Jesse were busy with a variety of pursuits during our visit, including Bern installing our new dishwasher (blessings upon him!) but both took time for visits with our guest, and Jesse and I discussed English homework and incentives. We heard stories of Regan's time in Peru these many years and very much enjoyed noshing on the chocolate he brought. Bern and Mom will no doubt enjoy the Peruvian coffee, and he also brought a few books. It was very thoughtful. Time floated in and out of memory, thirty years of time, its places, many people...and, if I do say so myself, a rather tasty blueberry cheesecake helped time pass agreeably! Regan left for Grimsby in the late evening and Dad had kindly cleaned up most of the kitchen in the time it took me to get to the bus station and back.

Then this morning time took another turn as my friend Sandra and I went to visit her mother, Doris, who is not well and beginning to make her transition, I think, to the next world. Having gone through some of this process with my mother-in-law, I just held Doris's hands, sang her prayers and shared with her my thanks for her role in my life while Sandra made her mom as physically comfortable as possible. Doris, and Sandra, have been friends since I was eight. "Granny" is so frail now that I cannot help but hope that God takes her home soon. After this visit, Sandra and I journeyed to the hospital to visit her brother, Trevor, who is very ill, and spent a brief time with him. Then Sandra took me out to lunch and we had an excellent meal at a small vegetarian restaurant new to both of us, and to which I will undoubtedly have opportunity to take my dear vegetarian daughter at some point.

On the way home, time took another interesting meander. I had stopped to pick up a few groceries and was at the checkout, when a woman behind me asked, "Excuse me, but are you a Moore?" I have an aunt for whom that is the married last name, and I was momentarily confused, but then the woman introduced herself. She turned out to be Fiona, the daughter of some my parents' oldest friends, Michael and Elizabeth. She had recognized me for my resemblance to my aunt (and of course, my Dad, because I explained that no, in fact, I was a Nablo!)...after more than thirty years! Unbelievable. We chatted and she sent her greetings to Mom and Dad, which I duly conveyed upon arrival.

Today I have kindled a fire...it is an autumn wind and the leaves are in the last stages of saying good night before the cold, and yet I am hopeful that we still have some time of sunny fall before the time yields...Dad and I have begun the fall gardening but there are many bulbs yet to be planted. The remaining tomatoes are ripening in the kitchen (something like me! ripening in this warm older house) and the zinnias are still in stubborn, pale lemon bloom against the brick. There are metaphors galore within all these colours, time drifting leaves past our windows, where we peer through to find that in the past, in the present, there is still a lot to be grateful for...old friends and the best of memories recalled through time's forgiving lens.

As for the future...I am off to Chicago tomorrow for a book signing and a gala time with the people who have made my book happen, and will report upon that on my return. On Sunday, we will celebrate the spirit by sharing the Baha'i feast with our community, and today, with so many visits and blessings, time with Regan and Doris and Sandra and Trevor and even a hello from Fiona, that the world is a place where from within the brigadoon mists of time, there circle, always, the caring faces of "the circle of intimate friends."

Isn't my mother beautiful?