flying weekend

Through the amazing love and kindness of some very dear folks I was able to take advantage of the long weekend.  A car (driven by a New Yorker originally from Morocco) picked me up from work on Friday and I caught a flight Indiana-bound.

 I had my lightly packed backpack and this tote with food, a weddin' quilt, and a few loves of the best Lithuanian Rye Bread New York has to offer.

My flight got into South Bend around 10:30p and waiting for me were Rachel and Joshua!  Yay.  We stopped and got a watermelon.

 The next morning I got exactly what I have been pining for in the last two months - a good snuggle with Stella.

My first stop Saturday morning was down to the Shop to have a visit on the bench with Al.  I presented him with his loaf of rye bread that was deemed top notch.  We caught up with what was new.  Sunday was his 80th birthday.

 

 The roses in the garden were going WILD.  There were just dozens of the red ones and this bush that never bothered to bloom before finally decided to burst into action.

After my visit downtown I high-tailed it over to Aunt Patti's house to help get ready for the weddin'.  Ashley and Jason were wed in a ceremony in the Japanese garden in Mishawaka and the reception was in Aunt Patti's backyard and let me tell you it was AMAZING!  This is a story for another day.

 Sunday we had family brunch with pancakes and french toast.  I made some buckwheat and proceeded to eat all of them before they even got to the table - oops.  I think that half the fun is in the making when everyone is standing around vulturing up any disfigured or stray cakes.

After breakfast we headed over to my dad's sister's house to celebrate Grandma Glenna's 75th birthday.  Everyone was in good spirits - despite the 95 degrees of heat outside.

 Isabelle and Araelynn were quite cute as they took a break from swimming to enjoy cupcakes - especially handfuls of one another's.  I enjoyed chatting it up with their mamas and aunties sans cupcake snatching.

Grandma had brought along a few photo albums and there was one small book that I had never seen before.  It was their wedding album - all in tiny square format photos.  Grandma had told me the story of their getting married a little over three years ago when I was a senior at SCAD.  

They made up their mind that they were getting married and there wasn't anything anyone could tell them otherwise.  (Now you see stubbornness is a family trait.)  She was still in high school - only 17 years old and she borrowed her sister's dress.  Grandma also made certain to tell me that they got married because they wanted to - not because they had to. 

 They were married in her home church in their farming community in Michigan.  That was 58 years ago.

 In usual Telschow tradition, the evening was spent watching the Avengers (the family had already watched it - a few times - but they all went to watch it with me).  Our pre-show meal was Culvers - or should I say their pre-show meal was Culvers.  The brothers love their ice cream.

 We got dad to smile!  I think it is pretty ironic that when we were little he did everything he could to ham it up (including hanging upside-down in a tree) to get good smiles out of us and now we do the same to him.

 I was able to spend Monday morning visiting with Stacy Lane and her Eleanor.  It was so sweet to play catch-up rocking on the front porch of her folk's house.

 Mom baked up six loaves of banana bread - enough so that all her traveling children could take one with them.  Josiah and Lewis back down to West Lafayette (they are both taking summer classes), Samuel back to Grey's Lake, and me back to New York.

 Monday evening was shared celebrating my Aunt Mayrea's birthday.  Rachel baked her up a carrot cake and all the brothers joined their family in a good Birthday chorus.  There were some pretty delicious grilled portabellas served around that crowded dinner table and the brothers all agreed that the chicken was quite good.

 Stella and Atticus were quite tuckered about and happy for a cool place to rest.

 My aunt May is a fantastic gardener - actually a Master Gardener.  Thinking of you Mag and Giz with those lime green coleus. 

 Tuesday morning I glad to be able to sneak in a visit with Jude on her front porch.  The highlight being her sons in the midst of yard work.  They are adorable.

I also managed a quick hello and hug to Miss R and Eli.  Which is a good thing.  Hopefully Miss R and myself will be tearing it up on the Island again one of these days.

Making for a wonderful trip right up to the end - I was able to have lunch with dear Kitty and my folks before heading to the airport.   It was quite lovely to see her happy face - as usual.

My backpack was pretty full on ride back with this load of baked goodness - banana bread and carrot cake made by to of the sweetest ladies whom I love so dearly.

The weekend was chalked full of so many wonderful people.   

Sadly, I did miss out on seeing two of my favorite Wakarusa matriarchs Sue and Carol.  

All in all, I couldn't have asked for a better visit - maybe if blueberry picking had been involved.  I feel so much love and support for my family and dear friends.  In knowing and feeling that it was also wonderful to feel the sense of relief in knowing that I am right where I belong.