It's not often you will find a friend with three boy children aged six, four and two, willing to travel two and a half hours in the car, for an afternoon playdate with you.
But that's one of the things I'm immensely grateful for today.
April lives in a small town near Warrnambool (which also begins with a W, but I can't recall the name). That's about a five hour car journey in one direction from my place. In the past when I've sent out party invitations, I have not actually ever considered just how far away she lives. Until yesterday.
I very much wanted to spend some time with her. It was her birthday a few weeks ago (remember?), and her gift had not arrived via the post by the actual day. So it has been sitting her for a week or two, beckoning me to the post office, which I just haven't made it to (our post office is a pain in the arse out of the way location). So yesterday I decided I would deliver it in person. And that's when I learned of the trek in store.
So me, being ever cheeky, asked if she knew of any good half way spots. To which she replied with a link to a funky playground just outside of Geelong. I was in a little bit of stunned silence at first. To me, the magnitude of her offer was huge! (To her apparently, it was no big deal, as travel is a part of her normal.)
When I learned of the five hour one way journey, I considered that was perfectly reasonable if broken with an overnight stay, which just wasn't feasible for a Tuesday night. So I was thinking plans for tomorrow just weren't going to happen. You see, when I make an offer, the onus is on me to make it happen. My offers carry no expectation on the other party. So when April's gift to meet half way was forthcoming, I was so appreciative and so thrilled, because it meant that it could happen today! And it also said volumes on how much we both value the friendship of the other. And that was a lovely realisation *smile*.
So we had a wonderful afternoon, picnicing, chasing small children around wooden forts, sliding down slides much too small for mamas (although, we forced a fit!) and kicking a ball.
AND there was a gift of yarn!!!
*sigh*
Thank you April. For traveling. For sharing your children with me today. For sharing your company with me today. Your management style of three small, active souls has me in awe! Time in your energy feels like the soothing of a calm ocean - has anyone ever told you that? I had a really wonderful time today *smile*.
And speaking of yarn, the other mention of gratuity today, goes to the wonderful women in my craft circle. I have been struggling with finding a way to make this frou frou yarn work into a blanket for Jess. Straight didn't work. Squares didn't work. But a circle. A circle could totally work.
But do you think I could work out the pattern?
I must have pulled apart this pattern nearly ten times, trying to *see* if my interpretation of her instructions looked like the desired result in her photographs.
And finally, after much encouragement and sense talk from the women around me tonight, I nailed it.
And this is the mandala-inspired blanket so far.
*deep exhale*
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