Rummicubes by Candle Light

I spent a couple of days with Mary and they were enjoyable as always.  We hit her local casino and I lost all my money...surprise, surprise.  In the evening we settled in with gin and tonics to play Rummicubes but a bad storm caused a power outage so we were forced to play by candle light and flashlights.  I wouldn't recommend it but it did allow us to finish a game before we gave up and took our refreshed gin and tonics to the livingroom to just gab.

Mary and I are good friends and we can talk for hours about just about anything so that's what we did.  We don't necessarily have the same views of the world but the trick is to respect another's point of view unless it's a complete deal breaker.  There are none of those for me with Mary and I hope none of my beliefs are too much for her.

Before we went to the casino, we went to the little historic site of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and I was just blown away by what I saw and learned.  Josiah Henson was an American slave who made his way via the underground railway to Dresden, Ontario in 1830.  In 1841, he and a group of others purchased 200 acres of land and created a vocational school for runaway American slaves so they could learn trades to support themselves.

There are still 4 of the original buildings which have been moved to the information center property in Dresden and I think Mary was a little surprised at my need to touch them in order to receive sensory input from them.  I don't know how to explain this need but I do it because it thrills and impresses me.  The strongest feedback came when I put my hand on the little church podium (Henson was a preacher) and it was almost like sparks flying to my hand.  I don't understand it but I believe it's energy of some kind.

The term "Uncle Tom's Cabin" came from the book written by Harriet Beecher Stowe and she based her book, factual and nonfactual, on Josiah Henson.  I can't believe it took me so long to visit and learn about such an important part of Canadian history.  I feel blessed that Mary was kind enough to take me there...she had already visited it before.  It will always astound me that any human being could believe it right to own another human being and to treat them so viciously...buying, selling, tearing apart families, beating, raping, killing.  It frightens me to know that can be a part of the human psyche.

Anyway, my little get-away to Mary and Don's place was also filled with happy times.  They'd had an afternoon party the first day for Don's family and that was great because they all mean a lot to me, too.  I've known this family for so long that I consider myself almost one of them.  They're good people!

All in all, I had a terrific time but I did like coming back home to my sweet little apartment, too.  I seem to have the best of many worlds and I am very thankful.