The house is a little quieter this afternoon. Only the occasional meow from Buddy and the sound of the washing machine breaks the silence. Our home has been filled with laughter, conversation and friendship this past week. We have been on the go, shopping, sightseeing and well the obvious from FB posts, eating. Yesterday, we began the sad goodbye. We left for Charlotte, stopping in at the Billy Graham Library at the end of their day. Then we set out to find the hotel. Due to the fact it is new, there were a few questions we had as we drove toward what we hoped to be the correct address and Google Girl came through for us. We checked in, Dena got caught up with the world news and I took a short nap. Then we explored our choices for supper and decided upon Brio. I have never eaten at the one in Houston and Dena highly recommended it. I now can recommend it as well. We dined on a dinner of appetizers and then headed back to the hotel. In all our travels, Dena is usually the one who remembers all the safety things like a flashlight and reviewing where the stairs are in relation to the room. OK, I didn't have a flashlight but I did review where we were in relation to the stairs. The second time in our travels, the electricity has gone out in a hotel. In Destin we were on the 9th floor and we debated whether to take the elevator they had running or not. It was a power grid problem that they were able to fix sooner than later and the power came on in the early morning. Yes, we did take the elevator finally after talking to Roy and heeding his advice. Last night was our second power outage, we were in our room and our room only on the second floor. When those lights and air went off we both bounded out of our beds. A huge section was out because we could see flashlights and phones lighting up the night at the other hotel across the way. Dena took a look see in the hall where the emergency lights guided the way making the darkness only dim. After five or so minutes, the power was restored. Dena resumed TV watching and I went back to dozing and falling asleep. We felt quite the welcome from Charlotte because the temps and humidity are on par with Houston. It was their hottest day of the year yesterday.
This morning as is our regular routine on the road, I got up first to get ready, then Dena. Both of us a little quieter than other mornings because sadly, after a fabulous week of road trippin' and mountain staying, she would return home and back to everyday life. After breakfast, we loaded up the car with her suitcases and my rolling bag and began the ever so sad journey to the airport. I dropped her off and she got through and to her gate with the greatest of ease. I drove off, heading for the mountains. I did make a stop at CB to do a little brunch thing so I wouldn't have to stop for lunch once I got home.
Buddy was happy to see me and spent a fair amount of time on my lap. She has since gotten over me and has moved onto her regular napping spots. I am doing laundry and getting ready for Lisa P who will be here on Saturday. Yahoo!
I noticed yesterday as we drove toward Charlotte that once we were truly in the Piedmont area of the state, it's a lot flatter and it looks like east Texas. There were sections of trees along the roads covered and overwhelmed by Kudzu. Nothing new about that in the south but I also noticed how the kudzu wrapped itself around dead trees and made them look alive and green, just like other trees. Only seeing the dead branches reaching out or up gave the clue that the seemingly green tree was no more alive, it just resembled life. There are a hundred illustrations or examples that these kudzu covered, dead trees could be used for, but I thought of friendship. When you have found real, viable friends life flourishes. The ordinary becomes more exciting. No pomp or circumstance, just the joy of spending time with one another. Dena couldn't be more excited to attend Sunday School and Church , to see friends she met last year and making new acquaintanceships. Sunday evening, after church and the ice cream social we had, Dena, Brenda and I went over to Gale's home to see her new window that opens up the eastern side of her home to beautiful sunrises and scenary. We sat on her back porch and laughed and talked. It was so fun this week having Houston friends meet NC friends and vice versus. We sat on Vivian's back porch doing the same and my front porch with Brenda...filled with laughter and joy. There are those we come across with that are like those kudzu trees....presentation is impeccable, but no life, no joy, no realness. Then just like the trees begin to change in a new season, the kudzu dies off and reveals the truth of the matter, just a dead tree sporting some kudzu. No meaning, no life...or the very mimic of life. If you don't have real, close friends, start now by being the kind of friend you want to have.
Well Buddy is interested in me again only because I have a lap top on my lap and not her. Oh this funny cat, she has trained me well.
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