The view of the lake from the deck
Kind parishioners from Dear Friend's church offered hospitality to several of the out-of-town guests at Doxy and Dear Friend's wedding. My hosts, whom I shall henceforth call LL, for Lovely Lady, and KG, for Kind Gentleman, were a wonderful couple who have traveled the world. KG has been three times on mission trips to Africa to work with the people of the area to build water wells in villages where there was no source of clean drinking water.
KG and LL were the kindest and most gracious folks that you could image. I had a beautiful bedroom with a bath for my private use. Their house was lovely, with a minimalist look about it, spare, but quite inviting and attractive. It's the look that I'd like to have, but after 26 years, I'd need to get rid of a load of stuff - aka as clutter.
LL and KG dancing at Dear Friend's birthday party. Fran and Doxy are in the background to the left of center.
Saturday was a free day, so LL and I chilled together, ate a wonderful salad on the lower deck, which is down the stairs, right alongside the lake. The picture at the top is the upper deck off the living room and kitchen. Afterwards we walked to town, looked around in the stores, bought some cards, and then strolled back home. During this time, LL and I talked and got to know each other and had an altogether lovely day.
I must tell you the story of LL's dress in the picture. She made the dress years ago, and she had not worn it in 33 years or so, for a very long time. She thought she might wear it to the birthday party. She tried on the dress, and it fit perfectly and looked smashing on her. The colors are gorgeous. The chances are nil that I would fit in a dress 33 years old, probably not even a moo-moo of the day. I can't remember ever wearing moo-moos, anyway.
I talked to Doxy on the phone yesterday, and I told her that my entire time in North Carolina was magical. Seeing old friends again, meeting old virtual friends in person for the first the time, spending time with my friends, my kind hosts and their gracious hospitality, the birthday party, the beautiful wedding, all of it was magical.
UPDATE: The picture below, taken by Fran, is lagniappe added to the post, just because I like the picture. All three of us look good. I hope that the other ladies(?) agree.
Me, Fran, and Doxy having lunch at The Soda Shop after they picked me up at the airport.
It sounds like it was a wonderful memory making kind of event. (And it looked like a lovely wedding!)
ReplyDeleteCiss, I'm still amazed at the wonder of it all. It was close to other-worldly.
ReplyDeleteOh Mimi!! Your hosts were lovely indeed. As are YOU!
ReplyDeleteI looked at some of the photos that Doxy posted and I was very teary eyed... it was magical indeed.
We're still basking in it, aren't we? And why not? It was a magical weekend. So good to see Mimi and jane again and such a treat to meet Fran, LJ, PJ, Doxy, and Dear Friend, and rabbit and all his relations. Don't get me started tearing up, Fran, you know what a mess I was at the wedding. (Soppy old bear....)
ReplyDeleteThat's really not a bad view, is it?
ReplyDeleteIs this where I'm supposed to say that I'm jealous? Well, it's true. I am. North Carolina is one of the most charming areas in these United States. There's something about the softness of a Carolina morning that you just can't find anywhere else in the whole world. I have a friend who's moving to Lake Gaston, so I hope to have an excuse to go there.
ReplyDeleteI love the story about the dress, Mimi. It has been said that God created humans because God love stories. I wonder how many thousands of wonderful stories like that - of dresses lost and found - that fill the world, but we just don't pay attention to them.
Tim, the views were spectacular.
ReplyDeleteTears, tears aplenty. Happy tears. Paul you came close to making a spectacle of yourself.
Elizabeth, that was your cue to be jealous.
Yes, the stories. I think that may be the main reason that I have a blog - so I can tell stories.
You tell them well - I want to go there too!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this with the rest of us.
Erika, you and Susan would have made great additions to our merry band.
ReplyDeleteWhen I lived in St Louis in the early '70's I knew an extremely lively elderly lady, "knee high to a grass-hopper", as they say, who was prominent in the local arts community and who dressed for effect. I saw her at a party, wearing striking, high-heeled, patent leather, lace-up, knee-length boots. When I congratulated her on how "with-it" she looked, she said, "Yes, I had them made in 1927".
ReplyDeleteThe same lady, as a small child in 1890's New York, would wet her fingers to rub red paint from the wallpaper of her parents' apartment. She used this to rouge her cheeks so that she could look like the wonderful "whore ladies", as she put it, who plied their trade in the street outside the apartment building.
Considering what may have been in that red paint I guess she was lucky to make it to her teens, let alone to the 80-some years old she must have been when I was acquainted with her.
♫ There was an old lady....♫
ReplyDeleteWell, I ain't no lady but I do think you three are lovely in the Soda Shop photo.
ReplyDeleteThanks, luv.
ReplyDeleteYes, it is a great picture! And I love that the wainscoting(SP?) was so convenient for the condiments. Makes me think of college.
ReplyDeleteI have kinfolk right outside of Lexington, NC. Were you near there?
Oh, and Y'all look so relaxed!
ReplyDeleteSusan, the tables are rather small, so the wainscoting comes in handy. Their milk shakes are to die for - the old-fashioned kind.
ReplyDeleteWe were south of Charlotte, if that's a help. I don't know the mileage.
Oh my---I almost missed this!
ReplyDeleteMimi, dear, may I please have a copy of that photo?
Paul--FWIW, I didn't hear you crying during the ceremony and you looked very handsome afterward. If you are a soppy old bear, you at least look good while you are sobbing!
Susan--Lexington is about 50 miles from Davidson, which is actually north of Charlotte. If you come visit your relatives, we should definitely arrange a meet-up!
Lapin--I can definitely see Mimi in lace-up boots! ;-)
Cheers,
Doxy
Elizabeth--I meant to say that we are equal in our envy of each other's meetups! And you are welcome down here any time.
ReplyDeleteI am envisioning a huge blogger meet-up in New Orleans sometime in the not-too-far-distant future. Wouldn't that be a hoot? Great food, fab music, and Mimi (who, I am sure, could be tempted out of Thibodaux)--what more could we ask for?!
Cheers,
Doxy
Doxy, help yourself to the photo. It's Fran's, and I'm sure she won't mind.
ReplyDelete...Davidson, which is actually north of Charlotte.
LOL! My pitiful lack of knowledge of geography exposed for all to see.
I'm all for a meet-up in New Orleans, but some of the folks from the Midwest are pulling for Chicago, which also sounds good to me.
Chicago is okay---but I want some jambalaya, étouffée, and a muffeletta. Oh, and some beignets too!
ReplyDeleteAnd don't feel bad about the geography, Mimi. I had to google to find Lexington, and geography was always my worst category in Trivial Pursuit. ;-)