And A Good Time Was Had By All

Last Saturday after a short but pleasant visit with my brothers at Ron & Marge's in Corning and before Les and Susan left to travel on to Minnesota to visit her brother and nieces in Cloquet, Les wondered if we could get our brother-in-law Gene and niece Kristi to meet us for lunch in Creston when they came back from MN. 

Happily that worked out, but where to meet? I thought about inviting them here for lunch on our deck but there was a good chance for rain in the forecast.

Then I saw this from Mario's Sports Bar & Grill on FB Tuesday. It was one of their new menu offerings for the month of August - a 'Loaded Cuban' sandwich. I don't think I'd ever heard of a Cuban sandwich but it sounded good. Bud and I had been to Mario's last fall and thought it was a nice place to go so I suggested we all meet there for lunch yesterday.

B-T-W - their loaded cuban is: "Toasted sourdough bread, provolone and cheddar cheese, pulled pork, bacon, pickled coleslaw, drizzled with our new seasonal honey mustard garlic sauce."

Boy, was it good! Les also had the Loaded Cuban. He said it was different than the other versions he's had. I looked online for different versions and found many. A few of them are: 'Authentic', 'Original', 'Miami', 'Ultimate', 'Best', and 'New Orleans'. I'm perfectly happy with the 'Mario's'.

I don't even see my brother in law and niece very often and we live in the same town, but we figured out that the last time Les and Susan had seen them was at our first Christmas in July in 2015. So it was really nice for the four of them and Bud and I to be together. I took my camera along fully intending to take pictures and then forgot all about it. We were having such a good time talking, laughing, eating, that I didn't even think of it until after we all left.

Kristi showed us a photo of her grandson Boston who will be two in about six weeks.

I stole this one from his mom's FB page. It was taken in July. He is so cute and has the same curly hair as both my brothers had when they were younger.

I even think there is a family resemblance between Boston and his great-great uncle Les. 

I would say they were each around two years old when their pictures were taken.

We also learned that Jesse will be attending Creighton University School of Law this fall. We've never had a lawyer in the family before.

I also borrowed this photo from Jesse's FB page. She looks so much like her mom in this picture.

Kristi & Jesse two years ago. Betty's h.s. sr. pic on the right. Definitely a strong family resemblance - they all have the same beautiful smiles.

After Kristi went back to work yesterday Les said he could no longer remember Betty's voice and wondered if Kristi sounded like her.

Gene thought maybe a little bit. Sadly, I couldn't say; I also can no longer hear her voice.

Being with family, catching up, reminiscing about the past, talking/thinking about the future(s); it's not a bad way to spend a lunch hour (or two) on a Friday in August. 💖😊