I packed my suitcase, filled my car with gas, and took off early in the morning for a long car ride.
Off I went, through the express and tollways of Northern Illinois, past its suburbs then its cornfields, on through southern Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Dells, with its scenic, natural outcroppings and carnival-like playgrounds and waterparks, marks a halfway point on the ride up north.
On I drove, through the majestic hills and verdant dairy farms, cranberry bogs, and apple orchards. Past fields of wonder; wetlands, marshes, and wildlife refuges, northward I traveled as cranes and herons headed the other way, south, to warmth and a place to winter-over.
My car drove through sun and rain (though no rainbows) and across the mighty Mississippi until I arrived at my destination.
It took just a few minutes and I’m sure a bit of prodding from her mommy. The smile came and then, clear as a bell, Kezzie said
“Yia Yia”.
Isn’t life grand?
(For those of you new to my grandmotherly musings, Yia Yia means Grandmother in Greek.)
A beautiful journey to a perfect arrival!
Thank you, Nan.
Dear Penny, I’m wondering if your wandering today is up to Minnesota where I Iived for 38 years–36 of them in Stillwater. It is the oldest town in Minnesota. The St. Croix River drifts by it and across the way is Wisconsin. Did your travels take you there?
I’m glad to learn the Greek word for grandmother!
Thank you for journeying to my blog today and leaving a comment. I so like to hear from you on our life’s journey. And thank you, too, for welcoming me back to the world of blogging. I’ve missed it!
Peace.
Stillwater is a favorite destination, Dee. We have gone there many times over the years, though not recently. Our daughter first took us there when she was in college and we fell in love with its charm (and its bookstores). We love to drive around to see the older homes, eat, of course, and shop. There is an old church repurposed into a bookstore that our daughter and son-in-law like to frequent. Oh, how I wish I could stop there on this trip. We also have enjoyed Hudson on occassion, though Stillwater remains our favorite.
You are welcome. I’m glad you are back and look foward to reading you when I have a bit more time. Best.
Oh, Penny (Yia Yia), Isn’t being a grandma wonderful? Before I was a grammy, and old experienced friend/grandma told me that there were similarities between traveling to see your grandchildren and traveling to see a long lost lover. I thought she was crazy. Not anymore!
It is the best, Mike. It is as your experienced friend said. It is hard when they are so far away (and yours is really, really far), but, the sweetness is so wonderful and we ge to spend such long bits of time. I am enjoying my time immensely.
How beautifully you describe this journey, Penny. It is indeed a journey of the heart, with pure treasure at the other end. Enjoy this time with your precious one! I love your words ‘past fields of wonder . . . ‘
Thank you, Juliet. Kezzie and I are having a grand time and I feel so blessed to be with her.
Oh wow, Penny, I never realised that you are Yia Yia now! All your tales of your own Yia Yia come flooding back to me. I love that term. I ahve half a min to go Greek in my old age, Granny isn’t a patch on Yia Yia.
Cuddles to Kezzie….
Oh, that I could be half the grandmother to Kezzie that my own Yia Yia was to me, Kate. You’ve plenty of time to grandmother-hood, but, I’ll tell you, Yia Yia rolls off of a toddler’s tongue very easily.
We are delighting in cuddles and kisses.
What a lovely post Penny! It seems like such a short time ago that I had a conversation with you before Kezzie was born about how you were going to be called ‘Yia Yia’ and you were still deciding upon Tom’s grandpa name… and now she’s actually beginning to say your names herself!
Thank you, Janet. How nice of you to remember that. You even went to the trouble to ask your frieds what the term was for grandather. He settled on PapaO (which is sounding, right now, like papo – cute). I am having fun.
What a wonderful trip and a delightful reason for going. Enjoy your visit.
I’m having a wonderful time, Cath, and enjoying every moment including squeezing under the couch with my arms to retrieve a pacifier, which Kezzie thought was very funny and hid it under there, again, just for the fun of crawling all over Yia Yia while she was searching.
It was such a lovely description of your journey and a good day for Grandmothers.
Yes, indeed, dear country friend. A good day for Grandmothers. Love it.
Just plain Grandma (and Great-grandma) here, but it’s sweet by any name, and you have set me thinking about a trip East. Hope you have a wonderful visit with your granddaughter.
However it is said, Karen, it is a gift, isn’t it? I hope you get that trip East soon. I am, thank you, and will hate to leave. Toddler kisses are the best.
Hey Penny — that’s our life right now (on the road again — and traveling the wrong way at the moment, we’re in Washington (north from our summer home — oops!). But we’re visiting family, so it’s worth it. I’ve already got a post written for Our World tuesday about taking a ‘wrong’ turn.
Sounds like you had a lovely trip though -=-Even if everybody else, including the birds, was going the other way!
Ah, Sallie, it is those wrong turns that often bring us the best things in life, isn’t it? So glad you are visiting fmaily. I’ll look for that post come Tuesday.
I’m heading back home in just a bit, so, maybe I’ll feel a little like a migratory bird. You sure will, heading toward warmth. Safe travel.