Joe and I drove up to Brainerd today. Highway 169 took us
along the western shore of Mille Lacs Lake which is the second largest inland
lake in Minnesota at 207 square miles. According to the Minnesota Department of
Natural Resources (DBR) it is best known for its “phenomenal walleye catch
rates.” My first glimpse of the lake took me back in time to the first time I
saw Lake Erie when I was ten years old.
The lake is so big you cannot see the other side! As a ten-year-old,
I remember standing on the shore of Lake Erie and being amazed that you could
not see the opposite bank. Having grown up fishing on rivers in Ohio, I had no
idea there was a body of water as huge as Lake Erie. Now, I know that Lake Erie
is the smallest of the Great Lakes.
All of this ‘lake speculation’ gave me pause and I contemplated
on how much of our world view is formed from our own experiences in life. That led
me to feel grateful for the richness of experience I have been exposed to over
the past sixty-eight years.
We drove up to Brainerd to meet Shelly, Jeremy’s biological mom,
and her husband Artie. The purpose of our visit was to get invitations written
out and addressed for Megan and Jeremy’s baby shower in November. Shelly and
Artie live across the road from The Green Lantern Bar & Grill which kindly
let us spread out our card stuff in a connected side room. When we finished with
the invitations, we ordered lunch.
I especially appreciate the slogan on their menu and
Facebook page. “Where strangers become friends.” Our server was Amanda. Amanda happens
to be Shelly’s niece, and we also learned she is a talented baker and cake
decorator. Shelly asked her if she would bake the cake for the baby shower in
November. She seemed to be amenable to the idea.
Joe and I shared a Steakhouse burger with sweet potato
fries. The burger had mushrooms, onions, Swiss cheese, and horseradish sauce. It
was a mighty fine burger! The sweet potato fries had sugar and cinnamon on them,
and I was surprised how tasty they were. I am not a fan, usually, but Joe loves
them. These were exceptionally good, and I would order them again.
Shelly had brought along brownies she baked for our dessert.
They were…. Sinful. Decadent. I ate one, and Joe ate three. Shelly sent a plate
of those brownies home with us. I will let you know they actually made the trip
home intact. Can’t promise there will be any left by bedtime tonight…
When Joe and I first got to Shelly and Arties’s place,
Shelly asked if I knew the gender of Jermey and Megan’s baby. I told her I did.
She said she wanted to know. I told her I was sworn to secrecy and to call
Megan. She called Megan and after there was no answer, she called Jeremy. Jeremy
told her she had to call Megan. Which just goes to show that Jeremy and I CAN
keep a secret. Shelly got through to Megan on a second attempt. I could only
hear Shelly’s side of the conversation, but it sounded like Megan was grilling
her on whether she really wanted to know. Megan relented and Shelly now knows. It
is still on the hush-hush though as there are people who prefer to be surprised
when Baby Bean is born.
Our drive back to Saint Michael was just as beautiful as the
drive up. Joe said the area we drove through today reminded him of Nova Scotia.
I loved that the leaves have begun to change to orange, red, and yellow.
We got home and I took an hour nap.
My joyful moment today occurred when it struck me that Jeremy
and Megan’s Baby Bean will share Shelly and my genetic makeup. I never thought
of it quite that way before. Her baby boy and my baby girl created a new baby.
I am in awe.
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