True Friendship

 

It's one of life's greatest blessings when you have a friend who sticks.  The kind of friend with whom you can pick up the conversation as if it was paused only moments, instead of years.  Deb is that kind of friend.  I'm so very blessed to have her in my life.
We met some 30 years ago at the swim club...our kids were very young.  She and her sister were such crafty ladies - with enormous senses of humor - and they and their families became like family.  We were often honored to be included in their family affairs, and our kids grew up feeling the same way.
And then life got busy, the way it will, the kids were teens and young adults...grandkids started coming and it was often years in between our getting together.
But the friendship was still glued firmly in place.
Recently we've been able to fit our lives back together...what joy!
A couple of weeks ago we had the pleasure of joining them at their summer get-away, and we had such a nice weekend.

 I had a heck of a time getting the camera placed just right to get some good shots!

Fortunately, we got a 5th party to take this picture....we visited a great little vineyard, Willow Creek Winery, Cape May, NJ.
Thanks, Ron and Deb, we had such a great time!

Odds and Ends

To start, let me just say, if you see a very peculiar woman running around totally inappropriate places taking pictures of a roll of toilet paper - it'll be me.  Yesterday Lar took me around looking for just the right setting for my title picture for fall....you saw the one I picked, but had to share this one as well.  I was anticipating someone in Haddonfield calling the "inappropriate cops" - but I got away with it.
We recently had to put the garden spot to sleep.  Lar was really saddened by the experience - but I am pretty sure his poor allergies were doing the happy dance.

Back at home, a few of his summer flowers tried to cheer him up.

It worked!
Last Friday we took a trip to see some folks back home.
You see, about 5 years ago, during a stay in Cape May NJ, we met some folks walking on the beach.  Within about 1/2 hour, we had discovered we had so very much in common.  To say we hit if off would be a major understatement.  And to top it off, they now live in the town where I went to high school.
For the ensuing 5 years, Bev and I have kept the friendship alive via e-mail and Christmas cards.  We tried several times to get together, but somehow it just didn't happen.  Finally last week Lar said we were going up and that was that. 
On the way I got the same old feeling of seeing my "mama mountains" and they were in their glory.  I didn't take many pictures on the way since we had planned to go "leaf peeping" together.

We knocked on the door, it opened, and there were hugs all around!  And the chatting began.  We did not stop for about something like 6 hours.  The only peeping I did at leaves was from the incredible sitting area Bev and Clark enjoy on a daily basis.

The next day Bev sent me a similar view -  what a difference a day makes!  I understand that they still have no power and it seems they may not get any until this Friday!
So that's what we've been up to in the past week or so.