A Weekend with My Sister and Cousins

Ticknor Hill Bed & Breakfast

One of the beds in our room

Sisters: Linda and Diane

Baked egg/ham dish

L to R: Yours truly, Linda, Diane, Pat, Jan

Como Park, St. Paul, Minnesota

Inside the Marjorie Holmes Conservatory

Hans and Rachel were married on these steps nine years ago.

This year, more than ever, my sister, cousins and I have spent some quality time together. This weekend we gathered at Diane's home where we had lunch and played with her darling grandsons, Ethan (3 years old) and Luke (2 weeks of age). This was not only fun, but meaningful - you see, Diane and her husband are moving back east - this time to the Atlantic shores of New Jersey. It has been great having them here in Minnesota for the past four years, and now the Minnesota cousins have a new place to travel - the Jersey shore!

Following lunch, we packed into Aunt Liz's car and traveled a small distance to where we toured a few of the Parade of Homes in her neighborhood and then to Ticknor Hill B & B in Anoka. This B & B is in a Victorian Home built in 1867. The hostess welcomed us by giving us a tour of the home, and showed us our rooms - one large one that sleeps 3 and a smaller one that sleeps 2. We were the only guests for the weekend, so we had the common areas to ourselves. We brought in our baggage and left for some shopping in the many antique stores in Anoka, followed by dinner in a local bar and grill. Per usual, we spent the rest of the evening talking and laughing - staying up way past my bedtime!

Sunday morning we enjoyed a delicious breakfast in the dining room, and listened to our hostess tell of the history of the house. After checking out, we ventured a few blocks away to see where the Rum River flows into the Mississippi River. This is a new part of Minnesota to me.

Next destination: Como park. We walked through the conservatory, the tropical gardens, and out to the zoo to see the orangutans, polar bears, giraffes and zebras. It was a beautiful day to be outdoors, and all in all, it capped off a wonderful time of being together. I'm blessed to have these special women in my life.