Maryland

We drove to Maryland to see my friend V, whom I've known since high school. We were best friends way back then, all through high school and a few years beyond, but then lost touch when we both moved out of NY state.  With the magic of computers, we re-connected some years ago, picked up right where we left off, and we've been constantly in touch and best-friends-again ever since. Last week's visit was the second time my husband and I have gone to Maryland to spend time with V and her husband and daughter.

We had dinner one night at a Greek restaurant owned by friends of V and A's, we spent some time at the local shopping centers, we drove to nearby parks which have vintage carousels, and spent a lot of time around their kitchen table just talking and laughing and enjoying ourselves.  As the husbands talked and laughed, V and I kept looking at one another and we were both thinking "This is great... this is just great!"

On Sunday, we spent a gorgeous day in the town of Kensington, which hosts "Antique Row"--- streets filled with shop after shop offering antiques of all kinds, at all price ranges. Of course, I found an antique volume of etiquette, which I'll read cover to cover and then add to my shelf of vintage etiquette books.

My husband had compiled a list of independently owned bookstores in the Baltimore area, and we went to five of them... I had to re-arrange my suitcase drastically to accommodate the twelve books that I bought during our seven-day adventure.  I can collect books more quickly than I can read them, but I do intend to read them all.

There was one morning at V's house that she and I both walked into her kitchen wearing nearly identical tops with our Capri-style slacks... we looked at each other and laughed out loud. The same thing happened the last time we visited there..... and we just smiled and laughed because all through high school, we'd buy clothes that were often similar or identical to one another's choices. Some things just never change, and that's comforting.

It was great to see V again....... and I'm hoping that next year, she and her husband and daughter will come down to Texas to spend some time with us here.  V's daughter C is so similar to our own special Miss C... same personality, same enthusiasm, same sense of fun, and they're even the same age. I just know that both girls will get along so well once they meet.