119. "you brought doughnuts!!!"

Suzy Q's doughnuts on Wellington street...ah-mazing.

As maybe some of you know, I have made a dream list for my life. 

It is a list that grows and expands as I dream-up new adventures or realize I should do a specific thing in my life at one time or another..

Now, one of my very dear friends Keltie has made it a mission of hers to help me cross off as many items from my dream list as possible.

In high school she kidnapped me one afternoon after class and she had packed a picnic lunch for the both of us to have a picnic in the rotary circle near my house. The picnic consisted of a handful of my absolute favourite snacks, including carrots, sour jube jubes. 

A newfound love..paddle boards

Another day (even though she gets incredibly motion sick...which I learned after the fact)  we went rolling down Citadel Hill.   We went on a major roadie together across a large portion of Canada...where we visited the prairies (another check off the dream list) and our final destination was spending an entire summer together as Full Timers at camp (another check).  

She and I built a snowman on a roof (my dream is to sleep on a roof) but why not build a snowman as well!

We both  tried out dirt bike riding together...she was a wee bit more successful at that than I..I hit a tree...and did a flip/wheelie combo... BUT later on in that trip together we went and listened to the Dalai Lama, which was pretty epic (even with whiplash throughout my entire body).

One of my dreams was also to live on a ranch...so when I lived at Tullecombe and had seven horses living on site...well I considered that close enough to a ranch as it was probably going to come. Now, Kelt was a part of that experience too! If you do not remember, or were not a 'follower' of my blog back in 2008 (entry found here), Keltie showed up on my doorstep in England completely unexpected one day, and surprised me! She told me she was only going to stay a day or two...twelve days later, after working tirelessly by my side, she continued on her journey elsewhere.

I had been surprised by Kelt numerous times throughout our friendship up until that May day in 2008, but that one took the cake! It was the best by far! Thus, inspiring a new dream of mine....dream # 119 Surprise Keltie.

The calmest of mornings was spent out on the river

Let it be known there is no official ranking system to my list...but they do have numbers to help me keep track. 

After a few failed attempts at surprising Keltie over the years, her brother Robbie and I started scheming again this summer for what we hoped would be a successful surprise!

After scheming and sorting out dates, it was settled. A flight was booked. I had the ticket ready to go...all I had to do was make sure Keltie did NOT find out...and to make sure she somehow wasn't going to be in Nova Scotia when I was fulfilling a life dream of surprising her! 

You may think that seems like a small feat...but let me tell you, it is actually exceedingly harder than it seems!

A dandi as big as my hand!

I arrived on a Tuesday morning (which I realize now was the day Keltie arrived at my doorstep in 2008). After an early morning flight sat nearly on top of by a child with the most powerful lungs I have heard in quite some time, Robbie picked me up at the airport and away we went!

We made a detour to Keltie's favourite doughnut shop and picked up a few dozen treats for her and the people at her work *which is a daily drop-in (similar to the Sunday Suppers).

As we approached the drop-in, arms full of doughnuts and hearts racing it struck me I was actually going to SURPRISE KELTIE!

I was pretty sure my heart was going to beat out of my chest as I walked through the doors. My eyes spotted Kelt in behind the counter washing some dishes. As the door shut behind me, she lifted her head to greet whoever came through the door, she spotted me, smiled, looked down, and then looked back up again---smile from ear to ear---and she ran out to Robbie and I...Arms outstretched and as she said 'you brought doughnuts!!!!!' 

Mission complete.

The best doughnuts ever

Dream 119. Surprise Keltie complete.

We sat down and planned the next couple of days together over coffee in her workplace, surrounded by people playing cribb and scrabble and all I could do was smile...that is what dreams coming true feel like!

One of my favourite things about the time I spent with her that week was the fact that I got to jump into life alongside her. Yes I was a visitor and yes I was only there for a few days, I loved the fact that I was able to live real life alongside her in her workplace, just like she did all those years ago with me in England.

I was able to meet the people she loves, laugh, share stories, serve coffee and tea, play scrabble, stand in for her when she needed an evening off, and simply be with her and her community. It felt as if I had been there forever working alongside her, when really it was only a number of days!

Thats a sign of true friendship eh? When you are able to jump into one another's lives and live alongside them without skipping a beat. When you are able to simply be in one another's presence without feeling the need to entertain or feel guilty for lost time.

We do that well I think...understand each other. Love each other. And care enough to make dreams come true.

It was a good team effort! Robbie was key to making this dream come true, and I am so grateful it happened.

It was an awesome week. I was able to go paddle boarding out on the river at sunrise twice! I got to see my grandparents and uncle for an afternoon in Napanee. I got to hang out with Kelt, simply be with her and be reminded of how dear she is to me! I had real raw sushi. I got lost and was made an amazing dinner when I finally made it home. I ate my fair share of doughnuts. Went tandem biking. I saw a sweet music show, had late night shwarma, ate ice cream from a creepy singing ice cream truck that stopped at the bottom of the drive....and in doing all of that...I loved every moment of it. It was an amazing surprise. And such a blessing to be able to spend that time with dear dear friends.

Hey Kelt and Robbie? ----Here's five pineapples.....I like you a lot.