An awaited day has arrived, and by later afternoon, long-time friends from Australia will be arriving to spend the coming week with us! Through a series of convoluted happenstances, we were introduced, and our families with two daughters apiece became longtime friends. They hosted our eldest's 21st birthday in '92 and another time we attended their eldest's wedding. With them, we spent Ken's 50th birthday in Tasmania, and for our 25th anniversary, we toured New Zealand together. We've hosted them as well, visiting Hawaii with all of them, and traveling through the east coast and central US when they wanted to see the fall color!
Around our dining table, they experienced "An American Thanksgiving" in what turned out to be another amazing "happenstance" with others joining us from around the country, one with their guest that day from Melbourne, Australia! As can happen when you've known someone for so long, David's wife, Joy, passed on, and he's since remarried Joanne whom he's bringing to meet us.
We've made some plans around which we can add more or less activities. We will go to visit Ashley and her family up the coast as they've been to visit these friends in Sydney as well in recent years! There'll be pictures aplenty, but it remains to be seen how much time I'll have to post them daily! I'm looking forward to leaving the yard and seeing the sights, also, with our visiting travelers!
@corinnec@danette@wakelys@365projectorgchristine@gardencat@koalagardens@joansmor@tunia Did you see the comment from Koala Garden @koalagardens ? Just WAIT until I tell the Aussies that we're about to have "A Ripper of a Good Time"! That's one expression I hadn't yet learned, but it sounds like a qualifier! Thanks! And Tunia, @tunia we're going to do all we can to make Joanne feel she's been a part of this circle from the start! @gardencat Joanne, cutting these cards is an irresistable pastime! Some people are just drawn to "Paper Pleasures", I think! @corinnec Thanks, Corinne! I do believe it's going to be a Ripper! ; ) @danette You know my penchant for cards... Thanks, m'friend! And to all of you, thank you for the well wishes and taking some pleasure in what I'm preparing. We went to the hotel and they let us into the room so I could lay everything so that they would see it when they came in. I added a bowl of protein bars, chocolate, biscotti and tangerines from the tree. The receptionist called it an amenities basket. I call it "sustenance" for those 3AM food cravings after traveling halfway around the world!
@radiogirl It strikes me as wildly unusual that we should have traveled more with this family than anyone else we know! You're right that we have a lot of incredible shared memories, and thanks, Kathy, we're about to have an amazing time, I know!
What a wonderful welcome you have given your friends! Such a lovely story of your family meetings over the years and the fabulous places you have travelled together. I love that phrase - Have a ripper of a time - I am sure you will!! Enjoy!! Looking forward to the photos!!
