Last week, Rick and I had a magical outdoor dining experience at Don and Simone’s enchanted garden. I have featured Simone’s flowers in many previous blog posts. Her flowers are the heart of spring and summer.  It’s been a hot summer here in the Pacific Northwest and the day we went to their house was…. hot. Simone and Don’s garden, however, is wonderfully shaded and we all enjoyed the cool of the evening sitting outside.

All the photos in the blog post are from Don and Simone’s garden. I do believe Simone has a deep green thumb!

Simone does something I never do: She tries out new recipes on her dinner guests. I am not so adventurous. I always present a tried-and-true dish for dinner guests, but not Simone. She is a fabulous cook and whatever dish she makes always turns out delicious. Her meals are always surprising and very healthy. I keep thinking about the first course she served us: cucumber yogurt soup with dill, served chilled in vintage cups from Simone’s grandmother.

The true focus of the evening was to bid farewell to and celebrate our dear friend, Melinda. Melinda is leaving Seattle and moving back to  her home city in Bakersfield, California to live near her family. She decided during the pandemic that what she really wanted in life was to be closer to her sister-in-law and nieces.  We are sad to say goodbye, but so pleased that Melinda is making this big change in her life. She is following her heart!

Below: Rick, Simone, Don, and Melinda

Simone’s raspberry crumble. So GOOD!

So the story of how Melinda came into our lives goes like this:

In 2008, my mother passed away. Among the many ways her death affected me was my inability to cook, clean, or do anything productive at home. All I had energy for was to go to my various work sites, teach yoga, come home, sit on the couch and veg out.

One day, after teaching a class at Continental Place, Julie Bacon asked me, “How are you doing, Franny?” She must have sensed something. So I told her how I was unable to function outside of the required work of teaching yoga. I told her how the house was accumulating dust bunnies, but that there was nothing I could do about it.

That very evening, while sitting on my sofa in Fremont, vegging out, there was a knock on the door. I answered the door to find Melinda there. She had a vacuum cleaner in one hand and the other hand held a pail of cleaning supplies. Melinda explained that Julie had sent her over to clean the condo for Rick and me.

In she came and changed our lives forever!

Not only did Melinda leave the house sparkling clean and smelling of fresh organic cleansers, lemon, and vinegar, (we hired her on the spot!), but she also proved to be a good friend. Rick looked forward to Melinda’s cleaning appointments so that he could discuss politics and current events with her. From time to time, I would have to gently remind him to let her do her work.

And it’s not just flowers:

Simone also grows radicchio! Radicchio is ridiculously priced in the grocery stores! Have a look next time you are at the store. Radicchio is full of minerals and vitamins, especially Vitamin K. It is great for lowering cholesterol. It has a bitter taste, which I abhorred at a child, but am quite fond of as an adult.

These hydrangeas look like a painting!

This garden says, “Come on over and stay a while!”

Thank you, Don and Simone, for your fabulous dinner. And Melinda, let’s keep in touch always!