Before leaving to pick up Ashley, my mother and I went to the reunion site and talked with the family some. My mother invented games for the kids to play while I looked after Hailey as she played at the amazing new game of watering plants with a football she had dunked in the kids’ pool.
My cousin Zach arrived while we were there. I haven’t seen him in a long time since his family moved to P.E.I. over a year ago. He’s definitely grown up quite a lot.
– Leaving For The Airport – 8:30 a.m. Sunday
My mother and I left here around 3:30 Saturday. The drive was calm, and we just talked about various things, focusing mainly on Ashley, her mother, and their arrival. I was a bit nervous about meeting her mother, but my own was definitely more nervous than I.
We had forgotten her mother’s name, or my mother had. I remembered that it was Cathy, but had doubts when my mother was trying to guess the name. Lucky for us, as soon as my cell phone was within service range my phone beeped telling me I had a voice message. A few minutes before Ashley’s father had called and left a message saying that they were both on the plane, and mentioning Cathy’s name.
We arrived at the airport at 4:30. Their flight was scheduled to arrive at 4:50, but when we checked on the arrival board it said the flight’s arrival time had been delayed until 5:30.
My mother decided she wanted to go to Tim Horton’s, so I went along and ordered a boston cream with apple juice (because I dislike Tim’s coffee). Somehow they confused the order, didn’t give me my doughnut, and gave my mother an ice cap rather than a standard capiccino. That toolk a good 10 minutes for the workers to figure out.
Then we walked to the international arrival point and waited for quite a while. It wasn’t a bad wait, far shorter than last time Ashley visited.
The finally did come through the doors around 6. Cathy came out first and recognized me right away (it must have been the hair). Then Ashley came out, looking as beautiful as ever, of course, and the four of us talked a while before heading to the exit.
After a bit of confusion concerning the route to take, we made it to my mother’s car, put the luggage in the car, and headed for another exit. After 2 more bursts of misdirection on my mother’s part (she really does have a bad sense of direction) we were on the highway.
On the way to the bed and breakfast where Cathy will be staying we all talked some more about various things, pointing out landmarks along the way.
Once at Bruce Folton’s B & B we took Cathy’s bags out of the car. She revealed that she had brought bags and bags of her peppermint and lemon brittles. Last time Ashley was here she also brought some of the peppermint brittle, and everyone here loved it.
After Cathy had her bags taken to her room, by the boy in charge of doing just that, we gave her time to prepare for the evening, and then were back in the car and heading for the Lemmon abode. Pointing out ever increasing numbers of landmarks, from my workplace to the many relatives’ homes nearby, we made our way home.
I took Ashley’s bags to her room, and talked with her mom while she changed. I was eventually able to slip away while she and my mom were chatting and Ashley and I had a few minutes alone.
Before long we went to the family reunion. By that time, what was a somewhat hot day had turned into a foggy, windy and cold night in typical Nova Scotian fashion. Ashley, who has changed into shorts was understandably a bit cold.
Cathy and Ashley were introduced to most of my family quite quickly, everyone from Gladys to Sara. Cathy seemed quite at ease and seemed to fit in with my family frighteningly well, moving into the center of attention early on. Ashley and I sat together some, and eventually played with Hailey some. She’s such an adorable kid.
Herald, being his usual crazy old cat self, started talking to Ashley and Cathy, and had to bring up that the Atlanta Braves were one of his favourite teams a couple times. He’s always a bit odd, but his goofiness didn’t phase anyone.
The brittles were soon passed around eagerly by my mother (who was remarkably civilized this evening, I must say), and they were even better than expected. Thankfully Cathy brought the ingredients so that my mother can make some of her own sometime.
The night progressed into guitar playing and singing, plenty of talking, food being consumed, and the typical Lemmon family gathering atmosphere.
Ashley and I walked away from the main group several times for some privacy, but it was always short lived with my many cousins running around playing flashlight tag in the dark. Justin, during those times he’d run past us, would shout his new catch phrase, “I beg to differ!”
After some time my mother took Cathy to the bed and breakfast. When she returned (around 11:30) we all came back home.
Ashley and I spent the remainder of the night together in her room, enjoying our first true time alone in 7 months.
I awoke about 40 minutes ago, brushed my teeth, combed my hair and wrote this entry. I will soon go downstairs to wake Ashley.