Friday, September 10, 2010

The Day I Met My Blogging Friend, Laurie

After a couple of years of blogging, emailing, and getting to know each other on
Facebook, I finally got to meet my friend Laurie. Providentially she lives within an hour of my lifelong friend, Barb, with whom I got to spend an entire week.

It's a strange, sweet, giddy, surrealistic feeling to meet in person someone you've only met online. And when you're sisters in Christ, what could be better? That first glimpse of someone you've only seen in pictures is somewhat like meeting a celebrity. When Barb pulled into the driveway, there was Mike. It was weird parking in front of the shed I'd seen in pictures. I can't explain it. Out of body experience?

Anyway, Laurie and I hit it off immediately as we chatted at her kitchen bar. After a bit, we ate a humongous lunch they'd prepared, and then toured Lindsborg, and drove out to Coronado Heights and surrounding places in the Smoky Hills.





















Christine, her daughter, did an amazing job in the kitchen to put out a smorgasbord for us (when all we were expecting was a sandwich and a glass of tea!). Swedish meatballs with cherry topping ( a new combo for me, and very yum); creamed corn, sweet pickled cucumbers, herbed potatoes, grape tomatoes, flatbread and Havarti and Colby cheeses; homegrown beets, and I'm sure some foods I'm forgetting at the moment. What a treat to "go international" in central Kansas!

















Barb took a jar of the sandhill plum jelly we'd made beforehand, which Laurie promptly heaped upon her slice of buttered bread!










Dessert: Swedish cheesecake called ostkaka, topped with lingonberries. It's really more like rice pudding than cheesecake .Delicious!









As if that wasn't enough ...


Laurie gave me a huge wicker basket filled with a gazillion thoughtful gifts. She truly has the knack for creative and personal expression. Can you see the way the big Z + the "0" (transfat) + "Anna's" cookie brand spells out my name? What's more, she gave me Swedish coffee, a Dala horse mug, several postcards by Swedish artist Birger Sandsen *who lived in KS), plus some Swedish candy, a KU shopping bag (my parents' alma mater so I'll pass the treasure on to them), sketch pads, a journal, gold writing pen (because of my penchant), and other little goodies. I was undone by her generosity! So much thought, time and love went into this gift and I love it. Thank you, Laurie, for everything! I feel so loved!
What a day that was.

1 comment:

Laurie said...

Valkommen! Du ar valkommen!
It was a pleasure, a delight and a highlight! Christine did an awesome job helping in the kitchen, didn't she! Thank you and Barb for bringing sandhill plum jelly. Yum! Thank you for visiting! Komma Agin!