Several times a year it's time to put…

Several times a year it’s time to put the job jar down and honor the date on the calender that was set weeks prior.  Yes indeed.  It’s time to get together with friends.  The three of us all have grandchildren, we love to garden, we live in our own homes complete with husbands that have tolerated a lot from us over the course of decades.  Our work careers ran parallel.  We were representatives of the Minnesota Department of Revenue known as county assessors.  It really isn’t fair to use the word ‘were’ as Doreen Pherson is still slugging it out day after day at Nicollet County.  Judy Friesen reigned in Brown County and retired a year after I did. Of course Watonwan County has never been the same since I retired in 2010. OK, a bit of humor there.

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Judy, Doreen and Noreen

We did spend a bit of time on shop talk, but by and large it was about family, health, fun and love of life.  Our friend Judy has been fighting macular degeneration and most recently cataracts on both eyes.  Today was part of the recovery time in between the previous surgery and the second surgery this coming Monday. I was her chauffeur for the day. It was heartwarming to hear that Judy is taking things in stride but getting bored as she can’t drive, can’t see to read, can’t see the television, and most disappointing for Judy, she cannot see to sew.  We were due to get her to a doctor’s appointment later in our luncheon day to allow Judy to get some answers for her questions.  She felt it just wasn’t going the way the doctors had indicated.

We left lunch a bit early as Judy needed to pick up groceries and not being able to hop in the car and make a trip to the store this was a prime opportunity.  I read labels while she began filling her cart.  For her it was a treat to get out and be able to pick and choose what would be in her kitchen cupboards rather than depending on someone else to make choices.

I came away thoroughly enjoying the drive home taking in the landscape of harvest that is in full swing.  I could see what was going on.  Priceless.