Lifelong Dream II

(Editors Note: Before I begin, I should remind you that Lifelong Dream part I had to do with Snow White. End note.)

I wish I could watch airports all day long. It’s story central! When you’re waiting for someone to get off a plane, you are standing with a group of people with amazing tales of the reasons they are at that particular gate, waiting for that particular person. Families welcoming back their military servicemember who has been gone many days too long, grandkids dancing around waiting to bring grandma back for a visit, shuttle service people waiting for the executives they are escorting to an important meeting–the reasons are as varied as the number of people waiting.

The last time I flew, I realized that I always travel with my whole family, so there is never anybody waiting for me when I get off the plane–we just drive ourselves home! : ) I got to thinking how lovely the day would be when I a.) was grown up enough to travel alone, and b.) could walk out of that airplane and into the welcoming arms of someone I loved very dearly.

Enter this weekend: I flew out to Iowa (as you are well award) all. by. myself. It was so much fun. I love love love flying. Everything about it. I love airports, as we have discussed, I love taking off, I love watching out the window, I even really don’t mind turbulence. And, as long as it doesn’t endanger a connecting flight, or I am not ill with exhaustion, I kind of like layovers. : ) It gives me a chance to read. : )

And the best part of flying? I knew someone was waiting for me at the airport when I got home.

When I saw him, I totally should have just dropped my bags (I was practically the last one off the plane anyway) and run down the rest of the hallway to hug my man. Dear Sarah’s brain, please work in the moment every once in a while, would you? What a splendid feeling, to see him swing up out of his chair, and know he was going to be there at the end of that hallway, if I ever got to the end. I was exploding with happiness. Oh it was so good to see him.

So. There was lifelong dream fulfilled. My Jonathan, standing at the airport gate, welcoming me home.

Market Day

So Saturday morning, Mallory and her mom took me into Des Moines for Market Day. I think the first thing I noticed was the abundance of flowers. They hung from the pretty treet lights in baskets and booths were filled with wildflower bouquets. They were everywhere and they were beautiful.

It was fun to see things special to Iowa. For example, did you know gooseberries are real? I was only made aware of gooseberries’ existence by the million and a half times I watched Snow White as a little girl. (Snow White is in the middle of baking a gooseberry pie when her perfectly vile queen step-mother appears on her doorsetp hawking poisonous appples.) I just assumed from the context that the gooseberries were as fictional as the apples–you know, fairy tale food. Well, it’s not. (Untless Iowa is Fairy Tale Land, and I just missed it).

Anyway, Mallory’s mom bought us two gooseberrry pies. Important note: It must be eaten with vanilla ice cream, but when it is, it is AMAZING! : ) Description time! The berries themselves are the size of grapes and they are even red and green like grapes. But the outsides are striped like the outsides of watermelon. See? Here is a picture of me holding a bowl full. : ) They are oh-so-very tart. Red ones are sweeter than green ones. Also, I should let you know that the gooseberries in this photo are unusually large. Feel free to google image them for yourself if you want a less extraordinary example.

The long and short of it is that I ate gooseberry pie, like Snow White. I have always wanted to do that.

This is not the only special edible we encountered on our trek into town. At breakfast, Mallory’s sister told us to please remember to get Dutch Letters, which she explained were pastry wrapped around almond paste, shaped into an S and then sprinkled with sugar. Yes. This was also amazing.

While we were at the Dutch Letters vendor, I discovered that she was also selling cinnamon rolls that were bigger than Delaware. I exaggerate–but it truly was the size of my dad’s 20 oz. Batman mug he received for Father’s Day.

After perusing some lovely handmade jewlery, and unsuccessfully hunting for fresh corn, our last stop was a flower vendor to get Mallory’s mom some sunflowers. Her whole house ahs sunflowers wherever possible. They bring so much joy to her house, and her heart. By the way, while we’re discussing moms, Id’ like to mention that I am blessed with friends who have moms with whom I really want to be friends. I’d probably want to be friends with their moms even if I wasn’t friends with my friend. Of course, that gets tricky…Moms generally don’t befriend people who wont be friends with their child. So maybe it is a good thing that we’re all freinds. It makes everything much smoother.

As you can see, Iowa was was lovely.

Iowa!!!!

Dear wonderful world,

I went to Iowa for the weekend! I saw a sunset over a cornfield, ate mullberries, was given a tea caddy, saw millions of wildflowers, and had loads of fun with my friend Mallory and her splendid family.

I had the grand adventure of flying by myself. The scenery on the drive to and from her house was so peaceful! It felt as though I could see much more sky out there. Sigh. So beautiful.

Overheard En Route to Church

Daddy (spying Perry’s ginormous purple purse–it’s as big as a beagle, and a black one almost as big): How many purses do you need, the Per?

Perry: Only one. This one’s (indicates the purple) mine, this one’s (the black) Mom’s.

Josh: Your one counts as three.

Perry: (still patiently) No, it counts as one.

Helen: My purse is bigger than Perry’s!

Meredith: My purse is bigger than Helen’s!

Josh: My backpack for TCC is smaller than Perry’s purse!

Perry: Well, you’re not prepared to conquer the world!

Journal Entry

We went back to Busch Gardens back in June, and here's what I had to say about it. :)

I sunburned my toes today.

And rode a carousel.

And ate praline cream ice cream in France

And rode with Mam on her first time down Griffon. Oh I haven't laughed so hard in ages. I couldn't breathe!

We (Daniel, Critter [my cousins] and I) named our carousel horses Blackie, Goldilocks-Fluffy, and Rolf respectively. Rolf was pitch black with bright blue eyes. He was quite striking.

It was a good day. So hot, but good. Oh, and now I have cool flip-flops with tread on the bottom and that cushion my feet. Quite a novel experience.