Visiting Special Friends!

     There are 2 special friends I had to visit before I can say I am ready to leave. 
Diego and Maria Surman live about 12 miles south of Park Falls.  They were both my piano students for many years,since they were in first grade.  

     Diego is now a sophomore and Maria in 7th grade.    
     In the recital picture Diego (wearing a blue shirt and tan pants) is in the middle of the front row--probably 8 years ago.  He progressed with piano and then guitar until he was prohibited by the disease that has challenged him since birth.

He has neurofibromatosis--NF2.  What he also has is a very keen brain and warm personality.  He is a food and cooking buff.  He specializes in  WW2 history, astronomy, Boy Scouts, Star Wars and Indiana Jones.

      He let me in on his secret BBQ rib recipe that he thought up while in the hospital. It is in his words, "DELICIOUS!".  I am sworn to secrecy.   Come October, he is hoping to join an uncle in Texas at a BBQ rib cook off. 

Diego and Maria as students 2 years ago. 

 Maria is my duet queen.  A big portion of lesson time was spent playing them.  In the picture we are performing a duet version of the Uumpa Loompa song at the last recital this past May. 

Maria is also learning to ride and train horses, plays soccer and is a clarinet player for the school band. It is our goal now to get them with mom and dad out to visit me in Vancouver, WA!                                                     

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     I also had a last visit with a dear friend of many, many years.   We met about 30 years ago when our children attended the same school.  Barb lives in Philips, a town 20 miles south of PF.  She treated me to lunch at the Northwoods restaurant.  (One has a hard time getting away from the Northwoods up here in the north woods.) We will miss each other very much.  One neat fact is that Barb has close family living near Seattle.  She now has twice the reasons for coming out to visit me! 



He sports a BIG RED NOSE (that lights up) during the Christmas season.

     Back at home this afternoon it was business as usual--sorting, downsizing and packing.  I moved rather slowly, though.  Like the story of the turtle and the hare what is important is that you are MOVING no matter how slowly.  The last 5 days is rushing in.  Tonight is my last night alone here in this house.  Tomorrow night (though late) my 2 sisters, Kate and Betsy, will arrive to spend 3 days here in PF before we start The Great 3 Senior Sisters--and later a niece--Cross Country Road Trip. 

    BUT....there is one  more project.  Tomorrow Jeff is coming to run off 10 songs that I need to send in for copyright. I turned on the Clavinova this evening to make sure the songs are recorded and ready to go.  This way they will be ready for finalizing when I find a recording studio in VC.  Woo!  Woo! 

     This has been a good "visiting special friends" day in the life of Grandma G.

    "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God." (1 John 4:7)