birthday celebration – Peaceful Reader

(First trip to NYC)

which is a major celebration! This girl has been featured on this blog almost her entire life. I started Peaceful Reader when she was in kindergarten and now she is a freshman in college. We celebrated this major birthday with dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant and there were gifts and delicious vegan desserts. She’s not vegan but her brother is and everyone wants to share in birthday treats. Because I spent part of the weekend visiting my brother and sister-in-law in Deephaven, MN I had the opportunity to visit a cool vegan bakery/restaurant Vegan East, and purchased a box full of treats to bring home. They have 3 locations and I stopped by the Uptown shop which took me through some familiar neighborhoods. I passed by Lake Calhoun, Lake Street, and Hennepin Avenue, and my favorite Walker Art Center; all places I loved hanging around when I lived in Mpls/St. Paul.

She is enjoying her freshman year even with it’s unusual Covid-19 restrictions. It’s a long list of negatives yet she is making it work and smiling! G.G. and her roommate spend a lot of time in their room and luckily they don’t seem to be getting on each other’s last nerve, which is fantastic. Most classes are on Zoom but she has two dance classes that meet in big studios. This is great as she is very used to being active and dance + Zoom is not a good combo.

(Dad ride)

All of our children are unique and inspiring and Groovy Girl, as the baby of the family, brings a level of happiness that is often infectious. She gets very excited and we love her enthusiasm for life. She cares about the world, is empathetic toward others, and will continue to make a difference as she grows. I appreciate that she loves many different styles of food, can cook a great meal, and is willing to experiment with spices and sauces. I’m surviving the empty nest but only because she and I talk at least every other day. She texts me when she needs to talk and we FaceTime when we need to see each other. Communication is so different now. My husband and I compared our experience of having one dorm phone on each floor! We had to take turns so I talked to my parents maybe once a week if that.

(Groovy Girl now (r) w/ her roommate Laurel)

When I began this blog I didn’t want to use her real name as it is unusual and over the years she has had readers call her “Groovy Girl” which made her feel a little like a blog celebrity. Even though she is a beautiful 18 as of last Saturday she will always be my Groovy Girl!

We’ve just returned from a lovely little road trip north to see my brother for his birthday. He lives in a suburb with a beautiful lake and today we went out in his boat for a long ride along the shore looking at the amazing architecture. I love being on the lake, the wind, the smell, the sounds, the feeling of skimming over the water. We saw a muskrat, a loon, and many sailboats catching the breeze. It was chilly so we were wrapped in coats, blankets and hats. It was a perfect way to spend a Sunday morning, communing with nature.

On Saturday night we traveled the few minutes to downtown for drinks and dinner. We parked near an old hangout of mine, Runyon’s, so we stopped in, had a drink, and watched the Kentucky Derby. Then we went around the corner for dinner at 112 Eatery. I’d never eaten here before but would go again. The food was delicious. I had a carrot and sweet pea risotto with Humboldt fog. I had to look it up but Humboldt fog is a cheese. The combo was amazing and I’m a little sad I left my to-go container in the their fridge. We also enjoyed the Tres Leches cake and a Key Lime Pie with coconut. Dessert is my favorite. Anton was with us and he enjoyed people watching and trying new foods/drinks with us.

I spent the ride home reading and sleeping. I started The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. It’s been on a stack by my bed for a few years and now with the new series I picked it up right after I finished Zadie Smith’s The Autograph Man. I like Zadie Smith’s writing but I had trouble feeling anything for the main character, Alex-Li. The Handmaid’s Tale, on the other hand, has me reading quickly. It’s a bit creepy and a lot of back and forth to learn the past and the present of the story. I’ve also never seen the actual movie starring Natasha Richardson and Faye Dunaway. So that is on my massive to-do list.

Happy May everyone! Enjoy and celebrate the sun.

Tag: birthday celebration

Groovy Girl turns 18…

May Flowers