Ran Into An Old Freind

Hi Dear Folk,

Yesterday while visiting the optician for a check up and to order a new pair of glasses, I thought I'd get it all in before I do not have health coverage anymore.  I ran into an old friend who I had not seen in at least fifteen years, because they had moved to Alabama and we did not keep in touch with them.

Regina had brought her mum in for a checkup and recognized me, or maybe recognized my voice and when she said her name of course I remembered her.  Her son Timothy and my son used to play together.  They have decided to move back to Pennsylvania as both Brad and Regina's mothers are getting older and they want to be around to help them.

So I asked how was Timothy, he was about three years older then Rob, and she said that he died three years ago.  I asked if it was an illness or a tragedy and she said a tragedy and didn't elaborate and I didn't ask.  It's just been weighing on my mind.  Just so sad.  Plus the tragic shootings last week and all those young faces.

On a happier note we said we would get together and we had a lovely long chat.

My son urged me on to get a new camera, truth be I didn't need too much pushing so I settled on an a6000 Sony with the new lens that just came out for it 18-135 mm.  I already had a Sony so some features are similar but there is a lot to learn.

I treated myself to this camera then Mr. B. came to me with a surprise of, half towards the camera, his gift to me.  I will put it towards my trip to the UK.

Here are some of the photos I took with my new camera.  We will keep my old camera in the family as I always liked it.  At eight years old you would not get too much for it.

Saturday morning was bright and sunny so we headed over to our local park.

This tree, so gnarled and a wonderful shape as if it came right out of a fairy story.

After this Mr. B. and I went over to Jem's for lunch, a fifties retro diner in a small strip mall shopping area, it's been a family business there for a very long time.  The usual comfort diner food.  I had a cheese steak Zep with salami, American and provolone cheese, onions and tomatoes, a little different from the usual and Mr. B. had French toast and a side of bacon, he always gets a side of bacon.

On to a little thrifting, small silver and amber necklace $7.99, very dainty and pretty, lovely eighties style mohair jumper and a French bowl which I knew was old and turned out to be late 1800's.

Later in the evening it snowed.  I was a bit concerned about the snow as Rob went to Cape Ann for the weekend, but the next day it all melted away.  He said he had trouble getting out onto the main roads, because Tierney lives down many side roads, but once on the main highways they were all dry.

The Boy said they went for a beautiful walk on Sunday morning.  It was a very heavy wet snow while it lasted, so a dense coating on everything, and of course it's always colder up there in MA than PA where we are.

Rob bought us back a cannoli each from the famous Mike's Pastry in Boston.  I must say I think it was the best cannoli I've ever had.

The French bowl.  Before I even picked it up and turned it over I knew it was French by the shape.  When I was sixteen I visited France with a friend of my mother's, Renee, visiting from the USA, but her parents and all her family were from France.  Originally they moved to Montreal, Canada then moved down to Pennsylvania, which is how I landed up in Pennsylvania, but that's another story.

Renee wanted to visit her uncle who lived in Paris, while over in England and I had a current passport and was able to go over with her.  I remember that every morning we would pop down to the local bakers and buy fresh croissants and her old uncle Gab would brew up a fresh pot of strong coffee, which he would serve in a bowl the same shape as the one above, with heavy cream and we would dunk our croissants in.  Not sure if this is a French tradition but that's what he did and we did.  It was delicious.

Christine