Labor of Love

Labor Day. It's a holiday. And while I'm a little whiney about going back to work full time and full throttle this week, I got paid for today because I'm full time once again and get paid for holidays! I also have a batch of banana walnut muffins in the oven. I've taken a brief leave of the kitchen to give the dish faeries an opportunity to clean up after me. I sincerely believe in them and one of these days they will indeed show up. I thought I met the Queen of the dish faeries a few years ago. Our friend Jon had shown up with his friend Christine to spend a few days with us. Christine was a tall, twinkly-eyed, red-haired young lady from Ireland. Jon had met her a few years earlier on a trip over to the Emerald Isle and they had kept in touch. He invited her over for a tour of the USA, including golf, Mount Rushmore, fishing and, a stop at our house. Christine was so very, very cool. We couldn't bear to tell Jon that he was not even the tiniest bit close to her league. We were just happy that he brought her across the Atlantic to spend a few days with us! I cooked up a storm for our guests, just a little thing that I do, and after dinner I had left a few things to clean up the next morning. I don't know about you, but I'd rather sit on the deck with a glass of wine in my hand after dinner and watch the sun set with friends than polish up the kitchen and miss all the fun. To my surprise and delight, the next morning I heard cleaning-up sounds emanating from the kitchen. Christine, Christine, Dish Faerie Queen, was washing up the few things from the night before. She flashed me a smile and put a cup of coffee in my hand. Cleaning up after your family is something of a labor of love. Christine was cleaning up my mess and I adored her for it. Maybe it was just her lilting Irish accent that made her seem akin to the faeries to me. She remains in my heart though the time we spent together was short. It's funny how you can spend just a few days, sometimes just a few hours with someone, and you immediately connect. And even if you never see each other again, you're left with lingering, lovely memories and swear you had known them for years. I'm still just a little annoyed with Jon for not being cool enough for Christine to marry him. But I'm forever grateful to Christine for helping me believe in the faeries.