Day 14--Havana to McLean, IL

Sunday, April 29, 2012

I get by with a little help from my friends . . . again!

Had a great, unintentional rest day with the Strandburg's today, Sunday, because it was stormy and very windy. Too, Nan wanted me to stay to meet her BFF and to watch a DVD.

Nan slept late, probably exhausted after riding 36 miles so soon after her surgery. When she got up, she threw on some steel-cut oats for oatmeal and then dashed off to 11 o'clock Mass at her church. I finished cooking the oatmeal, put a bowl in the fridge for her when she returned, and ate a big delicious bowl myself.

While Nan was gone I went down to the barn to photograph Dan feeding Sierra, their pinto horse. Sierra is a very friendly and frisky horse and gives kisses when asked--tongue out. I tried to get a photo of this last night, but it was too dark and I had the camera on the wrong setting. The hilarious photo below is one of Nan's.



Sierra giving Nan a kiss



Dan trying to get a pose with Sierra but all she is interested in is food in the barn



Sierra at alert for oats

Nan is a whirlwind type of person, never sitting idle for long. She works at a hospital in Peoria, an hour-and-fifteen-minute drive, because the local hospital is "too sleepy" for her. She runs or rides her bike or her horse as often as she can, and has an artistic bent. She makes rosaries and other jewelry, makes magnetic flowers from the tops of medicine bottles, and even showed me how to make a tulip bouquet from plastic spoons and forks.

When she returned from Mass, Nan made Monkey Bread and a big pan of frosted brownies while I sat at the kitchen table and identified some of the birds at her feeders and some of the stray cats that have made their home under her deck. There are two yellow-and white-spotted ones, a black one, a grey/brown tiger, and a yellow tiger. The yellow tiger is the only one that will let you come close. Its name is P.J.  Of birds, there were white-crowned sparrows, house sparrows, purple finches, goldfinches flashing their bright breeding yellow feathers, and grackles.



Strandburg backyard from the kitchen; the propane tank was painted 12 years ago I learned 

Nan's BFF, Deb Egbert and her husband Larry, came over around 3 p.m. and we all watched War Horse and ate monkey bread. The monkey bread was delicious and the movie good, but maybe not fare for the whole family. The film locations were beautiful . . . except for those depicting WWI trenches, of course.



Moi at end of movie

Nan & Daisy watching War Horse

Parting shot of Deb Egbert, Nan Strandburg, and me

Shortly after our movie, I loaded B.O.B. and bike into the Strandburg pickup. Nan piled a plate with meatloaf, baked potato, greenbeans, and brownies for my dinner on arrival in Mclean, and then she drove me to McLean--after a brief tour of charming Havana--so that I didn't have to ride in the stormy, windy weather.



Havana's historical water tower

Thank you Nan & Dan Strandburg for your wonderful hospitality. I know that I've made new friends in you two. Be sure to give me a call when you come to OKC to visit Dan's sister.