Trip Diary ~ Day 3

July 24, 2015, Friday

Dear Readers,

"A friend is one of the nicest things you can have,

and one of the best things you can be."

~Douglas Pagels

I woke this morning to the aroma of wonderful coffee. Elaine asked if I liked banana pancakes. I LOVE banana pancakes. I must say, my friend is an amazing cook! I am pinching myself to see if I am really here and experiencing such joy and contentment.

I couldn't help but peering out the windows of the condo to take a peek at my old house across the street and the playground where I used to swing, climb the monkey bars, ride the merry go round, and chase friends! The playground was asphalt and I got many a scraped knee and elbow there! Now, it's a beautiful grassy area.

The coolness of the morning air beckoned me outdoors. I drove out to the Glenwood Lutheran Cemetery to walk among my ancestors and have a nice chat with my mom and dad. It is so peaceful there and I felt the deepness of my roots going back to the 1800's when Anton and Caroline Pederson and Knut and Ragnhild Torguson arrived from Norway. I have many relatives buried there on the land my grandfather donated to the Lutheran Church. One thing I can say for sure, my ancestors made a big mark on the town and across Minnesota.

After spending some time there, I ventured back into Glenwood and drove by the house where I was born and the home I lived in until my graduation from high school. Funny how I could remember every nook and crannie of each home. Everything looked so much smaller than how I remembered it. I guess as a kid, things always seem bigger than they really are. One exception was the church I was baptized in, confirmed in, married in, and began my walk with Christ. I wished I'd have had time to go in and see the beautiful stained glass windows and sit in the oak pew donated by my grandparents ... next trip...

I drove by the courthouse where my mom worked in Human Services for many years; went up to Mount Lookout where I hiked as a kid (it was also the local "necking" spot!); photographed the library (this was my home away from home, I spent so much time there getting books to read); and, I noticed the old IOOF building kitty corner where I attended Brownies and Girl Scouts (2nd Floor).  

My room was on the second floor left window
205 N Franklin Street

360 2nd Street Northeast

Glenwood Lutheran Church

Courthouse where my mother
worked until her retirement.

View from Mount Lookout

The Library
Another of my places of learning!

Building where I attended
Brownie & Girl Scout meetings.

I went back to the condo and SURPRISE, Elaine had baked a wonderful Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake with Cream Cheese frosting ... all from scratch. One piece led to two, it was that good!

We started texting friends who would be gathering later in the day. I tell you what, the new phones are great for keeping in touch and coordinating meetings.

Elaine, Susan, Priscilla, and I decided to do a little antiquing and visited the local shop where I always find something special.

I got a lot of ideas for my gardens. I thought the bike painted lime green was wonderful. It was really inexpensive BUT there was no way I could stuff it in Graycie for the trip home.

Uff da!

(Uff da is of Norwegian origin. It is used to express surprise, astonishment, exhaustion, relief, and dismay.  It roughly means "drats!," "oops!," or "Oh no!,"

Susan and I went downtown so I could check out The Valley Troll (a Norwegian store with all sorts of wonderful things.) Wouldn't you know, I found a print of  a Norwegian kitchen scene that I had to have and replaced an art piece that I bought in 2011 that I had broken.

Funny how one can walk everywhere in a small town! We headed back to the condo where we would meet up with Lynda. Marshall and Pam wanted to go back to Captain's for dinner so we all climbed in Lynda's car and headed out. Everyone was putting in $10 to play pull tabs and since I'd never heard of such a thing I didn't know if I wanted to play. At the last minute, I put down my ten dollars. Luckily, Marshall had a big winning tab and my return was $27 ~ not bad, paid for my dinner.

We're winners!

Elaine, Moi, Susan, Priscilla
Life-long friends!

Pam, Marshall, Lynda
Oh, how I love these precious friends!!

What do I do every time I go home? I drive around the lake and have a Dairy Queen Peanut Parfait in Starbuck. This time was no different. Lynda was gracious enough to take us all on a wonderful ride to Barsness Park, a tour of the gorgeous lake homes and resorts, and stopped at the Dairy Queen. Yum!!

It's me, Dottie ~ prayer time. Lord Jesus, what an amazing day chocked full of love, laughter, and memories of times spent with friends. There are fireworks of beauty going off in my head as I recall the many times I looked up at the night sky oohing and aahing. I pray that the all school reunion tomorrow will be a huge success and that I will be able to see friends that I haven't seen for many years. Protect those driving and flying in from far away places. I pray for Michael as he continues to feed and care for the Sensational Six at home. I pray for those on my prayer list as they walk through the shadows of death, struggle with financial constraints, suffer from loss and illnesses, and those who are feeling defeated by the enemy. Bring a sense of stillness and hope to our country. Dr Jesus thank you for healing my mind and giving my life meaning! Amen it is so!!

Miss Dottie

PS  "Ah, how good it feels! The hand of an old friend." ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

My besties: Lynda, Elaine, Susan
An evening of sharing life!!