Fairy Godmother

My dear friend, Wenirs, has two children. They are wonderful "kids," now in their mid-twenties and all grown up, with responsible jobs and independent lives, but every now and then they check in with me and it always makes my day/week/month. They are as close to a son and a daughter as I have.

I have even changed their diapers, once upon a time, so you know my love for them is complete and selfless.

We have always had such fun together - learning to juggle, taking glass blowing lessons, baking cookies or making eggs in a frame, dressing up to go to the theatre - just a few examples of the memories we have over their lifetime.

They have always called me "Aunt Pam" although I'm not any blood relation to them. For years, we struggled to define with an easy term the calabash relationship we have always enjoyed. Yes, I am a friend, but really more than that. No, I'm not a godmother, as none of us is religious in any accepted sense. Then, one day, out of the blue, probably while we were watching some Disney fantasy, popped the term "Fairy Godmother."

Perfect!

That's what I am to them, their Fairy Godmother. I swoop in every now and then, bringing presents and laughter, then swoop away again while they return to normal life. If I'd had more money, I'd have been like Auntie Mame.

My Fairy Godson is named Mark. He lives in Los Angeles but every now and then he braves the chill of the north to visit us, as he did last week. We had a marvelous week; we swam together in the Plunge, shopped and poked, yakked and watched TV, hiked the Tennessee Valley trail and, after the hike, stopped in Mill Valley at Joe's Taco Lounge. We were ravenous at 2pm, neither of us having had breakfast before starting the walk to the sea. (By the way, if you have never done that walk, put on your beetle crushers and go - it's a gem!)

Joe's wasn't too busy at that time of day, with just a few other diners in the joint. We placed our orders and sat outside in the shade of their big tree, reviewing the wonders of the hike as we waited for lunch. I had two tacos, one carne asada and one carnitas. Mark ate most of a giant burrito. Mark introduced me to Cholula hot sauce; I unscrewed the wooden cap and sprinkled it sparingly on my tacos. The first bite was wonderful - it has some heat and more flavor but it's not overwhelming. It's now my go-to when I want hot sauce.

Pleasantly tired, we stopped at the Mill Valley Market for dinner provisions, knowing that dinner would be late after such a filling lunch. All in all, a lovely day and a super week for a fond Fairy Godmother.