Visiting a Friend

A couple of weeks ago we stayed with a high school friend of mine on our way home from Utah. She lives in Denver and I e-mailed her on Saturday saying we would be passing through on Tuesday. Would it be alright if we spent the night? Her response was immediate and enthusiastic. "Yes!"

Honestly, I have never much enjoyed staying in people's homes. I feel I am imposing, intruding, and being an inconvenience. My friend eliminated all of those feelings with her welcome response and generous spirit. I felt happy to see her and be in her home. Despite recent knee replacement surgery she took us on a tour of her landscaping. Inside her cozy home it was nice to re-visit art pieces I have admired in trips past, see that she still had the butter yellow leather couch and confirm that Cousin Benny's "napping couch" has gone by the wayside. (Best nap I've EVER had was on Cousin Benny's couch while visiting her a few years ago.)

Her home is set up perfectly for hosting overnight guests. One bedroom and bath are at the front of the house, another in the back. Sort of an East Wing/West Wing set up. We had lots of privacy but it was perfect to also have a big kitchen to gather in and sit around the big table. Her grandmother's quilt was on the bed in the front bedroom we used and
we were greeted at breakfast with homemade Oatmeal Spice muffins, fresh strawberries, and hot tea. My husband enjoyed pointing to items strategically placed around her house and asking what the significance of it is to her, and since "everything has a story" we heard about the Blue Ribbon won for Best Cookies at the 1971 Mitchell County Fair, the beautiful rug bought on a reservation, and rocks picked up on her hikes of Colorado mountains peaking at over 14,000 feet.

This overnight stop was a wonderful way to break up a trip and reconnect with an old friend. I really must rethink my aversion to contacting friends, knowing that they make lovely, generous hosts. Thank you, Karen.