Toronto + friends

Yesterday, I met up with Maureen McGowan for coffee and a treat.

(Yes, yes, I know the picture is better of Maureen than me, but there are only so many times you can interrupt a stranger who's peacefully perusing the paper (a day for alliteration!) at the table next to you!) And, Maureen, I forgot to tell you how much I love your highlights!

Anyway, Maureen and I originally met online, and now we've met three times (oh, or maybe four?) face to face. She's fun and interesting and insightful and a terrific writer. If you ever get the opportunity to chat with her in real life, don't pass it up.

Something that's really struck me this trip is how easily I've fallen back into friendships. It's as if I saw these people a few weekends ago. When, in reality, I haven't been home in eight years (I will never go this long again, but that's another story). I think this level of comfort and ease despite a long separation must be a true test of friendship. I'm lucky to have these people in my life.

Thank you DM, best friend from high school, for arranging the dinner for our hen night. It was great to see JW and ST too. Thank you ML, roommate from my University of Toronto days, for driving down from Barrie.

And a huge huge thank you to KJ for the magnificent dinner party complete with hors d'oeuvres and salads and Swiss Chalet chicken (because you read on the blog I was dying for Swiss Chalet). And for inviting the crazy Bs from Newmarket. And thank you for chauffeuring me and my ARCs and my bookmarks around to various indie bookstores. I needed your cheerleading.

It's going to be tough to leave.