March 27, 2015

.: On Kindred Spirits...

That moment when you realize that you're sitting across from a person who, although only an acquaintance, shares so many of your thoughts and feelings.  Happy moment.

Interior design can be a very lonely profession.  We are often one-woman (or man) shops, working from home, and with little face to face interaction.  So it's always a joy to welcome a new friend and colleague into your life.  Especially when you have so much in common.  And so it was for me on Wednesday, when what started out as, "Let's meet for coffee", turned into a 2 1/2 hour gab fest of getting to know each other and finding that we are kindred spirits.

Here's a Happy Birth-day to a new friendship...



And, while we're on that subject... I don't usually use this space to share my personal life, but as this impacts every aspect of my life, share I will...

Today is my birthday.  It's a big one.  A scary big one.

Last weekend I rented a house about 15 minutes away, in the town next to mine.  A pretty little farmhouse, hidden down a long, unpaved driveway.  I arrived on Friday, the day of the Spring Equinox (auspicious, I'd say).  My friend Barb was already there, having decided to leave early to avoid the impending (and, hopefully, last of the season!) snowstorm.

I had invited about 20 of my closest friends to come and play with me over the weekend.  Now, we all have busy lives, and I knew that it would be impossible to find a couple of hours on any given evening when we'd all be able to attend a party.  So this seemed like a good idea: be in a vacation house for a weekend, but close to home; my friends could come whenever they were available, and stay for as long as they wanted.  It's like a getaway, but you can go home for dinner if you need to.

Saturday afternoon: Many cars, and lots of mud, in the driveway.

And so, I spent my weekend just being with my friends.  Talking, eating, drinking, laughing, crying, sharing.  It was fabulous.  Some friends were there for an hour, others stayed overnight.  The women at the house were from various different eras and areas of my life.  They didn't all know each other. There were amazing moments of six degrees of separation.  They all found that they had things in common (besides knowing me), that they shared common bonds, that we were, all of us in that house, kindred spirits.

I learned that women ALWAYS bring too much food.

You can literally drink prosecco all day, and not get drunk or wake up with a headache.

No matter how wonderful a house is, even if there's a hot tub, sauna, gym, and outdoor fireplace, you will spend most of your time in the kitchen.


Friends in the kitchen.  And literally 1/100th of the food!

If you ever have the opportunity to do this, I encourage you to try it.  It is a most wonderful way to honor our time on this green earth.

Happy Spring!

~ Leigh

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