In Which Lee and Norma Learn the Bare Naked Truth

With cooler temperatures and amazing blue skies and light breezes, it was a perfect day for traveling. I'd talked to my parents earlier in the week and told them we'd be down Friday afternoon to visit, and to swipe some of my dad's tomatoes.

We got into my Chevy Sonic and headed down the road, aiming for a half rack of ribs as our first stop for lunch. The rib place was closed, surprisingly enough, so we ended up at Couch's, for the second time this week. This time, my husband picked up a pair of sloppy joes and we headed for Greenwood Furnace, where we ate our lunch and had a quick swim. (It would be a two-times-eating-out day, as our supper would be a to-go hoagie from Sal's bistro in McAlisterville, tucked into the cooler for later.)

I went into the changing rooms and showered and changed, and when I came back out, I laid my blue bathing suit down. A small skipper type butterfly creature found it, sat on it, and would not leave! I finally had to offer it my finger, and it climbed on; I took it to a nearby tree and released it and it flew away. (This was only ONE of many amazing butterfly moments on this day; my morning started in the backyard with a marvelous sighting of a huge yellow butterfly - hello, Barb!)

We drove down through Amish country, arrived at my parents' house in early afternoon, and found them seemingly healthy, happy, and in high spirits. I had brought along some chocolate chip cookies I'd baked the day before, as my offering. My father, for his part, handed us back a whole bucket of red, ripe tomatoes!

Then we sat in the living room together and talked for a long while, and my dad told stories and we laughed. I took the opportunity to visit their garden, where the Mexican sunflowers have grown mighty tall under my father's care. You may see a picture of the garden, and their house, in the extras. Do you see the cloud above their house in the shape of a heart? Yes, for sure, home is where the heart is!!!

In the garden, my dad showed me his flowers and his tomatoes and his pumpkins. The biggest pumpkin has a couple of swipes on the side from where the bear got it, and turned it over, and tried to take a bite out of it. All that happened about two weeks ago. The pumpkin seems none the worse for wear.

As I stood by the garden, many huge yellow butterflies flittered around us and sat on the orange blooms. Two butterflies danced together, spinning, spinning, spinning up up up into the blue-blue sky!!! I laughed and clapped my hands like a child to see their joy. (Hello, Barb, again! My sister was for sure walking hand-in-hand with me on this day!)

And then, as we neared the end of our visit, I asked my parents to sit on the love seat together for a photo. And as I was snapping away, my husband informed them that their cookies had been made by The Naked Baker (TM). Yes, the day before, I'd been baking in the kitchen, totally starkers; which is to say sans apparel. THIS is a photo of my parents' reaction to that news!!!

My mother, of course, is laughing. And that is the biggest laugh I've seen out of her in a very long time! My father looks totally disapproving, though he has no room to talk. Meet the man who used to change out of his hunting clothes on the front porch and run - totally starkers - through the house to the bedroom. Yeah, THAT man. He's my father, and I'm apparently a chip off the old block.

So I count the day as a full win-win-win. We had a good visit, we traveled safely there and back again, we had a good swim, we got some great tomatoes, we ate some good food, we had some fabulous butterfly moments, and WE MADE MY PARENTS LAUGH. Well this particular moment RIGHT HERE was PRICELESS. And it's captured on Blip now, so it's safe forever. What a wonderful day!

I have two pictures, so let's have two songs. My first song, for the picture above and the story of The Naked Baker (TM), is John Mellencamp, with Dance Naked. My song for the photo in the extras, with the heart-shaped cloud hanging above our house, is Jackson Browne, with In the Shape of a Heart.