Dinner in Aberfoyle

"Ponder well on this point: the pleasant hours of our life are all connected by a more or less tangible link, with some memory of the table."
- Charles Pierre Monselet

We accepted an invitation to the home of one of Merv's colleagues for an afternoon gathering in Waterloo yesterday. I really didn't have any idea what to expect. The party was scheduled for two hours. Merv was the senior colleague (the hostess' boss' boss) by both position and age. We didn't know if it would be awkward or if the invitation was a courtesy rather than a real request for our presence. Nonetheless, we headed to Waterloo for a two o'clock start. We had a lovely time. They were a great group of people, fun, warm and welcoming. We stayed until the official end of the party at four o'clock though I'm sure the rest of the guests lingered long after our departure.

A gathering in Waterloo gave us the perfect segue to a trip to Guelph to spend some time with Jacob. We offered him the choice of lunch or dinner. He elected dinner so Merv made a reservation at the Aberfoyle Mill. I hadn't been there for about thirty years and it was new for both Merv and Jacob. It was as charming as I remembered. The service was excellent and the meal was superb. Best of all, it gave us a chance to catch up. We had a good meal and a long talk, none of us in a hurry to go anywhere. Jacob looks great - his hair a perfect length, his skin clear and his eyes bright. I wanted to hug him and never let him go.

With just two more weeks of classes left and then a couple of weeks of exams, it won't be long until he is home for the summer. He starts work on May 2. Unfortunately he must return to Guelph after Easter to write one last exam on Easter Monday. He has already arranged with his boss at Rogers to have two weeks off in June so he can accompany us on a holiday to England.

It won't be long now. For me, Jacob's return home will mark the first day of spring.