Crystal Lake Walks and Silver Creek Talks: Patty Mugavero (Day 2)

Day two or the adventures with Patty! Today was not as long of an adventure as yesterday, but we still did a lot in a short amount of time. The day started off with a little rain, so we went driving around for an hour or so. We checked out the south farms and Lincoln Avenue. Got to see McKinley Health Center. Looked for a couple more houses for a friend of hers. We had a little less luck today than we did yesterday. It is really hard to find a place with just the name of the street and a general recollection of what the house was like.

As the rain stopped, we headed to Crystal Lake Park. I've been there once or twice way back in the day, but I didn't remember how big it was. The trails were nice. I usually walk around Meadowbrook when I need to take a bit of a walk, but I think I am going to have to add Crystal Lake to the mix now. It was so quiet out there. The rain had just stopped, and it was still cool, so it was a perfect time to go for a little walk.

We got a little more into Patty's history today. She was a Rhet Major back in the day. She did well with her writing in school and was recommended by her teachers to continue studying and writing. Seems like it was a magical time in her life. Lots of great friends, so of whom she is still close with, creativity, and some partying in there too. Good to know Urbana was still throwing keggers back in the day.

We talked a lot about the writing program at the University. We were both doing a similar program. We even had one of the same professors, Michael Van Walleghen. It was good to remember learning about poetry from him. Writing was a calling for Patty, and she wanted to continue her education with a graduate degree, but the cost put that out of reach. She definitely would have had a different life if she had continued, but life still worked out for her. She got married and had three wonderful children. I am always a little sad when I hear stories of creatives that get sidetracked from their passion, but life is what it is, and we all make the most of it. Remembering how I felt back when I was young and in school has brought back my yearning for poetry, but for now, I am just going to have to settle for these good meals and write-ups for It's My Treat.

Speaking of It's My Treat, I guess I am cheating a little bit on this one, because I did not actually pick up the tab for lunch today. One of Patty's friends recommended Silver Creek, so we went there and Patty insisted on paying for this meal since I got yesterday's.

After walking at Crystal Lake Park, we were both ready for lunch. We pulled into the parking lot, but it was full. We went into the overflow parking lot across the street, and it was pretty full also. I was a bit worried that the place would be too busy to get a table. Turns out there was a big event going on in the back and all of the cars were there for that. The restaurant itself was not overly crowded.

The best thing about Silver Creek is the space. It is truly a beautiful place to have a meal. The building was originally a lumber yard and then a flower shop before becoming a restaurant in the 90's. The wood beams and cozy lighting make it a nice place for everything from a work meeting, or a nice date, or in our case a good place for visiting family to get a meal. I had the chicken sandwich and Patty had the Friday Fish Special.

We just had a nice conversation about how our lives were going. Reflected on the visit and seeing all of the changes in the city and appreciating all the things that stayed the say. It was a couple of days of memories. It was great to have Patty down for a visit. I hope it doesn't take her 40 more years to get back down here, but I am glad that I was around to drive her down memory lane for the last couple of days.

Thank you, Patty for sharing a meal with me. And thank you for treating for today's meal. Hope to see you again soon.

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