Last Days of Lise’s Visit

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Almost every day daughter Lise did something to help with the upkeep of things here. She and David went under the house to check on the water filter that David and brother Bob had worked on. Our water comes from a well, and it has to be filtered to get out silt and impurities. We never did change the filter as often as we should have, getting neighbor Bob to do it several times. One should NEVER over-use a neighbor! We’ve all decided we should get a new system that would be easy enough for me to tend. Meanwhile, this one is clean for now.

Shawn and another neighbor (who prefers not to be named or pictured) wanted time to visit with Lise, so we got together for coffee. This photo shows Lise, Shawn, and the hands of the other person cutting the pie. I made a Cheesecake Pumpkin Pie and botched the cutting. She said, “Let me do that.” She did a much better job of cutting and serving than I did.

We took a whole day to drive to Tennessee and back. Lise and I both wanted to see the train layout where John spent so much time. Two of John’s and David’s friends met us there. Here is David with some of his own cars and John’s engine just out of sight.

David took us for a short ride on the train. At one point the wheels began to slip, and he hopped off and pushed the engine to help it up the hill. He thinks it was the moisture on the track that caused the slippage. Lise was sitting behind me, so I had the vantage point for taking this video.

Lise’s new favorite place to go is a frozen custard restaurant in Asheville. We were there on the first of December and back again on the way to the airport.

Here Lise is finishing a jigsaw puzzle that a special blogger friend sent us. Linda chooses photos of mine from the blog and has a puzzle made. Knowing Lise is usually here for Thanksgiving, she orders it early so that Lise can help work it. This was a unique puzzle with the last photos taken of John, along with pictures of the inner family circle. We rework puzzles from past years, too. These are family keepsakes that will eventually go to the grandsons.

The last photo is a selfie Lise took at the airport. She is back in Denmark now, working until she flies to Washington state to spend Christmas with her brother.

Published by Anne Mehrling

I'm a retiree who loves to write about life in the mountains of North Carolina.

Published

32 thoughts on “Last Days of Lise’s Visit”

  1. I just love your family and cannot wait until we can come visit someday. I think after this trek, we will be headed back to Texas to go to the coast for a while, then maybe I can talk Dave into going east and slowly making our way up the coast. We’ll see! That puzzle was so unique and special! What a great gift idea!!

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  3. I love how reading your stories always makes me smile. May I have a piece of the pumpkin cheesecake please? Nice that Lise will get to see her brother at Christmas. I think of John $ often and wonder how he and doggie are doing on the opposite coast. Finally, the train ride was fun, and happy to see David carrying on the tradition. Peace be unto you.

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    1. Come here, and I’ll make you a pumpkin cheesecake pie. It’s easy.

      John $ is loving the snow in Washington. Sadie still likes it, too. Rose’s car is not good there, so she isn’t getting out much.

      Peace to you, too. Isn’t this a marvelous time of year?

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      1. How wonderful that they like Washington. We almost went there instead of Mississippi–wonder how life would have turned out if we had! Thank you for the peace blessing. It is a great time to take stock of where and who we are.

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    1. No, I don’t have trains of my own. David has his own and inherited John’s. I thought wet leaves caused the slipping, but I didn’t see any on the rails. David had a better view, and he said the track was clear.

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  9. Close friends, daughter & grandson, visiting the train park, and puzzle time with the memories. I’d say it was a successful visit from so many perspectives.

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  12. I always wished I’d paid more attention to the workings of the house when younger, but I have learned as I went along. My mom did pay attention so I learned from her and my long-gone, kindly Southern neighbor who “adopted” Mom and me when my father left. Look at Lise zipping back and forth from continent to continent splitting her time between work/friends and family. I am glad you got to spend a lot of quality time with Lise – that’s great Anne. How nice you got to visit the train site which gave John and also David so much pleasure and R&R.

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      1. It’s a process, but you learn along the way. My nice neighbor I mentioned in the other comment showed me how to take off the car door. I had a locking gas cap and it was full service gas then and the attendant dropped the key down the window well. Jim and I got an allen wrench (square) and we took the plastic molding off and retrieved the key. I was feeling proud of myself for that!

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  15. Iam glad you got of quality time Lise, David & neighbour ‘ that’s great 😃 How nice go you got to visit the 🚂 site. I can’t believe your own train . The puzzle is Very nice. Pumpkin cheesecake delicious. I like . I just love your family. You are so lucky. Your stories always make me happy and really keep your posted. So beautiful all picture and selfie.
    God blessing!

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