Friends like Gretchen and her daughter Teddy mean a lot to me. I flew out for the second time this year to spend four days with them in western Wisconsin. Gretchen has some health challenges and we were both heartened to meet her new primary care doctor who talks common sensically. We hope her suggestions give Gretchen relief from more than six months of extreme discomfort.
While staying with this pair of women I feel so at home with, we watched a lot of streaming episodes of The Gilmore Girls. Very well written scripts, and well acted believable characters. We talked a lot, laughed a lot, and were entertained by the antics of the three sibling kitties Sven, Kova and Reilly. They get their zoomies out by thundering through the house and leaping great distances or straight in the air. Sven, especially, likes to test Teddy’s patience when he jumps up to the top of the fridge and then stretches up to topple a barrier on the cupboards nearby.
I walked downtown Roberts–a village of a couple of thousand folks–surrounded by silos and cornfields. I was impressed by the Top Stitchery Full Circle Quilting store’s quilts on display. I learned of the longarm computerized quilting device which stitched patterns and connected the layers of the quilt.
I enjoyed my walks, admiring the trees and flowers. Roberts’ characters and political affiliations add color and controversy to my visit.
While staying with Gretchen and Teddy, I learned I could cut a block of cheese with a butter knife, enjoy frozen blueberries in yogurt, and realized I am addicted to finding solutions–which comes from growing up as the middle sister always wanting to make it right among everyone. Later, while working at the library for nearly eight years, I perfected that addiction in searching for the right answer for the patrons I served.
On the flight home to Seattle, I read My Friends, by Swedish author Fredrik Backman. The novel is about a group of friends, each with near genius qualities, who grow up poor and in dysfunctional families. It underscores the power of genuine friend connection and knowing there’s someone who believes in you. Four friends’ lives are revealed from when they were 14, and recalled 25 years later. In reading it, I copied so many passages, appreciating how truly the words resonated. One line that really struck home was when one of the characters who witnesses his friend’s last moments of life is “struck by the panic of love and just wants to help.” I felt that with my friends I visited and have known for thirty years–struck by wanting to help ease their challenges because I love them so much. Thank you, Frederick Backman, for your insight.
We discovered nearby Perch Lake in St. Croix County. I loved the warm 70-ish degree water, the grasses growing in the shallows and how they scratchilly tickled my legs until I was out at deeper depths. I was surprised to learn from an AI inquiry that Goss Lake–where I swim regularly–is actually larger at 53 acres, compared to Perch Lake’s 45 acres. AI tells me “…the lakes are remarkably alike in both size and depth.” Goss Lake is 61 feet deep, and Perch Lake is 63 feet deep. Gas engines are prohibited on both lakes, giving them a clean, refreshing quality. Teddy found the surrounding forest and lake relaxing as well. She said she did not know of its existence prior to our visit.
We also enjoyed delicious Japanese fare at Haiku Izakaya & Ramen in Woodbury MN. We ate there when I visited last March and were joined by son Raymo, who happened to be in Minneapolis/St. Paul for a transportation conference at the time. Teddy treated me to early dinner–I enjoyed California Roll, miso soup and we shared green tea ice cream. Teddy ordered miso soup, fried octupus rolls and steamed buns with chicken. The photos below are from our previous visit.
On Aug. 28th I treated Teddy to dinner at Miko Thai Kitchen in Hudson WI. My drunken noodles were delicious with fresh veggies and basil. Teddy ordered a generous bowl of Pho beef. We ordered egg rolls and pork wonton for Gretchen to enjoy later.
That night we watched Disclosure Day. It was my fifth time watching the film, and Gretchen and Teddy’s first. Afterward I asked Teddy’s reaction. Like my husband Bill, and neighbor Lisa, who watched the film with me on two separate occasions, Teddy thought the film needed “more meat.” For me? I savor each scene, knowing that some of the action sequences are over the top, and appreciating Steven Spielberg’s message on the need for empathy to save ourselves and our planet. I will watch Disclosure Day a sixth time tonight with our neighbor Rie, who saw the film with me the first time. I’ve baked a banana bread to snack on while we watch the film.
After being gone four nights, I appreciated seeing Bill at the SEATAC airport. We drove toward home appreciating the Seattle skyline, and enjoying a late night meal of Thai food at Thai Cottage in Edmonds.
The following day we visited the South Whidbey Harbor–what we locals call the Langley marina. There we indulged our love of nature and were treated to the antics of baby harbor seals and their mama, who effortlessly leapt from the water onto the boat docks. The babies had not perfected their leaping skills yet, and hung out on pipes under the docks. We heard their voices–a higher grunt than their mama’s deep voice. We admired the patience of a Great Blue heron, who fished from a pipeline suspended under the dock. While we watched, he successfully caught sandlance/herring/surf smelt–all considered forage fish–each time he struck the water.
Time to get dinner going. Rie will be here in two hours. Here’s to friends.