Stockholm, Wisconsin

What is so rare as a day in June? So said the poet James Russell Lowell, and he didn’t even know what the weather patterns were going to be in 2001. But in spite of the complaining we do, there was a perfectly wonderful, rare June day only last week, that we had the opportunity to really enjoy.

Because we just happen to be the parents of one of the PonH editors, we get some special attention at times, and this was one of them. They had a furniture pick-up trip scheduled for a little town called Stockholm. Sounds foreign, doesn’t it? They asked if we might like to meet them and have lunch, and we said sure, providing it wasn’t too COLD and if our critically ill friend did not need us. (Reasons such as this can only come from the parents of a philosopher, don’t you think?) It turned out to be perfect in every respect.

Stockholm is famous for its Amish furniture and quilts, and other things. In the winter, I’ll wager you can barely find it. But on this day it was in full bloom, with outdoor patio dining, people walking about admiring the flowers and shops. My very favorite part was a brief rest, outside the Amish shop on a park bench. We watched a tour bus come and unload their travelers. The driver then proceeded to back up and go forward, trying to get this enormous vehicle into a parking space--all the while we were wondering if he was going to crush Peg’s pickup truck into an accordian.

Philosophers on a holiday do not need gigantic entertainment themes to make them happy. Some good food, some interesting people, and a little rest on an outdoor park bench before taking off for the next peaceful stop. We recommend it for anyone. The rates are reasonable. The rewards are tremendous.