A Raleigh Good Time (Road Trip 2014)

Road Trip 2014

Day 2 & 3

Raleigh, North Carolina

We arrived in Raleigh on Saturday afternoon. My second cousin Jean welcomed us to her beautiful apartment and suggested that we walk over to Lake Johnson (shouting distance away) and rent some pedal boats. Her daughter came over with her roommate, so they joined us for part of the time out on the lake.

  

We picked up pizzas for dinner, and then Jean and Melody baked up some ready made cookie dough.  

In the morning, we took a long walk at the lake, first on the paved trail, and then down through the woods. It's rather strenuous, but well worth it.

  

  

Look inside the web!
(Photo by Micah Knowles)

Before we left on Sunday afternoon, Jean showed me some vintage recipes from her grandmother, Amelia Davis, who was my great aunt. The oldest of the seven children of my great grandparents, Charles and Mary Hess, Amelia was the beloved matriarch of the family for decades. I think baking some of her cookies for this weekend's Hess reunion will bring back delicious memories for many of the older relatives. I copied the recipes for soft molasses cookies, crunchy jumble cookies, and blueberry pudding into my notebook. (I'll share them in another post later on.)

Jean and I have both gone through a lot of challenging life transitions in the eight years since we reconnected at a previous Hess reunion. We talk often on the phone, and I always appreciate her love, encouragement, and prayers. I thank God for her.

Virginia and Jean

You can find other posts with Jean in them here:

• Weekend Gratitude In Every Situation
• Sarah P. Duke Gardens in North Carolina
• Before the Throne of God Above (Strength in Hymn)