Just a couple of things...

A classic case of mistaken identity.

Today was my neighbourly lunch date. Once every month my two neighbours and I hook up for a chatty few hours to gossip, eat and catch up. A "hen party" as My Beloved likes to call it.

I was coming out of my neighbour's house with her 22-month old daughter, helping her navigate the big porch steps while her mommy packed up the sippy cup and other baby paraphernalia inside, when I noticed a youngish looking guy all dressed in a suit coming towards me.

He was a financial planner trolling the neighbourhood for new clients. He asked if he could talk to me and I said I was on my way out. As if she knew I needed an excuse to run away, little J took off down the sidewalk. I took off after her, hoping financial planner dude would see I was clearly too busy to chat. But he didn't. He waited for me to catch her, then started in on his sales pitch.

"Blah blah blah...blah...blah blah blah" was what I heard (we have a financial planner and don't need two so I felt no obligation to listen), until he pointed to J, who I was now holding, and said "I also take care of RESPs, which is perfect for you, having a little one and all".

I just smiled politely.

And thought about how horribly, painfully, impossibly wrong he was.
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Last week I taught a children's mask-making workshop. I had a small group of girls aged 9 - 16.

I haven't taught children's art classes since I was in my early 20s and doing it when I'm now old enough to be even the oldest student's mother does put a bit of a different spin on it for me, but it was still a lot of fun.

Everyone should hang out with a group of kids for a week every once in a while. It's good to be reminded that once upon a time anything was possible and that all you had to do to make dreams come true was to dream them.

On the last day as I was saying goodbye to one of the other instructors, she told me she "liked my vibe."

Now I realize this sounds a little silly and kind of hippy-dippy, but it was possibly the best thing anyone could have said to me last week. Or any week, for that matter.

I don't know what she does or doesn't know about Thomas (I got the job through a mutual friend who may or may not have told her my situation), but the fact that I still possess a vibe that's even remotely likable after everything I've dealt with over the last 5 years is astonishing to me.

And very, very cool. And uplifting. And exciting.

It was a good week. It was the perfect time for a good week.