I met my quilting friend 4 years ago this fall, I think.
She and her Husband knew all along that they would be in the Princeton area
for 3 years and in 3 years we had various visits and she taught me
how to sew, quilt and we had many lunches and teas at my home,
as well as outings in Princeton.
Yesterday we revisited a lot of these things,
as they were back for a short time and yesterday I got to see her.
The Indian food I had with Mr Husband
and the crepes for lunch and the dinner meal later was with her and her Husband,
myself and my Husband.
We managed to even buy books at the Princeton library.
It was lovely.
I was really tired that morning though, a bit of a wreck to be honest.
My friend helped prop me up with black tea with milk and sugar + a lovely
and later toast with PB & Blackberry Jam with more tea.
It has been day 26 of 27 of being gone, with only 1 night/morning at home on day 25.
As in I flew home (a day late because of cancelled flights) Tuesday night
and we left early-ish afternoon
the next day (my Husband getting us takeout falafel for lunch to eat at home),
that being Wednesday and returning home today, Friday, in the early afternoon.
It was the best way we could have for the visit and such things
and we stayed at a hotel that had a swimming pool and that was lovely.
Anyway, 27 DAYS.
I flew to MI with Mr Husband on July 1st and now it is July 27.
It was really nice though, the many things we got to do and the friends and family we got
to see and I know that I will be grateful for all of these moments as time goes by.
And the Vegetable Thali I had for lunch (really more like brunch!)
was so delicious, a real gift of a meal.
For many years now, I have found Indian food can be one of my
go-to comfort foods if I can get it.
And now I am so happy that I am home, with so many good memories
tucked into this past July, with so many meetings and so much beauty.
***
As we were walking in Princeton yesterday,
on our way to the library,
I realized that this time last year I was laid up in bed,
with my broken foot and my quilting friend came and visited me
various times and cheered me up.
It was a real blessing then and it was a real blessing to realize that
there I was walking on a sunny day in Princeton, soon
to have a very refreshing ice cream cone and
that it reminded me that hard times pass too,
including the unbloggable one that we are still currently in.
***
And so there is so much to be thankful for,
including that I got to do so many things with my friend that were
what we always liked to do together.