18 Years and Counting
Way back in 1994 I was a college freshman in Cincinnati, OH. That fall, I met five other girls with whom I would form a close friendship. Little did we know that 18 years later we’d still be getting together yearly for a reunion. This past weekend was our 17th one. Throughout the years we’ve reunited in different places, rented cabins, at each other’s houses, until we settled on traveling back to the city where it all began.
One member of our group still lives in Cincinnati, thus we all stay at her place. The rest of us drive in from our respective locations in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio. Not all of us can make it for each gathering, but there are always at least four of us. We have celebrated weddings, rejoiced at births, comforted after divorce, and cried at a funeral throughout the years.
Even though we don’t talk much throughout the year, when we come together it’s like we were never apart. We laugh as we tell funny stories from the past and much time is spent filling each other in on what’s going on in our lives.
It is a weekend filled it lots of laughter, great food, and good company. This past weekend we went to the Findlay market, walked down the by the river, rented a quad surrey and went for a ride in the park. Of course, all the Cincinnati specialities like Graeter’s and Skyline Chili were checked off the list as well.
It’s really hard to believe that I’ve known these lovely ladies for 18 years, time really does fly. It seems like yesterday when we were eating key lime pie out of the pan in our hotel room of our first get together the summer of 1995 the summer between our freshman and sophomore years.
Do you have any friends that you reunite with on a regular basis?
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Quote of the Day: Louise Dickinson Rich
It’s very illuminating to have to make a list, which you will very possibly have occasion to use, of the things you’d save in extremity. It reduces one’s material possessions to their proper place.
Louise Dickinson Rich We Took to the Woods
This is also the case when moving, or at least it should be. Going through everything you own and asking yourself what you really need. The truth is, we really don’t NEED that much to survive. It is nice to have things that make our lives more comfortable, but it can weigh us down if we have too much. Thankfully, Mr Chiots and I started minimizing our stuff many years ago. We stepped off the consumerism treadmill by dedicating an entire year to not buying anything we didn’t need to survive. At the same time we started getting rid of things we didn’t use or need. As a result, packing should be a little easier. During the process, we’re also trying to go through everything to lighten the load even more. There are still a few things that we’re asking ourselves: to take or not to take?
Take my hanging baskets for example, I don’t really NEED them, but I do like them. Do I want to pack them, take them to Maine, store them over the winter, plant something in them, and water them next summer? That is the question, do I want to deal with hanging baskets? There isn’t even a front porch at the new place.
They’ll go into the “maybe” pile. Things that we’re on the fence about and may part with if the moving truck gets too full.
How good are you about keeping your things at a minimum? Do you find it difficult to part with things?
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Friday Favorite: Meeting You
In this day in age it’s very common to know someone and yet to never have actually met them in person. Every now and then I get the opportunity to meet one of my blog readers and it’s always fun. Earlier this spring , Mr Chiots and I stayed with a blog reader in Maine. She said it was kind of funny to meet me in person because she knew so much about me having read my blog, but I knew nothing about her.
Yesterday evening I had the chance to meet another blog reader. Her and her husband came down to Chiot’s Run for dinner. I made homemade pasta and topped it with garden fresh veggies. She headed home with my cold frame and a few plants for her garden.
We enjoyed good food and lots of great conversation. In fact, it almost got dark while we were talking over empty plates and we almost missed the garden tour. A month or two ago, another reader stopped by for brunch when she happened to be in the area. I truly enjoy meeting and chatting with my blog readers in person, it’s certainly a pleasure to get a glimpse into your lives. If you’re ever in midcoast Maine, contact me. Swing by for coffee, a meal or even a night or two, we’d be happy to meet you in person!
Have you ever met an internet friend before?
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Yawn…..
Mr Chiots and I are TIRED! Sunday we spent the day working in Cleveland arriving home in the wee hours of the morning We slept in until 7, but that wasn’t nearly enough sleep. It’s hard to sleep in though when you’re used to getting up early. We were up until 9 pm last night working on the upstairs and fell into bed not soon after. Only a few more busy weeks and then rest will come.
That’s yours truly as a wee little lassie. This photo pretty much sums up what I’m feeling like right now. Good news is, we already have a viewing being scheduled for the house next week, which gives us the much needed motivation to keep going!
Are you an early riser or a night owl?
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Quote of the Day: Linda Tatlbaum
No matter how hard you will ever work, you can never gain control over a wild wood, which teaches you something about human effort and the grandiosity of a life’s plan. I like to think the woods represent a limit to the humanly possible, a place where you can talk all you want but you’ll never convince the trees to obey.
Linda Tatlbaum from Carrying Water as a Way of Life: A Homesteader’s History
One can’t help but feel very insignificant when surrounded by a very old wood. As gardeners, we try to bend nature to produce the look that we want. When you travel into the woods you realize that nature really does do it better than we every could.
When was the last time you spent time in the woods?
