Friends Colliding

It was a busy day at my little Maine Cottage. It was change over day for guests, but with a planned overlap. Suzanne and Oliver spent the night here. We awoke to a foggy day so we had to scrap our morning breakwater walk for a game playing morning. I was finally able to begin to teach them how to play Mah Jongg. Oliver announced that I am his favorite person to play games with and have been his whole life. Granted that life is only 20 years long, but I am taking the compliment nonetheless.

It was no surprise that Oliver caught on very quickly. His Chinese language studies helped him be able to read what some of the tiles were. Suzanne also was a fast learner, but a 60 year old brain just takes long than a 20 year old brain no matter who you are. I was able to at least intrigue them with a bit of the game.

Eventually we had to stop and prepare lunch as our next guests, Nancy and Karen my boarding school friends were arriving in time for a late lunch. Suzanne peeled and sliced the peaches and cut the tomatoes for a yummy fresh ricotta, peach, tomato, mozzarella, basil salad. I make some Mexican chicken melts and we had a good lunch ahead of us.

Nancy and Karen pulled in exactly on the predicted time and I was finally able to introduce my oldest friends from high school and college to each other. Since Karen was from New Hampshire and is moving back there I wanted Suzanne to meet her because I thought they would be good friends and neighbors.

Suzanne and Oliver were having enough fun with us all that they delayed their trip home so they could go walk the Rockland breakwater with us now that the fog had burned off. A good walk with new and old friends is almost the best thing to do.

Sadly after the walk Steve and Oliver had to get on the road, but not until they stopped at Claws to get something eat on the way home. Claws was our plan for dinner too. So Russ and I initiated Nancy and Karen into the claws fan club. Thankfully the line was not too long tonight. The couple behind us asked if this was the line to get inside. As obvious first timers I told them, “No, there is no inside. This is the line to order.”

Claws never disappoints and I tried a new lobster item, the lobster tacos. And Russ had lobster Bisque. So that brings our lobster totals up to six.

Now I have two more friends to play with while Russ is working. They brought sweet gifts, the funniest being a bar of soap. It’s great that my friends read this blog and know what I need.

Lobster totals: six