Refreshing Old Relationships

It’s been several years since we’ve returned to Toledo.  After a good 25 years of making the trip at least once a quarter we’ve been seven years (since Peg’s dad passed) since we’ve been back at all.  So it shouldn’t be a surprise when I say that it was good to return and close some doors.

One important mission was to check in with Peg’s dad’s longtime friend Phyllis and her daughter whom we have exchanged the occasional greeting card with over these years but not much more.  It was a delight to hear her voice on the phone and even nicer to get together with Phyllis and her daughter Reba over lunch.  But too much talking leaves a person with numb ears so the rest of the day we drove around town to look at the places that associate with a lot of wonderful memories:  Peg’s family home, where she worked before we married, the little hamburger shop where she used to have breakfast before clocking-in each morning.  We noted favorite restos that had closed, some that haven’t, one or two that should have. I drove past an old employer’s building, the hospice where Frank spent his last days, and a great many places where we shared smiles, laughter, and tears.

I also solved a tool search. When we took the sofa out of Serendipity the seat belt anchors remained.  I attempted to remove them, but the bolts were impervious to any attempts to unbolt even after using penetrating oil and rust remover.  I’ve been looking for a Nut Splitting Tool for a couple months — every time I walked into a hardware store — but no one ever had one and at most of the stores the young clerks didn’t even know what I was talking about.  There’s a store here called Anderson’s and I checked out their tool department and what do you know; the first clerk (a grey-haired guy like myself) knew just what I meant.  But he didn’t know where they were.  He went to someone else (younger by far) and he had no idea what we were talking about.  Finally the third clerk — who himself looked like he was ready to retire ten years ago — not only knew what we wanted he knew where they were!  So, when we get back to Los Fresnos I can bust those nuts and finish the job. 🙂

In the morning we head South; eager to see if we’ll see signs of Spring.  Thanks for stopping by and I’ll talk with you tomorrow.