Friday, August 26, 2022

Road Trip to Visit Family and Friends ~Reunited, and it Feels So Good

Our good friends moved away this summer.
They are now close to their family
and can be a part of their grandchildren’s lives.
Plus, now they live in a much warmer climate.

However, we certainly miss them at home.

Since we were visiting our family in Georgia,
it was the perfect opportunity to make a side trip
across the border into Florida to see our friends,
their home, and their new community.

We spent a lot of time together over the years.

This friendship started decades ago.
Hubby remembers his first paying gig was
when Dennis called him to play drums in his group. 
Hubby was in Seventh Grade.

They continued to play in Jazz Groups together over the years.
And when the husbands played, we wives tagged along.
Patty and I were both teachers and we would chat about
our week at school,
our families,
and any new recipes that we had tried.

Remember this group?
They played two or three weekends a month before the Pandemic.
Sweet Memories.

We celebrated special occasions together…
Like birthdays,

Retirement,

And even Holidays.
This was the Thanksgiving when we had a Snow Storm
and our friends couldn’t travel to be with their families,
So we set a place for them at our table.

This is another great memory.
Dennis and Patty had an Apple Tree in their Backyard.
I needed Apples for our Foods Classes at School…
Enough apples for
32 Apple Pies
14 Apple Crisps and
8 Pans of Apple Dumplings to be exact.

We picked large tubs of apples, enough for all that baking
and even shared some with the Life Skill Classroom.

Back to our Trip, and yes, Cat Boy traveled with us.
Their new home is in a lovely neighborhood.

Cat Boy pictures himself on a movie set…

But it is just part of their cozy Living Room.

Cat Boy met a real live cat here.
Skitter likes to sleep in the closet
in this sock drawer.

The next morning we went to their Fitness Facility which features
a beautiful pool and water play area for children.

Inside, there was a good variety of exercise equipment.
We took advantage of the treadmills.

Lunch was simple. Patty and I created a Charcuterie Board,

While the husbands mounted a TV on their bedroom wall.
We relaxed out on their screened-in patio to eat and enjoy a beverage.

That evening we went out for Beers and Burgers.
The four of us reminisced, we laughed, and we cried.
We stayed up late, and woke up early just
because we had so much to chat about.

Cat Boy said his goodbyes to Skitter the cat.

Hugs and a few more tears as we said goodbye.
Then we were on our way.
We’re already talking about when we can visit again.

Cherish the time you spend with friends.

Take care,
~Natalie 

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