Gratitude Day #8: Time With Mom Edition

For Christmas last year my mom gave me the gift of a weekend away together, which I cashed in this week. We escaped (what?? more playing hookie??) for an overnight on Wednesday to the little town of Lanesboro, MN. It's a quaint little old town nestled in the Root River valley. It's surrounded by the most beautiful cliffs that were covered with full fall color.

And guess what? We forgot our cameras!

So, here is a link to Lanesboro so you can get a feel for it. The Root River and a bike trail cut through the town, so there is lots of recreation, which has brought this little town back to life with shops, restaurants, theater and lots of little inns and B&B's.

We spent the night at an elegant Victorian B&B. The beds were cozy, the house beautiful, and the hosts wonderful. Click here for photos of Peter and Vicki Torkelson's Scandinavian Inn.

After being served an unbelievable breakfast of shirred eggs with sun dried tomatoes and Jarlsberg cheese, homemade Belgian waffles with syrup that the inn keepers had tapped themselves, fresh fruits and muffins, we realized what has been missing in our lives for so long. An innkeeper. Duh! If we'd thought of this sooner, we'd have been living this high life for a long time now.

Just think. An innkeeper would get up early, tap the maple trees, take the kids to school, boil down the syrup, make me coffee and breakfast on fine china, make the beds, do the dishes, and be warm and friendly and accommodating the whole time.

WHAT HAVE I BEEN DOING WITHOUT AN INNKEEPER???

An innkeeper could also, let's pretend, take pictures of people who forget their cameras. And obligingly email them to said people:

An innkeeper is a household necessity.

All rested and taken care of, we went forth into the beautiful day and strolled and shopped and browsed and talked.

After admitting to a mutual curiosity of the Amish, we decided to spend the afternoon on a tour of the Amish community nearby, which was fascinating. I have to say they've got a point. Modern industry, development and consumerism HAVE led us down the wrong path. Our souls and our planet ARE compromised by our lifestyle, and they've been peacefully separating themselves from it for a long time. Smart people.

And while they may not agree with the mainstream values and lifestyle, they sure do capitalize on it! The small group we were with happily purchased baskets, wood pieces, fruit preserves and quilts. This little tourist gig is what keeps most of these farmsteads operating.

After leaving Lanesboro, we meandered home along back country roads, entranced by the rolling hills and gorgeous fall colors. We stopped in Rochester for a great meal in a little bistro and then headed home.

I'm so grateful for this little get-away. Grateful to have a great mom, grateful that she wants to spend time with me, and grateful that we had this little experience together.

Thanks, mom. I love you!