Recently, I have had the joy of spending some one-on-one time with two of the three daughters-in-law who live nearby here in VA.
On September 24, Preciosa (wife of son #3 and mother of five, who lives about 35 minutes south of us) came over to our house after her kids' school drop-offs, and the two of us enjoyed an early, leisurely lunch at a popular restaurant in our quaint, adorable, thriving downtown—the main drag of which is filled with interesting clothing and housewares boutiques, antiques and gift shops, and top-rated eateries. It was a lovely day in our little town, warm and sunny, so afterward we went over to a sweets shop and got some rich and creamy gelato, which we enjoyed while sitting at an outdoor table. Then we went to a kids' consignment shop, where my D-I-L found fantastic deals on hardly-worn winter coats for two of her kids.
I absolutely love our downtown area, but I rarely go there because my husband and I spend almost all of our time together, and he's not a "let's go window-shopping downtown" kind of guy (not that I'm complaining!). But this "girls' day" downtown outing with Preciosa was so wonderful, so special. I see her quite often, but it's rarely just the two of us. How fun it was to have a couple of interruption-free hours to talk—and we did, about so many things. I'm so glad we asked the waitress to take a picture of us, because this is a memory I will cherish. It was just a random Wednesday, an ordinary day...but it was extraordinarily good.
Then I made an October 9 reservation for two at a popular Tea Room located downtown, for another "girls' day” luncheon outing with my daughter-in-law Braveheart (wife of son #4 and mother of four, who lives near
Preciosa). She has always been interested in going to this place for a proper English tea. I've only been once, years ago, with my D-I-L Regina (wife of son #1 and mother of seven, who now lives in WI), back when she lived near us here in VA. (I did blog about that wonderful outing, if you want to check out that old post
here.) But in the intervening years, I haven't been back and the establishment has since moved its location and changed ownership. So I wasn't sure what to expect...would it be as sweet and feminine and lovely (as tea-riffic?) as it was in the old location?
Well, let's just say that it didn't disappoint! The table was elegantly set with fine china cups and saucers and a damask tablecloth. There was an assortment of hats, scarves, pearls, and other accessories available to borrow, to wear while we slipped our tea. So we got all gussied-up and then shared plates of little tea sandwiches and fancy little desserts (which included apple-cinnamon scones that were simply delectable). And we split a pot of truly delicious tea; I already forget its name and the combination of spices and ingredients with which it was flavored; but trust me, it was so good! And again, it was special to be able to sit and chat one-on-one, to have a tea party for two and lots of girl talk, with this sweet D-I-L.
Afterwards, we visited a shop that sells clothes, housewares, and various decorative items from all over the world, and we both left with a few pretty tchotchkes.
My daughter-in-law Ginger (wife of son #2) lives about 50 minutes north of us. She and I regularly text and audio-text back and forth, sharing decorating and party-planning ideas, recipes, and our latest thrift store finds. If given a choice between going out to lunch or spending a few hours hunting for pennies-on-the-dollar treasures at her favorite thrift store, she would always pick the latter. So I decided that the perfect way to get some quality girl time with her was to go thrifting (and maybe find some little place to grab a cup of coffee while we're at it). We haven’t been able to schedule that outing yet, but I’m already looking forward to it. (And if we make it. happen, you'll probably be hearing about it here.)
I wish my other two D-I-L's—Regina in WI and Babisiu* in TN—lived close enough to schedule regular get-togethers; but I enjoy spending time with them whenever I can get it. I was always a proud, happy, and fulfilled boy mom, and I never felt like I was missing out on anything at all, because my life was so blessed with my five beloved sons; but these girls have all enriched my life so much, each in her own inimitable way. (*BTW, that's a Polish term of endearment that means "baby," and that D-I-L is married to our baby.)
While I don't consider myself the sort of person who has all kinds of sage advice to impart about—well, about anything!—I'm thinking of writing about being a M-I-L to all girls. That is, from what my own personal experience has been, anyway. Our boys all picked lovely Godly women to marry, which as Anne Marie notes above is the biggest key, so they’ve made it easy for me. And I’m not sure I have any earth-shattering words of wisdom to pass on. But stay tuned while I gather my thoughts and perhaps there will be a post on that subject here at the blog, sooner rather than later.
Now I'll sign off with this photo of me surrounded by my beloved girls. Seriously, how lucky am I?
Rhetorical question, dear readers! 😊
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