While we were in Ohio, we had lots of lunches and suppers with friends. We got to touch base with plenty of the folks that I love, even if I didn’t always remember to take a picture. Of course, I would always love to spend more time, but my diet probably can’t afford many more lunches and suppers out!
We had lunch with Karen Graham at Berardis Family Restaurant in Sandusky. Sandusky is a long way to drive, but Tom says it is worth it to get Berardis fries. I, of course, got a piece of pie after my meal. We love talking to Karen and catching up on her life. She was getting ready to go to Hawaii the week after we met so it was an exciting time for her! I love the purple streak in her hair – very appropriate for a pastor during Advent.
We had supper with the Mogadore crowd at Outback in Fairlawn. Esther and Tom are the only ones that still live in Mogadore, but we love getting together twice a year. It isn’t often enough – but better than nothing. We are a raucous group when we get together and our server kept asking what we were celebrating. Celebrating being together! Susan told us about being a judge, which we all found very interesting because it is so far out of our realm of experience. She is doing an awesome job! Eric is semi-retired. We caught up on all the kids and grandkids and our longing to be closer to our children.
I had lunch with Marta Mathatas at Der Dutchman in Bellville. Marta is always a hoot to be with and makes me laugh. Tom usually skips this lunch but we will include him next year when Marta’s husband retires. Marta and I especially like talking about books. We share new and old favorite authors and I always come away with some excellent suggestions of things to read.
We had lunch with Wendy Bower at Perkins Family Restaurant in Ashland. Wendy has her own consulting business doing work with the Meyers-Briggs Inventory and it is always interesting to hear about new workshops that she is developing. Wendy and Ronn went to Utah this last year and we were interested to hear about their visits to places we went in 2018. I always have so much fun talking to Wendy that I forget to take a picture!
Another lunch was with our friend Deborah. We met her at Bella Bleu in Ashland. I wrote about Bella Bleu last year and it has gotten busier and more popular since we were there last. The food was also very good and we had a gorgeous table right on the lake. We had fun talking and watching the geese slide across the ice. Bella Bleu is known for their desserts, and I got a giant sugar cookie for dessert. It was so big and had so much excellent frosting that it will satisfy my craving for a sugar cookie for the next year. Despite the sugar high, I didn’t remember to get a picture with Deborah either.
We reluctantly canceled a supper with “the Wedgewood Women.” The cold turned into freezing rain and we decided we didn’t want to risk anyone getting hurt. We tried to schedule another date while we were still in Ohio, but everyone was just too busy around Christmas.
Our final meal among all our lunches and suppers was with the Varga family. We always have a great time when we get together, catching up on everyone’s lives. We celebrated Pam and Alex’s birthdays, which are on consecutive days in December. The Vargas are always so much fun – we share so many wonderful memories – and we are always happy to see them. We met them at Perkins in Ashland as well, the only place we revisited in our effort to get everyone in.
We are never in Ohio long enough to see everyone. But we are always thankful for the friends who drive to spend a couple of hours in love and laughter around a meal. We are blessed with our lunches and suppers with friends.