A Big Week of Walking/Hiking
Monday through Friday, the dogs and I hiked the woods with my brother. We seemed to go miles but it wasn’t the mileage it was the effort. The hills are getting easier after five days in a row. We climbed up and down, in the woods, by the stream and by the lake up to Black Point. Despite the heat we found places to sit and enjoy the breeze and to drink lots and lots of cold water while the dogs had a swim. It was the best week of hiking that I have had in a couple of years. The other wonderful result of all the hiking is that we get hours of peace and quiet from the dogs. So good for all of us.
The Anniversary
On Friday, the 21st, we began the celebration of our 55th Anniversary. It was a beautiful day. Just like the day we got married in 1969. I found the newspaper article about the wedding on the Gazette archives page. I went for the hike with my brother and then came home to get ready for the arrival of our Asheville family. They arrived early afternoon. Shortly after they arrived, Katie arrived with our surprise visitors, Brooke and Lisa from Baltimore and my sister. What a surprise. How they coordinated it all was quite something. My brother and sister-in-law joined us at 5:30. We had a wonderful gathering with drinks on the porch and a terrific dinner around the dining room table. Everyone talking at once.
Saturday was Farmer’s Market day and the flower lady. Last week we ordered flowers for Sunday at St. Barnabas. John also ordered flowers for our other two churches, St. Andrew’s in New London and St. Mark’s in Port Royal, SC. It meant a great deal to both of us.
More celebrations continued with the arrival of our brother-in-law for champagne at 5:30 and then an incredible cocktails and dinner at Manoir Hovey. We sat outside on the lawn for cocktails and appetizers and then went inside for dinner in their small private dining room. We took pictures out on the lawn before dinner and then everyone was snapping pictures of the food. Between dinner and dessert Margot showed a video presentation of a collection of videos from our friends from over the years wishing us Happy Anniversary. It was overwhelming and so, so special.
Sunday
We topped off the anniversary weekend with a cake at coffee hour after church on Sunday. There are two couples who share the same date at our church in Canada. The Salts had their 49th and we our 55th. Edie came to church with us, my brother and my sister and brother-in-law. Here they are enjoying the cake at coffee hour.
What a weekend! Thank you to all who sent messages and helped make our celebration the most perfect it could be for us. We are incredibly blessed with each other, our family, our extended family, and our many friends from the 55 years and many places and communities we have been a part of. The flowers on the table are from my sister and brother-in-law.
