I just stopped a minute to reflect. What is the definition of 'hometown'? According to the Oxford dictionary, hometown means "the town where one was born or grew up, or the town of one’s present fixed residence."
Does this mean I can have two hometowns, Minneapolis and Washington, DC, or does it mean I have to choose Minneapolis or Washington as my hometown? This is a question worth reflecting on! For the time being, I will say that I have two hometowns!
The primary purpose of my trip was to visit my dear friend Kirky, who just happens to be my oldest friend. She is not my oldest friend in terms of years but in terms of the length of our friendship. We became close friends when we were in first grade and lived in the same neighborhood (actually in the same block).
MONDAY
We went to dinner at the Bread and Pickle at Lake Harriet. I had the most delicious grilled cheese sandwich! It actually matched the grilled cheese sandwich I had just eaten at Jaleo's in DC. As we munched our sandwiches, we looked out over our beloved lake and felt refreshed.
TUESDAY
Kirky and I met some special Washburn HS friends for lunch at Byerly's. The ever thoughtful Bill graciously gave each one of the ladies a gorgeous rose from his very own rose garden.
That evening I visited some cousins in St. Paul. On the way over to the "other City," we stopped at Ingebretsen's so that I could buy a doll bunad for my granddaughter Claudia. I had given her a Swedish American Girl doll but I thought this doll should have a Norwegian bunad.
These bunads are a bit pricey ($60.00 plus tax) but they are authentic reproductions and sewn by hand by a local Minneapolis woman. One hopes that these bunads will be handed down and cherished by many generations.
The Graffer Bunad from Lom, Norway
First I stopped at my cousin Deb's to see her and her charming husband John. She offered a yummy fruit cup in a chocolate container.
Then I went to my cousin Melissa's for dinner. She has a lovely family and it was a very pleasant evening. There was a lot of delicious food, most of it grilled. We had great fun talking about our Norwegian roots.
Missy
Peter
Sri
Jim
Ane Sofi
Isabella
Laura
WEDNESDAY
I went out to lunch with my dear friend Ann. We had lunch at Key's in St. Paul and then stopped for a delicious Dairy Queen on the way home.
That evening Kirky and I took a wonderful walk around her jewel of a lake.
THURSDAY
On Thursday morning Kirky and I went to the Museum of Russian Art, where we saw a fascinating exhibit on "Women in Soviet Art."
Then we had lunch at Patrick's, a cafe actually located in a Bachman's greenhouse!
My cousin Susan then stopped by to pick me up to take me to the airport.
I had a wonderful time visiting with Kirky and seeing a few friends and some cousins. Unfortunately I was not able to see everyone I had planned to see. I had to cancel my visits with Lloyd, Mary, and Jill. I ran low on energy because of a severe throat irritation and unfortunately had to curtail my activities. But I look forward to seeing them when I return to my first hometown September 2014.
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