Yesterday was so full of delightful treats I feel a little like a glutton (albeit a guilt-free one!) because each treat would have been plenty enough on its own to make the day stand out as splendid. First, I spent almost the entire day with my mother, who was my partner in the fun. Together, we drove over to our hometown, New Albany, Indiana, to a neighborhood where both of us spent a good deal of our childhoods with my grandfather’s sisters.
Our particular destination yesterday was the same street, one block over, to a home where a 14-year old reading group–comprised of mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends–was meeting to discuss The Sisters. About a dozen bright, book-loving women welcomed us with a marvelous lunch and instantly made us feel like friends. We were tantalized with the promise of a “surprise dessert,” which turned out to be my favorite-in-all-the-world ice cream, Pumpkin Ice Cream from Emery’s Ice Cream, which both my mother and I had thought had gone out of business years ago. (We learned Emery’s has moved from New Albany to Corydon, Indiana, but all the beloved recipes have made the move as well.)
Aside from this ice cream’s being my favorite (which I had assumed was lost forever), the treat was even more special because my hostesses acted on what had been only a remark of recollection in an email, along the lines of, Yes, I know where that is. Near where Emery’s used to be. Oh, how I loved their pumpkin ice cream. Add to this act of thoughtfulness the absolute miracle that Emery’s had pumpkin ice cream available on an early June day (since typically it’s available only in autumn) and you get a really happy writer who is nearly moved to tears over such a particular hometown welcome.
One more surprise awaited from this lovely group of women–a box of fudge from another beloved area business, Schimpff’s Confectionery.
My mother and I capped off the day by returning to Middletown, Kentucky, to share some pumpkin ice cream (yes! a container to take home!) with my stepfather as part of an early Father’s Day celebration.
Nancy Jensen - Author 