Housewarmings and Fudge

One of my friends from high school and her husband recently became first time homeowners so when I received the house warming invitation I was quick to accept to be there to celebrate their achievement with them. Then a couple days ago I mapped it out so see how long a drive it would be... 1 hour and 40 minutes. She grew up in a small town nearby and her commute to get downtown for high school was one hour. I know she laments how much her hometown has grown unrecognizable with all the new development. And she has been living in a suburb since graduating college. The Metro area is experiencing so much growth and density that one really has to go the distance to find that small town, rural feel, but, boy, she is really out there!

I wanted to get them something useful and local to welcome them to their new town so I looked up the local hardware store in Willamina to see if I could get them a gift certificate. As new homeowners one quickly learns that something is almost always in need of repair and it is beneficial to know your local hardware store. I explained what I was looking for and why and while they didn't have formal gift certificates, after consulting with another shop keeper told me they could write up something for me. That is good customer service.

It was so nice to see my friend and get a tour of their new home. Her husband was handing out beanie babies to all the children in attendence so my two were thrilled. We don't get to see each other often with our schedules so I am so glad I was able to have this opportunity to chat and catch up. I was also able to catch up with her family whom I haven't seen since her bridal shower I hosted a few years ago. Their new home is perfect for them and I am so happy.

It seemed a shame to drive so far and not make it a compound journey so I decided to make a side trip to the Brigittine Monastery to get some fudge. I love their fudge and I buy it any time I see it in a store or at a festival like Oktoberfest. I haven't been out to their monastery gift shop since before I had children. When we arrived I explained that we wanted to be respectful in this sacred space. As we were walking through the garden Deuce was so filled with the spirit that he knelt down to say a prayer by the statue of Mary.

He read the sign for Our Lady of Consolation and we had an opportunity to talk about what that meant and add it to their vocabulary.

A monk met us at the door of the main building and led us to the gift shop where we were able to sample the fudge. I could go crazy in there but decided to limit us to two boxes.  Deuce decided his favorite was the extra dark chocolate fudge. I picked the hazelnut chocolate fudge because what is more Oregon than that?

It was a very long day of driving in the car and I really appreciated their patience and pleasant attitudes. They totally earned their fudgey snacks today!