It’s been awhile, but I’m back! It was September when I last
made a blog post. My apologies to those who enjoy my blog! Rest assured, I have
not lost interest. I’ve just been super busy! And, a road trip to Duluth,
Minnesota, put me way behind on my monthly goals.
My daughter Anna and I drove my mom all the way to the cool, breezy, misty rainy and foggy city of Duluth for a family wedding. The road trip was 17 hours and 1,000 miles
one way! We faced a few challenges on the trip, but the three of us enjoyed our
time together.
Anna flew from Houston to Huntsville to join us for the trip. Before we left, we squeezed in a visit to my mom at the lake, where we got in a late summer swim! The water was cool, but so refreshing and fun. The next day, we took off for Duluth. It was a quick trip with few stops, but Anna and I convinced my mom that we should make our lunch stop at the National Quilt Museum in Paducah. We ate a picnic lunch and then spent about 45 minutes in the museum. The quilt art is always so very impressive!
The next day, once in Duluth, we took a harbor tour on the
Vista Star. The harbor is very industrial and the water starkly beautiful. Our tour
ship wasn’t allowed outside the harbor because the waters were too rough. That was
fine with me for two reasons -- my family almost drowned in a tugboat on the rough
and stormy waters of Lake Superior when I was about 9 years old, and my cousin
Jack drowned on the lake a year ago in
August while he was fishing. We were in Duluth for his daughter’s wedding.
But, back to the Vista Star tour. Our tour guide Jeff was
fun and quizzed us on Lake Superior facts. I won one quiz question about how
many gazillion gallons of water are in Lake Superior and my mom won a quiz
question about how many times a Zamboni would have to drive across Lake Superior
if it was clearing it of ice. Both of us are good guessers! But my mom is
terrible about following directions. She answered her quiz question three times,
but Jeff wouldn’t accept her answer until she raised her hand and let him call
on her! It was funny! We won drink tickets and promptly ordered some fun
alcoholic concoctions!
The next day – wedding day – we went to the historic
Glensheen Mansion. It was beautiful and interesting. The mansion is frozen in time and holds artifacts from a long ago happy family. Among the many interesting household things was a antique Singer sewing machine that carried a lot of meaning for me.
The weather was cool and
misty rainy, but that didn’t stop Anna and I from enjoying the grounds. The mansion is right on Lake Superior. Despite the weather, we enjoyed being so close to the water.
It was really neat to see rhubarb growing in the family garden.
The wedding was, of course, beautiful and very sentimental.
I was glad to be able to take my mom so far from home for this event. But, on the
way to the wedding, we got a screw in the back driver’s side
tire! It was late
in the afternoon and a cursory search discovered that all the local tire stores
were either closed or getting ready to close. We stayed for the ceremony. But
as soon as it was over, I told Anna my priority was the tire. She joined me as
we searched again by phone for a tire store that could help us. The only place
still open was the Walmart Tire Center in Superior, Wisconsin, about eight miles
away. The tire was still holding enough air to get us there, so away the two of
us went. We got to Walmart at 5:05 p.m., two hours before the tire center
closed. But, the tire store manager refused to help us, saying their computer system
was down and they were told to close. We begged and pleaded and explained our
situation, but he wouldn’t budge.
There was an Auto Zone next door to Walmart. Anna suggested
that we go there to see if they would help us. Employees Tylar and Beth said
they would help. So, there in the middle of the Auto Zone parking lot, they
managed to get the screw out of the tire and then plugged it. We put some air
in the tire and then drove to a gas station nearby to finish filling up with
air. Since I’ve been home, I’ve sent an email complaint to Walmart and an email
compliment to Auto Zone. Both have received my emails and have replied back. I’m
hoping Tylar and Beth get lots of accolades for helping out these two Alabama
girls!
Before we left Duluth, one of my mom’s three sisters had all
of us over for a family brunch. It was nice to visit her home in the woods and talk
with relatives I haven’t seen for years.
Our trip home was long but uneventful.
It was fun to see the countryside and spending time with the two women I love the
most in the world. As an added bonus, the trip was not quilt-less! I worked on
applique blocks going both there and back, and finished several needed to complete
one of the quilts that I’m entering in the Heritage Quilters of Huntsville Fanfare
Quilt Show, March 15-16. Here is a glimpse of the quilt still in progress.
Once home, we had Anna with us for another day and a half.
Boyd’s sister Becky and her husband Tom happened to arrive in town for Becky’s
high school reunion. We were all able to get together for a long lunch before
Anna flew home.
Then, it was goodbye to Anna at the airport. But, I will see her again in early November when Boyd and I visit her for her birthday. Anna and I will enjoy the International Quilt Festival in Houston together!
Having the freedom to enjoy family time like this is one of
the major reasons I retired!
Hugs and Hope –
Kari
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