Now it's time to say good-bye....

... and that's what we did this morning-- said good-bye to my old boss and his wife. It was wonderful to see them again-- I think it was five, maybe six years ago when we saw them last, at our old house in Clear Lake. When they called to see if they could come by after Thanksgiving, Mrs. H told me that she was "older and more wrinkled," as if she were apologizing. To me, both Mr. and Mrs. H looked just the same, just a bit grayer. But so what.... unless everyone is making monthly appointments at the hair salon, everyone we know is getting a bit grayer.

The "bicycling duo" is still on the road, still packing their fold-up bicycles and bringing them mostly everywhere they go. Not only do the H's go bicycling, but they also go roller-skating at a nearby rink where they live in Pennsylvania. They both keep active, they see the bright side of everything, and they are completely joyous in their outlook. I'm guessing that they are both in their early 80s now, and with all their travel adventures over the years, maybe that's one of the reasons for their totally sane and realistic perspective on life.

Mrs. H truly appreciated this big old house, as did Mr. H as well... they too live in an old farmhouse in a rural part of their state, so they don't scoff at floors that may not be perfectly level and original built-in cupboards whose latches may stick now and again. They ooohed and aaahed at this home's stained glass windows and the colorful glass transoms over the doors. And we all looked out at the views from the porches and just sighed with content. Amber waves of grain. While they were here, the light breeze danced through the pastures of hay and it was a sight to behold.

They should have arrived by now in New Orleans, then they will drive to Atlanta after that, followed by North Carolina... on their way back to Pennsylvania. I told my husband that we could plan that kind of a trip as well..... fly to the east coast, rent a car, and visit family and friends up there, staying just one day for each visit, then get back on the road again and make our way to the next destination. A long trip, filled with short visits. "Enough time to catch up, but not time enough to get on anyone's nerves," said the H's.

So now the cottage is empty once again, and so is the barn. The beds are made up and ready for the next round of guests, which should be Christmas week when Miss C and her parents come up for the holiday. Between now and then, we're hoping friends from Clear Lake will take the drive up and spend the day, or the night.... whatever works best for them. At this time of the year, I would have been deep into planning our big Christmas Open House..... but not this year. I suggested to my husband that we have a small dinner party with some of our neighbors here... he's thinking about it.