Our last stop on the college roommate tour was to see Carolyn and Jim. The last time we saw them was in a larger group. This time there were only four of us to chat. No matter what subject came up, we seemed to view it from the same angle. That’s amazing to me, since we lived in different areas of the country and didn’t see each other for decades.
That is not to say it wasn’t exciting. Carolyn is a twin, and their triplet grandchildren were there with a guest for spring break. I’ve never been around so many multiples. As we drove into the farm, we saw the pre-teens in the pasture with three horses. A bit later the two girls were throwing a football The four had lunch quietly in the kitchen as we ate outside on the porch. Later it was fun watching them climb into hammocks high off the ground. I was impressed with their good manners and respect for our conversation.
I asked how Carolyn and Jim found the farm, and she said her grandfather bought it over a hundred years ago. I noticed an angel on a gatepost, and she said, “You must have missed seeing the large angel statues in the family graveyard. I took special note of them on the way out.
Carolyn showed me their wedding album, which I was thrilled to see. I think theirs was the only non-family wedding I was in as a bridesmaid. They married two years ahead of us. Carolyn disappeared into the house for a little while and served us big bowls of homemade chicken salad –just as tasty as it was beautiful. You know you are in the presence of a fantastic cook when she says, “It was just….” Yes, of course. They had a big family of boys and now a passel of grandchildren. She is probably the most experienced cook I know.
Jim is as involved in church work as John ever was. I don’t know all that he does, but he takes care of finances, produces the bulletin, and took a phone call about grounds maintenance while we were there. I enjoyed hearing his praise of a Baptist preacher who has coordinated charity work in the community. The man has a database that other ministers plug into showing names, amounts of money involved, and what was given to people.
The little toy camera was determined not to miss out on the action. Carolyn groaned, that being the classic reaction to the appearance of a camera. She followed it with a brilliant remark. She said, “I might not like my picture today, but in three years, I’ll love it.” I have the feeling I’m going to quote that many times. One of the triplets took a photo of the four of us.
We had to head home, because John was slated to do the chanting for our mid-week service. We traveled at a lovely time of day. Tennessee’s interstate highways were all lined with miss-named redbud trees. The sun made the lavender blooms glow against a dark green background of evergreen trees.
Mehrling Muse 
i love your posts-so much like a visit!
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What a beautiful story of a visit !
Thanks for sharing. I loved the photo of the hammocks and the lovely green country roads- wished I could have seen the angels and the triplets( having never seen any in my life).
Maybe you could share Carolyn’s recipe for a chicken salad along with your own for biscuits. 🙂
BTW, what are redbud trees ?
Do they still grow crops on the farm ?
Susie
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The triplets were two girls and a boy, all looking like siblings and not identical. I don’t have Carolyn’s recipe, but she included chunks of chicken, cut up apples, onion, spinach leaves, green peppers, and a light dressing. I’ll try to remember to send you my dad’s recipe for biscuits. That’s mostly what I follow. Redbud trees are small trees that have lavender blooms in the spring. What is so amazing about them is the blooms are all along the branches, not just the tips. You could probably find pictures on the internet.
I’m fairly sure there were no crops growing on the farm. There probably were years ago. The place is a home for a retired couple with plenty of room for their children and grandchildren to visit. Carolyn used to ride, though I don’t think she does any more. She’s had her second knee replaced in the last year. Her identical twin sister had both her knees replaced the same day in January. I didn’t see her, but Carolyn said she is walking very well.
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The pictures were great. Imagine living in a house that was bought 100 hundred years ago, I would love to live there. I almost felt like I was on the visit with you.
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The house is quite modern. Carolyn mentioned that the pieces were sent from Canada, and a few men put the shell together in a day or so. She and Jim gradually finished it themselves every time they came to visit while they lived in Minnesota and Georgia. If there is an original building on the property, I didn’t see it. Carolyn’s family goes way back. She mentioned that a direct ancestor built two of the larger buildings in the little town. It was 100 years ago that her granddad bought the farm. Before that, everyone had lived in town. The grounds are peaceful and beautiful in the foothills of the mountains.
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What an incredible blog post Anne. I could feel the love in each word.
Truly beautiful. Thank you so much for the share of a part of your life.
Sending brightly woven, cobwebbed squidges, from me here, to you there. ~ Cobs. x ❤
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Thank you for reading, Cobs. Now my life has a new dimension with faithful bloggers like you. It is marvelous to have new friends all over the world. Thanks for the special squidges. No one does them like you. xxx
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Loved this. I loved the quote about liking her picture in three years. I used to run from the camera but I have since decided I want my grandkids to have pictures of me with them.
The pictures were great!
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I still avoid being in front of the camera, just short of running. You are right, though. If we were there in person, we should be willing for our loved ones to see us again in the middle of their lives. Very good point! You are so wise!
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It has taken me a lot of years to find that out. I still really hate pictures of myself though!
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What a lovely adventure Anne. Nice remembrances.
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Carolyn’s quote about her picture is so true and I couldn’t agree more about the misnamed redbud tree. One of my favorite sights of early spring and such a strange place for its blossoms.
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I began learning about trees late in life, and the redbud is one of my newer discoveries. We planted three little ones where I can see them from the computer desk. Today they appear a bit fuzzy. Maybe tomorrow we’ll see color there.
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I hope yours do better than mine – none of mine (transplanted from a friend’s yard) have EVER bloomed. I was willing to cut them some slack for the first few years as they got acclimated to their new home but my patience is wearing thin! But their heart-shaped leaves and healthy green appearance all summer make up for it. I’d been working on my nature poem when I read your post and going back and forth about how to describe the misnaming of the redbud. Always happy to be on the same page as you dear blogging buddy!
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I just found your poem with the redbud. That’s a shame yours haven’t bloomed. We cheated. We bought ours.
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What lovely friends you have Anne…I’ve enjoyed your ‘friendly’ posts.
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We ran out of friends and came home.
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Such a blessing to be able to visit friends and their families! I’m sure you had a very wonderful time!
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Reunions are always wonderful, aren’t they? Especially the intimate kind of soulmates, and brothers and sisters in Christ!
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We have been blessed with so many.
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