A Quick Trip to Minnesota

Last Wednesday started like any other day with us out driving around and taking in the sites of the Palm Springs area. We stopped by a county park on the south end of Coachella Valley and posed by a palm tree.

Around midnight that night, I landed at Humphrey Terminal in Minneapolis where it was 3 degrees below zero. After walking a couple of blocks and thinking I was going to freeze to death, I caught the light rail service to the main terminal where a rental car was waiting. I was told then that I could have picked up a car at Humphrey... who knew - the online booking service only indicated main terminal pickup, oh well. So it is 1 a.m., I am cold and hungry as I head for mom's house. A couple of hours later, I am tucked under three heavy blankets in the upstairs bedroom of my family home, with mom gently snoring in the bedroom below. It may have been cold outside, but it was with warm thoughts that I fell asleep.

Over the next few days, mom and I spent a lot of time in the kitchen.

I had decided that some soup and stew might be good foods to put in the freezer for mom to fix later. And, of course, we needed to make white sugar cookies; they have been a staple in this home since I can remember. And we had some coconut that needed to be used, so we spent some time looking for recipes and ended up making (and then freezing) some lemon coconut bars.

The ladies at the grocery store could not believe how much of mom's money I was spending on food and stuff, but she should be well supplied for a while. Since mom doesn't go out much in the winter, she orders her food from the grocery store and they deliver it - works good, but it just isn't the same as having someone pick out your favorites. Oh, speaking of the ladies - one of them told me that since they know mom loves garlic toast, they special order a bag for her from the bakery every Thursday just in case she calls in a grocery order... now that is a small town. I also got hugs from one of them and was assured that they would take good care of mom's food needs when I was gone.

It was a joy to eat meals with mom; nothing elaborate, but thanks was given for each meal, even the morning peanut butter toast.

This is one very special lady and she doesn't realize how much I miss her when we are traveling. It was wonderful to see her!

On Sunday, I took an early morning drive (it was a beautiful MN morning) to Cleveland to

attend our home church where I chatted with friends before heading for brunch with "The Kids".

Ok, so they aren't exactly Kids anymore, but that is how Mike and I always refer to them. Kaci and Chris and Amariah joined us also - that would be two "grands" and a "great grand".

Later that day, I spent some time at Kaci's getting a much needed dose of Amariah. Her vest from Mexico fit her pretty good.

She made this "Special Face" just for Opa.

As with all kids, the wrapping was the most fun.

It was a quick trip, but it was a great trip. And now, I am back in 70 degrees... and that is good too.