When Missing a Plane is the Right Thing to do

Jonny called from the Salt Lake Airport on June 26 at 4:30 p.m. to say he'd missed his plane.  He had been interviewing a John Deere dealer in eastern Washington, and his Seattle/SLC/San Diego flight left late.  When he arrived in SLC, the plane to San Diego was just leaving.  Jonny didn't run for the gate as fast as he might have if his parents didn't live in town!  Instead, he booked onto the 9:30 flight and gave me a call.

Jonny had just enough time to eat pasta, bruschetta, and creme brulee with me at Lugano, one of Jonny's favorite restaurants anywhere.  He drove by Jenny's parents' house, and then we picked up Dave, who was working late, and sat on the outdoor couches at City Creek Center, just talking for half an hour.  "This felt like a real visit," Jonny said, as he hugged us goodbye.

Another favorite evening was my floral arranging class at Trifecta, a local florist.  I bought a Groupon discount deal, which, for $99, bought me three hours of instruction and the supplies for two elegant floral arrangements. There were just two students for our capable and committed instructor.  She encouraged us both to "trust yourself--feel what the flowers want to be."  I came home with one traditional arrangment of yellow roses, yellow lilies, sunflowers, and lavender, and one modern arrangement of purple calla lilies and twisted branches.  I love flowers and making bouquets, and it was a treat to improve my skills.

After the many trips we've taken lately, this weekend Dave and I just wanted to relax.  We did fit in three movies--Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Moonrise Kingdom, and Brave.  Best Exotic Marigold Hotel was set in Jaipur, among the frenetic life of an Indian city.  Moonrise Kingdom was a spoof on authority figures, from parents to the Boy Scouts to state welfare agents, and it celebrated invincible young love.  Brave was Pixar's latest animated feature, the story of a Scottish princess who has a witch turn her mother, the queen, into a bear!  I adored Brave, and hope I'll get to share it with my grandchildren.  Jonny, Jenny, and Michael, who love India, would also enjoy Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.   As to Moonrise Kingdom, it was witty but strange.  What family members, we wonder, are both witty and strange enough to enjoy it?