Northwest Splendor

Yesterday, on the spur of the moment, I went to visit my friend Tina near Seattle. Even though we're best friends, we don't see each other terribly often due to distance and schedules. She graduated last spring with a nursing degree and is currently undergoing a vigorous internship at a hospital. She had to work yesterday morning and needed a break. So we and her parents and another couple took off for a little country town full of quaint charm and beautiful views of surrounding mountains. The weather was perfect. We stopped for some tasty ice cream in a little "hole-in-the-wall" place and then walked around quite a bit. Later on we we had dinner at an out-of-the-way grill. I love spontaneous blessings! The lovely scenery, the invigorating air, the exercise, and sweet fellowship were just what I needed. Tina and I have a wonderful friendship; we can be totally at ease with each other, totally ourselves. Sometimes that involves laughing hilariously, and sometimes it means connecting spiritually or sharing a need. A true "kindred spirit," as Anne would say.