I suppose everyone has experienced one of those moments when they were thinking about someone just as the phone rang and that very person was  on the line. That’s a common occurrance I’ll bet.    I know it happens to me again and again.  Especially with my cousin Maryanne, but we’re pretty  atuned. And I don’t know if Robert and I experience more of those happenings than the average person, but it seems to be a fairly regular phenomenon in our life. So often, in fact, that we have a saying that we call out to each other whenever appropriate – “Synchronicity strikes again”!

Often it’s only about some fun, trivial coincidence but sometimes it’s some amazing thing which leaves us awestruck, in a state of surrender and appreciation to the gods that be, an acknowledgement  of  amazing coincidental events – like the Garuda practice and mask.

My cousin Maryanne and her daughter Kim arrived today from Minneapolis for a lunchtime visit and a first peek at the “before” house on Mt. Faith.  The side story to the day was neither laughable nor harmonious but involved a fast ride to the Park Region Hospital in search of oxygen for Maryanne, who needs it to survive and suddenly found the large canister in the back of their van strangely and mysteriously empty and so we had a strange and tenuous few hours before we actually sat down to our lunch.  We had vowed the day before that it hardly mattered where we ate because the important thing was being together again and being able to talk in person instead of on that synchronistic phone.  But after the worst of the panic had passed, we had to laugh that we were talking about choice of restaurants and hadn’t meant  it was okay to chat in the hospital! Yet that’s a lesson entitled – “Be careful what you ask for!”  – and most definitely NOT “synchronicity strikes again”.

However the major synchronicity began with her housewarming gifts.  For Robert a bottle of Cabernet, which she hadn’t noticed when it was selected that it was from a winery in Paso Robles, California which is practically in the “backyard” of Atascadero.  A Minnesota gift which came from our old stomping grounds in California and back to Minnesota. 

For me, she brought my first Mt. Faith rose.  I said we were atuned.  And I have to describe it, for it is too, too Minnesota.  In fact, it was one of four shrub roses which were developed by the University of Minnesota. They are named Lena, Ole, Sigrid and (mine) Sven.  Sven is described on the tag as “strong as he is good-looking” and “don’tcha know, he has the strongest fragrance of the whole darn bunch”.  But you are reminded that if you “get the other three, it’ll be a veritable smorgasbord of color”  because “They’ll make yer heart melt like butter on lutefisk!” Robert I can tell you, has had his last lutefisk, no matter how much butter.  But I’m really looking forward to Sven who will make a handsome addition to the front of the house on Mt. Faith.

The full circle of the serendipitous day however occurred when Cousin Curt called to invite us to Aunt Lilah’s birthday celebration at – Are you ready?  OLE & LENA’S PIZZERIA in Rothsay, Minnesota. (Are they talking about lutefisk pizza?)

All I can say is –SYNCHRONICITY STRIKES AGAIN!

If that sounds like a strange possible combination of culinary treats however, let me describe the  Uffda Pizza – “Piled high with pepperoni, Italian sausage, Canadian bacon, and beef.”  UFFDA!  And the Prairie Chicken BBQ – “No endangered birds were harmed in this zesty favorite.” And Ole’s Steak and Mashed Potato Pizza – “this is one pizza all midwesten folks will appreciate.”  But Aunt Lilah and I settled for Lena’s Hotdish Pizza (cream of mushroom sauce, wild rice, beef, Italian sausage, onions, mushrooms and cheese.)  YUM!  It couldn’t have been more delish.  Tak fur maten.