Monday, May 28

That's What Friends Are For

I dreamt last night that I was at Ikea trying to make a decision about a new bookshelf. I hemmed and hawed over the choices before me, wondering where I would put the new shelf. Should it go in the living room? Shall I place it in the office? Is there a short one I could put in my bedroom?

When I woke, I remembered that Marloes would be here today. Bearing gifts.

I made scones (or for you American English speakers: biscuits) and set them out to serve with butter and my sister's homemade pomegranate jam.

I brewed coffee. Then I waited.

Marloes arrived with her husband and together we carried into the house two large boxes of books.

Books. Books. Books. Wow, books!

The three of us sat down together at my table and shared a pot of coffee and a lot of gab. Andrew did his best to entertain in his special 4-year-old way. He plopped his diaper clad bottom down on the living room rug and watched Dutch cartoons while he ate full chubby handfuls of Honey Loops directly from the box. Doesn't sound like laugh-a-minute entertainment? Then you just don't know Andrew. For an encore to the breakfast show, he snatched my glasses from the dining room table, put them on his face, and strutted around the house--Mick Jagger style--fully aware that all the adoration and attention was his and his alone. I'm telling you. That is entertainment.

Marloes is everything I anticipated she would be. I enjoy reading her blog immensely and she has been so cyber-supportive to me at mine, I knew the heart behind the words would be a warm one.

We had a delightful time, for the few minutes they lingered in my home. It was as if we had been friends forever and the conversation and the laughter was so natural and easy.

And the coffee was good. Good conversation will do that to a pot.

The best part of it all today--besides the books, books books!--is knowing that this first meeting in the real world won't be the last. Indeed, I believe this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship


15 comments:

  1. Thank you Jenn! We loved being your guests, we loved your kids and the coffee and scones where delicious! A new friendship was born this afternoon I'm sure

    ReplyDelete
  2. How nice!! Books are wonderful. There is nothing like sitting down with a book and losing yourself for and afternoon.

    Take care,
    Connie

    ReplyDelete
  3. Friends, refreshment, and books? Could anything possibly be better? Glad you guys had such a great time. I'm more than a little jealous...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Uh, Brill?
    You know there's lots of room at my table for more company. And, I have some leftover scones. So, when can you be here?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Awww, so sweet. It's just that whole getting to your table that seems a bit, um, challenging just now. I'll consider it an open invitation though.

    Me: "Hi, Hubby. Welcome home. Could you take the kids while I go to lunch with Jenn in Holland? Thanks..."

    ReplyDelete
  6. Brill,
    I have read this several times and I just don't see any inherent problem with this scenario.
    Am I missing something?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Marloes-
    It was OUR pleasure today. When I told my husband that you had driven in from Arnhem today, he was MIGHTILY impressed!
    Just can't say enough thanks to you!

    connie-
    agreed! I have lots of getting lost in a book afternoons ahead of me, that's certain!

    ReplyDelete
  8. yay for books and friends!! I'm so glad you had a good time and you'll continue to have a good time with your books... :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh books. How I LOVE books. My house overflows with them and I just don't have the time to read them.

    And then I did promise a certain faux-Dutch cutie a care package. Better start on it...

    ReplyDelete
  10. You have me totally focused on the scones with pommegranate. Once I get passed that and stop drooling.
    I will say something like

    Glad you had a great visit. Sounds like fun!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Shelby and SMID-
    Oh, yes! Books, books, books!

    Tin-
    That jelly my sister made is so delicious! It's in my house and still I drool for it...

    ReplyDelete
  12. Nice that you got to meet a fellow blogger. Hope your week of single-parenthood goes without mishap!

    ReplyDelete
  13. songbird-
    so far, so good. just the usual banter between siblings. No blood, sprains, or broken bones just yet.
    Perhaps we will have a very peaceful week!

    ReplyDelete
  14. What, scones are really just biscuits???? You've totally ruined it for this AMERICAN girl. Sheesh. Why both going all out to find a good scone recipe if they are just biscuits????

    Sounds like my perfect day, by the way.

    ReplyDelete
  15. shawn-
    Yep. What the brits call scones, we call biscuits. And of course, what they call biscuits, we call cookies.
    Go figure. Sometimes, it's just not even close to the same language!

    ReplyDelete