Monday, November 21, 2022, MN, WI, MN

I’m going to write about the highlight of my weekend first, as I have this really good feeling right now.  Ben and I decided to make a trip to Stoughton this weekend to see Pat and Tracey and Charlotte came along. It was a whirlwind of a long drive but so worth it and it gave Ben and I some great one-on-one time. It has been four years since my boys have been together although they stay connected by talking on the phone frequently.  Ben’s life is very full with his family and Pat recovers from his very physical job on the weekend and just doesn’t like to leave home much, so this trip means so much to me.  

My neighbor, Deb, was willing to dog sit for me and that made it so much easier.  All went well with those two.

Ben and Charlotte picked me up about 8:30 on a frigid (18°) Saturday morning and we hit a few spots along the route where we had blowing snow and there was a strong wind, but not too bad.  It was a long, 5-hour drive with a few stops along the way, lots of snacks, and Charlotte read one of her books three times. We went straight to Pat’s house and just talked and talked and Charlotte and Tracey played some video games (probably Charlotte’s highlight) of the evening and we went to Wendigo for dinner. Dang, it was a cold and miserable night weatherwise, but there was a lot of warmth surrounding us.  Charlotte took this picture at the restaurant. 

After a stop at Fosdal’s Bakery on Sunday morning and a couple of hours with Pat and Tracey, we made a quick stop to drop off a gift that I had for Susan (she starts her chemotherapy treat on Friday) and we had a short and sweet chat with her.  And then for the long drive back home, with only one break at a rest area on the Minnesota state line and a stop at Andele Taqueria for yummy burritos before getting back home. All in all, it was a very nice trip.

Last Friday was kind of a fun day, as Judy and I went to the Masonic Home for their annual Holiday Bazaar and saw some really nice crafts and some of the old standards too.  My favorites were the cowl scarves and mittens made from beautiful recycled Merino wool sweaters.  From there we went to an Estate Sale and to the Touch of Home Consignment shop - a very nice shopping experience. I didn’t buy anything but I sure enjoyed the looking.

Earlier in the week, Mother Nature dropped about 4.5” of snow over a period of 4-5 days and our temps dropped to below average - in the 20s.  I had to pull out the bin under the bed that had my warm winter jackets and boots in it. It make it so much harder to handle when it comes on fast and furious after a long period of really mild weather.

I took this cute picture of Joey they other day.