When Friends Visit

 

Blueberry Yogurt Lemon Loaf Cake

I had an email a couple of weeks ago from a long time friend who resides in another state, saying she would be attending a conference in my city and would I be free to meet?  I first met this friend 50 plus years ago, when we were freshmen students at the university.  She lived in the apartment downstairs and I lived in the apartment upstairs and she knocked on my door one evening and introduced herself to me and we hit it off right away.  We've remained friends, ever since, even though our friendship ebbed and flowed.  Weekly letters eventually became the occasional emails and there were years when we only exchanged birthday cards and Christmas greetings.  Occasionally, there would be a phone call and even more occasionally, she'd come down to attend a conference and we'd meet up.  The last time we saw each other was about 20 years ago.  The last time I spoke to her was a few years ago shortly after her mother's death.  But, when she emailed to say she'd be in town and would I be free to meet, I said, "Yes, of course!  I'd love to see you!"

She was free on Saturday afternoon and she said she'll come to my house.  That gave me the incentive I had needed to get the house cleaned and tidied up.  There were still a few items to put back in place after the painting and the place needed a good dusting and vacuuming and the family room needed to be tidied, as well.  I tried to do some of it earlier in the week, but, as usual, some tasks couldn't be done too early.  Most of the housework got done on Friday, before and after Dancer's vet appointment.  The main rooms were dusted and vacuumed. the bathrooms the cleaned and I might have got a bit carried away with cleaning my daughter's bathroom which is the bathroom the visitors use as I found myself washing the walls in addition to mopping the floor!  

I also made a quick trip to the grocery store to get some fresh milk and a container of passionfruit and grape juice drink.  I didn't want to do a big grocery shopping trip, so I shopped in person as I didn't have enough items to order and qualify for a free pick up.  I did see some garlic bread marked down from $2.49 each to $0.80 on the last day of the sell by date, in the reduced items rack, and picked up two packages of that to freeze for when my daughter comes home.  My bill cake to $8 and some change.

Then, late Friday evening, I baked a cake to serve when my friend visited.  I found several recipes for blueberry yogurt cake online and picked one and then, proceeded to modify it a bit.  The recipe called for 3 large eggs, I decided that 2 would be fine.  It called for Greek yogurt, and I decided my homemade yogurt was good enough.  It called for unsalted butter and 1/4 tsp. salt, I used salted butter which is what I had and omitted the added salt, etc.  The cake turned out well:

Taste Test Slice

I cut the end slice to taste test it.

On Saturday morning, I made sauteed spiced garbanzo beans for a savory snack, sauteing canned garbanzo beans (chick peas) with minced onions, curry leaves, a sliced green chili, some mustard seeds, garlic powder, some curry powder, and salt.  I removed the dust sheets from the sofas, picked one or two roses (and quite a few wax beans) from the garden, tidied the kitchen a bit, and waited for my friend to arrive.

She arrived around 2:30 p.m.  and it was good to see her again.  Our friendship is such that it doesn't matter if it has been 20 years since we last saw each other or the last time we corresponded (prior to her email saying she was coming down for a conference) was at Christmas when we sent cards, we just pick up right where we left off and continue.  We were both a little older, a little greyer, a little more wrinkled, than the last time we saw each other, but, we talked non-stop for the rest of the afternoon into the early evening.  It was such a blessing to see my friend again.

I gave her a tour of the garden (she likes to garden, too), we ate the garbanzo beans and the cake and drank the passionfruit juice drink, later we had cups of tea, and I cooked us an early dinner of rice and curries (shrimp curry, parsley mallung, and dhal from the freezer, plus freshly made spicy sauteed potatoes, fried poppadums, and some of my tomato chutney).  Friend E left after dinner and we promised to keep in more frequent touch and not wait another 20 years to see each other again, as I said I was not sure if I'd be alive by then (she might be because she's a year younger than I am).  

After she left, I covered the sofas with clean dust sheets so Dancer could get on the sofas to nap, chatted with my daughter, and relaxed.

On Saturday, I was grateful for:

- Friend E visiting me
- A lovely way to celebrate the first day of summer
- Being able to put together a quick meal with minimal effort
- Finding it easy to pick up where we left off and chat for over 5 hours without any awkward pauses

- The neighbor's music stopped shortly after midnight!

Saturday's joyful activity was spending time visiting with my friend.

Plans for Sunday include doing some laundry, picking up a medication refill that is ready and waiting at the pharmacy, and processing the wax beans I've been picking and getting them ready to freeze.  

How was your Saturday?  What are your plans for Sunday?