The ‘Friends Loop’ of our getaway has started. Over the next seven days, we will meet with six groups of friends that have moved away from California to other states: Minnesota, Illinois, and Ohio. Earlier in the trip we met with two other groups of friends, in Nevada and Wyoming, and later in the journey, we’ll meet up with others in Tennessee and Texas. This week is about taking a break from our quest to see National Parks and going to cities to visit friends.
On Tuesday, Sept 5, we visited dear friends, Roy and Lois Grundstrom, in their retirement apartment in Minneapolis and shared lunch with them in the dining hall. Roy and Lois lived in our Sunnyvale neighborhood and moved away 18 years ago. They are now both in their 90s and doing well. We enjoyed our time talking about life, the neighborhood, and life in Minneapolis. Roy and Lois are joyful, faithful, people, and have been happily married for 69 years.
Later that same day, we enjoyed a dinner meeting with Sue’s friend, a colleague at Fremont High School where Sue worked for ten years. We met with Molly and Mike Keogh at Maynard’s restaurant on sprawling Lake Minnetonka in Excelsior. They are great fans of Minnesota and have a real love for the four seasons of weather that this beautiful state provides. Molly continues teaching, now in a junior high school setting. It was great to get together with them.
Wednesday was another 400 miles driving day from Minneapolis south and east to Quincy, Illinois, using the ‘Highway of the Saints’ (the road between St. Louis and St. Paul, MN). Our goal was to see friends from high school and church days, Valerie Vlahakis and her husband Gary Livesay. Val and Ted were in seminary at the same time for one year. Gary is a chaplain at a home for at-risk youth and Val just retired from teaching at a local community college. We spent time with them on Thursday taking a tour of the Chaddock School where Gary serves, driving through Quincy neighborhoods to see beautiful classic historical houses and mansions, and talking to catch-up on life and family. We are very grateful for friendships that enrich our lives over time and distance!