Justin Robert

The past few days I’ve been feeling special!  Great nephew, Justin Robert, a Junior this year spent his MEA school break with me in Duluth.  Anytime a great nephew (or niece) chooses to visit their great aunt, it’s a heart swelling moment but I can attest that the heart not only swells but throbs with pride when their choice is to take a road trip and spend an entire school break with her!   The first year Justin stayed with me, Holly & Gracie were here; the second year it was Holly & Helen & Gracie; and this third year the pet parade included Holly & Helen & Gracie & Keltie & Rainie.  Justin’s guest room was also relegated to the futon in the basement.  His easy going self didn’t seem to mind a bit.

The first night Helen joined him but did not last more than an hour.  She fussed enough where he opened the basement door and let her find her own way.  She came trotting into my room with a head tilt and a ‘what were you thinking’ look on her face.    The second night Holly joined him and she lasted until 5:00 a.m. before pawing at Justin’s face relentlessly.  Once again Justin opens the basement door to let a dog find their own way.  Holly found her way to her corner of my bed just fine, she was there at 6:30 when I woke up.  That morning I mentioned to Justin that Holly is a bed hog and without skipping a beat he said ‘Yes, she IS.’  I think Holly would be saying the same thing of Justin because she was a very sleepy girl that morning and took an unusually long nap.  She had made it until 5:00 then decided she had had enough.

Justin & I filled our time with Scrabble, online escape and/or mystery games, visiting book stores, going to Wired Whiskers (the cat cafe) for a fancy coffee brew and observing cats play (mostly sleep) in their secure play area, stopping by Hawk Ridge Observatory to bird watch and mostly watch people watch birds, grocery shopping and attend an intense play at the NorShor Undeground Lab Theatre – The Thin Place.  We also visited his grandparents at the Park Hill cemetery.  We had found the gravesite last year, with help of the cemetery office, and were a bit cocky about thinking we could find it on our own this year.  Not the case.  We solved mystery games and got out of escape rooms, but we couldn’t retrace our steps in the massive grounds of Park Hill.  The cemetery office bailed us out and Justin left with a nice highlighted map, perhaps for our use in future years.  Justin has a passion for cooking, I do not.  Friday night’s meal was a chicken salad masterpiece created by Justin for DeeAnn & I.   While DeeAnn & I shared a happy hour together, Justin prepared a meal for us – truly I don’t know who was happier with this arrangement, us or him.

Intermixed with all the events was the special attention given to the dogs and periodically Gracie.  It’s a humbling experience to prepare their meals and feed all the dogs only to have them rush out of the kitchen to go find Justin.  Dogs – aka, ego-builders or ego-busters!

Mid-October is also cabin closing season.  DeeAnn & I & dogs took a trip to the cabin to finish some of the tasks necessary for wintry weather.  The dogs use the  day to get one last hard run and a quick cold swim.  The dock was out of the water, mounted on the land (thanks to incredibly helpful and kind cabin neighbors).   When the dock is in the water, the dogs do not swim under the dock (Helen being the exception).  Interestingly enough, when the dock is on the land, the dogs do not run under the dock (Helen being the exception).  There is some unwritten rule that hasn’t been shared with Helen yet.

Finishing off our cabin day was a quick drive to Eveleth for a Boomtown lunch with Lanny & Mary, who are also in cabin closing mode.   Still on a high from having time with my great nephew, I get an emotional bonus boost by having time with my brother & sister-in-law.   I know they love their cabin in northern MN and I love that they have one here!   It provides opportunities in spring, summer and fall for us to have spontaneous visits!  And those spontaneous visits provide opportunities for sharing moments, laughs, chats and making memories – heart swelling and pride throbbing memories.

Exactly what we are meant to have; and what we are meant to give in life!