Watering the Roots

In last week’s post, I said that it was an unusual Monday, and this week, I get to say the same thing again.

Once again, I am not at work. I am not sick. I have not resigned.  I am not having a colonoscopy.  I am in Wisconsin!  (Cue the brass band.)

Steve and I usually come here together in the fall for a larger family reunion, but it occurred to me that a year was too long to go without seeing my sisters. So, while I’m on a 10-day break from work, I hopped on a plane and came up by myself.

The Mantik Manor was all prepared for me with loveliness and thoughtful touches everywhere.

Randy and Debbie have hospitality down to a science. One of the many great things about staying with them is that I can go to bed early, or disappear to my room for two hours, or go on a car ride alone, and they just cheerfully accommodate all the vagaries of my schedule.

After dinner my first night there, we sat on their back patio enjoying perfect Wisconsin weather. Unfortunately, the weather has been yucky since then, but we at least had one good night.

After sitting and amiring it all, I took off on a meandering car ride, knowing it was going to be the last of the good weather. As I pulled out of their driveway, I had to grab a photo of the neat yards and green grass. Small town Wisconsin at its best.

Here are a few photos. (I took this one on the way home from the airport, so it was a little sunnier.)

Randy had given me directions to a round barn, so I added that to my itinerary. It was interesting to see the architecture and fascinating to read about it online.

I happened to arrive just as the sun was setting, which gave me some lovely shots.

I even happened to catch the backside of it from another road I was on.

On Sunday . . .

some of the family gathered at Ruth and Arnold’s house. Randy made sure Croix had her lunch before we left.

Ruth had prepared a tea party setting, which was lovely. It was reserved for the women, while the men were relegated to the non-tea area. (Which they didn’t seem to mind terribly much.)  Ruth is so gifted at taking thrifted items and making lovely things from them.

Note the details– right down to the grapes on the fork, the purple wrapped candies on the spoons, and the place cards.

There were even (edible) frozen flowers in the ice cubes . . .

and a matching drink. (Homemade elderberry/grape juice.)

My great-niece, Keziah, helped finish up the table setting. Such cute braids–plus she matched the color scheme.

She spent some time with her great-aunt Berit and great-Uncle Tim.

I wasn’t very good at getting photos of the whole crew, but in addition to Ruth and Arnold and their son Levi, we had Debbie and Randy, Tim and Berit (brother and sister-in-law), Caleb and Amanda (Debbie and Randy’s son and daughter-in-law), and Hannah and her four kids. (Ruth and Arnold’s daughter and grandkids.) I was honored that they would all take the time to drive in and spend a few hours together.

I love that family gatherings help the younger ones to put names and faces with us oldsters. I think it was Randy who said we were watering the roots of our family tree. What a wonderful way to put it.

Tonight, Ruth is coming over to Debbie’s to spend the night, and the three sisters will see what kind of shenanigans we can get into.  (Hopefully nothing like our trip last year.)

Tomorrow I’ll arrive back in Charlotte about 11:30 p.m.  So thankful for this chance to be back with my family and back in the land of my childhood.

What about you?

What does your week hold?