Visitors from home

My parents visited me last weekend! They had been here in mid-September for the Polka Fest fundraiser, but this time they got to stay longer than just a few hours.

We had a great lunch at the Tavern in Northfield, and we wandered around for a while afterward, thankful that it wasn't raining like it was supposed to be.








And now that I have a million TV channels (after having virtually none for two years in St. Paul), we got to watch the Hawkeyes lose to Wisconsin.

They joined me for worship at Trinity on Sunday, then we had another wonderful lunch at the Hubbell House in Mantorville, which opened in 1854 and has welcomed visitors like Ulysses S. Grant, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Mickey Mantle.

Here's a picture I took as I was leaving Mantorville. It's not the restaurant, but these buildings are probably just as old. In the foreground is a church and I think the building across the street is (or was) the Dodge County courthouse.





As a bonus, they brought me this lovely cedar-lined chest from my grandma's. Her neighbor was giving it away, and I think it's found a great home right there (not that I needed another big thing to move, of course).





It was so great to have my parents here. Typically, I have visited them more than they've visited me, so I wasn't sure how often I'd see them now that I have less opportunity to visit. So I'm delighted that they've been here once a month, and the trend should continue for a bit longer, as my family plans to gather at my grandma's for Thanksgiving. What a blessing to have that kind of support!