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Every so often you meet a couple who are genuine, adventurous, loving and totally outgoing.  This I absolutely love!

I pulled up to Borderline Cafe about 6:40am on a chilly, snowy and clear Saturday morning.  To my somewhat amazement I saw this elderly (sorry Bob) gentleman shoveling the sidewalk and I thought maybe he owned the building and was clearing a path for the early morning crowd.  I stepped out of my car to read the sign on the door to see what time the cafe opened.  The gentleman said, “They open at 7…ish.  Sometimes a little before, sometimes a little after.”  I got back into my car and when 7am rolled around I got back out but didn’t see the gentleman.  I walked in and I found a seat on the raised platform by the window and settled in for a delicious breakfast and hot cup of coffee!  A pleasant friendly older lady was sitting at the table next to me and low and behold in walked the gentleman and he sat across from her.

The lady and I started chatting (I can start a conversation with anyone, especially if they look interesting.)  I love older people!  I love hearing where they came from, where they’ve been, what they did for a living and oh, the good stories they have!  And if they are a couple, I absolutely love hearing how they met!  There is a wisdom and an innocence people develop have as they age into their golden years.  Wisdom of knowing how the world works and the innocence of not giving a crap about a lot of things!

She introduced herself as Janet and her husband as Bob or Baaahhhb..lol.  They have been going to the same cafe for breakfast every Saturday morning since it opened in 1994!  They order the same thing, the breakfast quesadilla as of late, and split it between them.  Turns out that Bob does not own the building but he is always out there every Saturday morning either sweeping or shoveling the walkway.  He doesn’t do it because he is related to the owner or for a discounted breakfast, he does it because it keeps him young!  Janet is outgoing and funny as heck in her subtle delivery of stories.  She used to write for the food section of The Plain Dealer.  How cool is that?!  Do to my poor memory and the paper I lost with notes about the couple on it, I cannot say for sure what Bob did for a living, but Bob is very sweet and funny in a way that I appreciate.  He is silly funny!  

This cute couple met somewhere between 35 -40 years ago.  They have shared many life adventures both big and small.  They asked me my story and I told them of the different places I have lived, things I have done, various outdoor adventures and how the outdoors are my first love.  They asked if I have ever canoed and I spoke of the trip I took to Algonquin up in Canada in 2015.  They did (I believe) a 7 day canoe trip up there!  I really like talking to people and hearing about their travels.  And it is even better when you can share stories with someone who has been there.   😀

As we sat there swapping stories I could not help but think of how fortunate they are that they found each other and were able to live such a fun life together.  That they love each other still after all these years and have breakfast in the same spot every Saturday.  I can only hope that one day I will be sitting with my guy at our favorite local breakfast spot, chatting, reading the newspaper, drinking copious amounts of coffee. And when I look up at him and he at me, the beautiful crazy love we still have for each other will be reflected in each others eyes.

Thank you Janet and Bob for being a friendly, inspiring and beautiful couple.

See you soon on a Saturday morning 🙂

~Lori

“Give what you have.  To someone, it may be better than you dare to think.”

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow