Last minute plans

When I was growing up near here, there was an older couple who bought land across the creek from us and built a cabin there. B and E lived in the Cities and came up on weekends for years, until their cabin was built. We used to visit back and forth every weekend, and my mom kept in touch with them over the years.

When we came to MN on vacation, B put a fire in the stove for us before we arrived at the cabin my parents built. We stopped in to visit with them for a while (except a couple of the boys, who played in the snow the entire time).

Between then and the time we moved up here a year ago, B died. E sold their cabin and moved to town. I knew where she lived and thought of her every time I drove by, but never did call or stop in. I'm not good at that.

This afternoon, as usual, I got a call from Loren when he got off the interstate near her house. (From there, it's 10 minutes home on a poorly plowed road, so we know where to look if someone lands in the ditch.) I told Loren to stop at E's house, and if she was home, invite her to dinner tomorrow. And so he did. She was planning to spend Christmas home, alone. Instead, we will pick her up and she'll be here with my chattering, hollering, headstanding, somersaulting crew!