I have had a fabulous week!!!! My best friend in the whole wide world (Ann) came to spend a week with me and we had a blast! We started out with a day at the Mall of America and then had a great time spending time in Mason City, painting pottery, going to Cresco, Iowa to pick up the quilts that Doreen from Treadlemusic finished for me, going to a Chris Mann Concert at NIACC, and catching up for a lot of lost time. Chris was the perfect hubby and tolerated our giggles and silliness and took us out to a fabulous dinner at 1910 Grille—the restaurant in the Historic Park Inn on Saturday night. We had the best time ever and I am so glad she came to visit me!
I can not count the number of friends that I have but I am blessed . Blessed to have many who I have shared with in this journey called life. I have friends in many places—places I have lived and places I haven’t . Friends that I have met in real life and friends that I have yet to meet but hope to someday. But Ann—-Ann has been with me through thick and thin and through a lot of stuff that has made us friends for life. There is nothing like it. I know I am blessed. And I am so grateful for her and for her wit and wisdom and constant friendship even when I moved far away. That’s what is important in life—-nurturing those friendships which are for life. I don’t take it for granted but am very thankful that God brought us together years ago in North Carolina.
One of the best places in Mason City to while away a few hours is Music Man Square—the claim to fame for Mason City. Fans of The Music Man know all about Meredith Willson and his love of Mason City—his boyhood home. The whole Music Man Square is really interesting complete with museum and a tour of his home which has a great deal of original items scattered throughout. We had a lovely host—Fran—who made our visit even better.
Ann and our docent, Fran
A few facts about Meredith Willson
The street scape scene replica from The Music Man
Boyhood home of Meredith Willson
Aren’t we adorable?
Painting pottery at Market 124
Quilt number 1 finished!!!
Perfectly matched backing and binding complete the fabulous quilt!
Doreen is so skilled!!! Her work is fabulous!
Quilt number 2 completed! This one had to be hand quilted to be finished up and Doreen did a wonderful job as you can tell!
And the third quilt which is mine—beautiful!!!
Doreen made the huge white spaces so beautifully filled with detail. It is amazing how this quilt top was transformed once Doreen got it!
It is BEAUTIFUL! Don’t you agree?
Before dinner at the 1910 Grille–relaxing in the Historic Park Inn
Posing by the infamous Dice Sculpture in the City Park
Posing by the “fake dice” outside Rancho Z Deluxe!
Thanks, Ann, for coming to the prairie to see me!!!! Not everyone will venture this far to come see a friend and I am soooo glad that she did!!! I think Holly and Buddy will miss her, too.
It's Just Life 
I am happy you had such a wonderful time together. Friends are the best!!!
Thank you! I have been blessed in my life with a lot of great friends. One of the advantages of moving frequently is that you make a lot of different friends in different places!!!!
Looks like you had a great week with a bestie!!! You two made great memories together! Thanks for sharing the pics! Love, love, love the beautiful quilts….such talent that I envy!
Glad you like the quilts!! They turned out beyond wonderful. I was so excited about them–can you tell?
It is so good to have friends that will travel to visit your hometown. It looks like you two had a fabulous time together. God Bless a great friendship.
Thanks, Joanna! I also thought of you when I handed the quilts over to Doreen to finish since you are such a fabulous quilter yourself!
And I am so thankful for the small part I sneaked into your week! Such fun! Again, it was a privilege to finish up what was began with so much love. Many “cherishing years” are to come for these 3 quilts. Hugs……..
It is I who am blessed to have had the connection with you to be able to have you add your love to my quilts! That love will be shared for years to come. Thanks so much!
Another ;-b!!!
Thanks so much for sharing your special week with your special friend. These times are gold aren’t they. You look so happy to be together. The quilts are amazing too. What talent! Have a super week ahead. XO
I have had the best couple of weeks for sure. Ann is one of those friends who is a forever friend. We just have always clicked. And Doreen is a new one of those kinds of friends—and so talented!!!
What a precious post, Beth Ann! You are, indeed, blessed, as are we, when you share these joys with us! Thank you!
I’m so glad you had a good week. Looks like fun painting the pottery–and I love that your quilt is red! Of course, it’s red, right?
I’ve been busy all week, as our 20-foot container arrived from the US on Wednesday evening. We’re still digging out from under the boxes. So fun to look back at the things we packed so many months ago and rediscover them.
Hugs from Ecuador,
Kathy
I am so glad you got your container! What a lot of work but kind of like Christmas as you rediscover all those loved items that you packed up months ago! That is the best thing about getting your container, I bet. Being reunited with your treasures and memories. So glad all is going so well for you two!
Blessed, indeed. Sounds like the best of weeks.
Absolutely blessed!
Looks like you had a great time and isn’t it nice to be able to explore your own “backyard”!
Yes–exactly! Even stuff I have been to before is fun exploring again with someone else!!!
Friends do the heart good, sounds like a great visit!
It was fabulous!!! I am so blessed!
What a great week you had together. Friends definitely do the heart good. And those quilts – gorgeous! Love the red one – I would have kept that one too. The detail is so beautiful.
Thanks, Les—we had a fabulous week! And the quilts are beyond wonderful. Doreen put so much love into them and I am thrilled with how they all turned out.
Looks like you had a ball! Nice your cat welcomed her too, doubt if mine would do that!
Both of my kitties loved on her! She had been here once before when they were just kittens but I doubt they remembered her!
What a fun time! I am a band geek to the core and really enjoyed all of the info on “The Music Man.” I never knew that the musical was based on a real town. I think my favorite, favorite was “Lida Rose.” Love barber shop quartets. We played a “The Music Man” medley in our community band last spring.
Love the quilts, too. I’ve got a bunch of handmade quilts that my grandmothers made.
Oh Steph—this is an amazing place for band geeks. The annual Band Festival is so well attended and is the highlight of the year for many folks. I honestly did not know how many songs came from The Music Man that I just had forgotten were in it! This is a great little place to visit should you ever get the chance. I hardly posted any pics of it compared to what I took!!!
Do you know that I’ve never been north of Kentucky…except for in a plane? Not by choice…I’d love to cover the upper have of the US one day.
Wow!!! You need to change that! That is what I love about the USA—so many great and different places to go all in one place!!!
I’m so glad you guys had a wonderful time. I know what you mean by friends sticking around even over long distances. My best friend lives in KY but we met in 7th grade in Germany. Somehow we both ended up in the big ol’ US of A and we see each other once a year and talk almost daily. Friends for more than 20 years – that’s pretty awesome!!! 🙂
That is amazing that your friend and you and both in the US!!! There is nothing like those friendships that last a lifetime!
I have always loved The Music Man, and my family and I had such fun acting in it last summer – ever since we have thought that we need to visit Mason City. Now you make me want to even more! Thanks for the fun post! Glad you had such fun with your friend – and neat that Doreen did the quilts for you!!!
I wish I had a friend like Ann. I have made many bloggy friends & I treasure them all, but no friends from my past because I had to move so many times & lost contact.