A Very, Very Special Visit

 

 

Well, well, well. 
Who have we here? 
None other than the world famous, world traveling, our-man-in-London, librarian ultra deluxe, gardener, Olga-dad (along with Dave), abandoned plant savior, and reporter on all things Russian neighbor related....STEVE REED!

Yes. Steve made took the time and effort to stop by Lloyd on his way from Jacksonville to Bradenton and I was so delighted to see him and get to visit with him again. This is our fourth real life meet-up which is pretty amazing in that he lives across the ocean and once our meeting place was Cozumel. But in the strange way that these things happen, we have a great deal in common and even have a few people in common, mostly because he grew up not that far from where I lived after we moved from Roseland to Winter Haven and then he worked as a journalist for several newspapers in the Winter Haven area and even lived there for a time. He didn't get there until I'd left, but still- when I asked him what lakes he lived near, he could tell me, just as I could tell him which lakes I lived near. Winter Haven is officially The City of One Hundred Lakes. 

Ever since the first time I met him, I've felt as if we were some sort of siblings, albeit siblings with a large age gap, and we've never had an awkward moment between us as far as I can remember. And today was even better because Jessie, who had never met him, joined us. 

I wanted to take him to Monticello because that's a Florida experience that is quite different from the experience of going to Tallahassee and he was agreeable. We went to The Mexican and had very tasty lunches and talked and talked and then we went to the antique store where I bought Dorothy Ann. I showed him the exact shelf she'd been on. Here's a picture I took of him at that shop.

He was probably getting texts from Dave saying, "Don't buy that!" 

We didn't get much at that store. Steve got some post cards and Jessie bought some napkins. I bought nada. There was a doll...

And the thought of her is going to be nagging me. I did hold her and cuddle her for a moment and gave her a kiss on the check and then set her back down. 

Then we went to Wag the Dog, the thrift store that you can sort through for days. We didn't find much there today, though. 

And then it was time for Steve to get back on the road so we drove back to Lloyd and he really wanted to see the trillium, which he did. He was impressed. So was Jessie. We had so much fun with that girl. 

Here they are in the kitchen. 

And then off he went to drive for more hours and like I said- I really do appreciate him taking the time and effort to stop and visit. It truly is one of those relationships where we just pick up where we left off but even more than that- we know pretty much everything (within reason) about what our respective days are like, what the latest news has been, what our sweeties and our pets have been up to and all because we visit each other daily through our blogs. 

It's a beautiful thing. 

Since he and Jessie left I've covered up the plants on the front porch again because we're supposed to have another hard freeze tonight. 

Ghost plants. 

I've made a pot of venison and vegetable soup. 

Carrots, celery, four kinds of greens from the garden, potatoes, corn, peas, lima beans, onion, garlic, green beans and tomatoes. I think it will do and there's focaccia rising as the oven preheats. 

Here's a Roz Chast cartoon I found in the New Yorker that I feel is appropriate to the situation and and to almost every situation that involves cooking. 

It's been a sweet day. Thank you, Steve. And thank-you, Jessie for going with us and making us laugh even more than we would have. 

Love...Ms. Moon