A Visit from Grandma and Grandpa

My parents came from Indiana last week on their annual spring visit. They make a point of visiting several times a year because we don’t have many chances to visit them. They don’t want to miss their only granddaughter growing up. I doubt we’d see them quite as often if it were only Jennifer and me. As always everyone enjoyed the visit though we didn’t have as many adventures as I had planned.

They arrived last Tuesday. Jennifer took the whole week off and Maura was on her spring break so we were all here to greet them when they arrived. We went out to lunch to Sweet Lemons, our local Thai restaurant, which we go to for lunch almost every time they visit. We all enjoy going out to eat.  The rest of the day we just spent relaxing. My parents had had a long drive and I didn’t want to wear them out.

On Wednesday I’d tentatively planned to take a trip to the Cape Cod National Seashore but the weather was lousy. We stayed closer to home instead. The rink where Maura takes ice skating lessons had a free skate period during the day so we took a drive there so Maura could practice and show off her progress to her grandparents. Damp chilly weather doesn’t matter much in the ice rink. It’s always cold in there. We all enjoyed the time, though, despite the shivering. We went out for a nice dinner in the evening.

On Thursday we made an expedition to Cambridge to visit the Longfellow National Historic Site, which consists of the house where the poet Longfellow lived along with its grounds. In an earlier generation the building had been George Washington’s headquarters. We were disappointed because the house was not open for tours, though we had assumed it would be because Jennifer had found it on a list of National Park properties that would be free that week. The gardens were open, and free, but they are always free. They were quite beautiful with early blooming trees, though they will be even more gorgeous in a month or two. We will have to go back during the summer, when I expect the house will be open for tours. Our trip was not a complete waste. We had a nice lunch and did some shopping. Maura got two gifts, both of them books. She tends to get what she wants when her grandparents are around but I’m proud of what she wants. In the evening I took my parents to church with me for Maundy Thursday services.

On Friday Maura went to the Weymouth Carnival with her mother and grandparents. I stayed home because I’d come down with a nasty cold. Maura had a great time. I know because I’ve seen the pictures. I am not surprised. Maura loves carnival rides. It was back to church in the evening for me and my parents for the Good Friday service. Despite being under the weather, I did not want to miss it.

We took Saturday off. I was still not feeling well and everyone else seemed to want a rest. I did have to work in the evening.

Sunday we celebrated Easter. For my parents and me it is a religious holiday and we started the day with church but the centerpiece of the day for Maura and Jennifer was dinner. We had Easter dinner with our friends the Tittlers. We’ve been friends with them long enough that they’ve gotten to know my parents and everyone enjoyed the visit. Julie Tittler is a good cook and she does her best work on holiday meals. It would be hard not to enjoy a meal that good eaten among friends.

Maura was back to school on Monday. We all went out for pizza in the evening and followed it with ice cream at Nona’s in Hingham. They make their own ice cream there, and it’s a real treat. It was a good end to the visit. In the morning my parents hit the road and headed back home to Indiana.