The plans were made months ago, a Mother-Daughter time
in January, close to Jane’s birthday. Can you believe it’s been
28 _ years since she died? We were sure Jane would bop in
for some of the fun. After talking about New York,
Disney World, even London, our pocketbooks said
                     “ Door County”.

Forecast: 10 degrees below zero! Bobbie from Texas flew in
on Thursday—two bags filled with long underwear and gifts.
Carla drove 7 hours from Duluth prepared for any catastrophe
the weather could bring. Linda fled her Middleton classroom early
to be here for wine and “Fish at the Bowl”

Don’t unpack too much, we have an adventure planned
for tomorrow. We’ll meet at Main Street Market in Egg Harbor.
Bobbie and Carla found the Main Street Shops, and got lost in
Egg Harbor, population:125. Cell phones, their constant companions
reconnected us. Wine, two bottles, two liters each—sounds just right.

Destination, the big metropolis of Sturgeon Bay.
Loft room with kitchen, adjoining two queens, perfect…
There’s a bridal show here, we taste petit-fors
cakes, pretend one of us will soon be a bride
never got our stories straight==gales of giggles

Bundled to the eyelids, we brave a walk across the bridge
stop at a gas station to thaw, now we have to walk back.
“ Ding –ding--ding” the bridge opens, having three boats to let through.
We wave like nuts at the crews, Bobbie got wondrous pictures, Linda
had frozen thighs, my feet were chunks of pain. Always prepared,
Carla was toasty.

Time for wine and stories. We exchanged our gifts,
toasted Jane, time for dinner. Swam after and hot tubbed,
more stories and the sack.

Everyone agreed we’d go to St Joseph’s for 10:00 Mass. The
priest looked and talked just like Linda’s friend Deb’s dad.
Had to go back and pack, check out and head for Cherry Hills
and brunch. Good-byes and hugs, the group split, Carla north,
Linda south, Bobbie and I to Ephraim where she had another day.
How I miss them, and treasure the whole week-end.

Loraine Brink