all good things come to an end..................

It was a dream come true, an answered prayer, a wish granted.....our visit with dear friends, Marion and John, from Wales....I read Marion's gardening blog many months ago but at that time, I didn't have a blog. I wouldn't dare leave a comment.

On their 25th wedding anniversary Marion wrote a tribute to John about the wonderful husband he is.....I did leave a brief comment and just signed it 'Mam'....the name my grandchildren call me.....

Marion's email address was included on her blog....I bravely wrote telling her how much I enjoyed her blog, etc. I debated a long time before pressing the send button. To email someone in Wales that I didn't know was so daresome for me. I thought that was the end of it. However, the next morning (Wales is 5 hours ahead of us) I had a long, newsy email.....I was thrilled beyond words....We emailed several times a week and the following Easter I received an unexpected phone call....from Marion. We often talked about how we would like to meet each other.....I never in my wildest dreams thought we ever could....Our Lord is so gracious......perhaps He knew we each had something to give each other that would enrich our lives tremendously....

From there our friendship has grown by leaps and bounds. After several months, we extended and invitation for them to come for a visit and they accepted. For 12 glorious days we enjoyed them immensely......but sadly, the time came to carry them back to the airport in Atlanta.....



John and John.........


The morning of departure our daughter, Amy, and grandchildren came to bid them bye......
Marion had mentioned she liked to see the Union Jack flying so we flew it while she and John were here.......

Curbside at the airport......
Trying to think of everything we hadn't said that we wanted to say.......
Holding back tears that I shed later.......

A picture that is burned in my memory................when we returned home, I traced their flight on the computer until they arrived back in England....then they had a 3 hour drive home....I didn't sleep that night.....Marion called me once they were safely back home......was it real or was it a dream...their visit.....no, the evidence is here.......Marion dropped a shopping bag that she had tied with a knot (a safety precaution) by a wall and .......I've left it there. Every time I see it.....I know they really were here......we don't say goodbye in our family....when our twin granddaughters were born we lived next door to each other but my husband as well as our son-in-law are ministers and the time came when we each had to move. They were so heartbroken each time we left each other. They would turn their heads and not look at us when they left. We agreed to just say, "Fare thee well." So that was our parting words to Marion and John.....until we meet again.........

Happy Fall To Ya'll.................

Hello everyone....it's Friday and time for Show and Tell over at Kelli's house.....hurry on over to participate and see all the neat blogs listed.....

I don't do Halloween but I do celebrate the beautiful autumnal colors of fall and harvest time.......
This is our front door with a fall wreath and swag above the door....
A pot of silk mums by the door on a pedestal......
A fall flag..................
A terracotta pumpkin and a thrift store ceramic one.......
Mr. Dog on the doorstep gets a fall bow......
The window box on the master bedroom with pumpkins, mums and a garland of faux gourds and squash.....
More mums...................
The window box on the family room windows...mums, apples, fall leaves....
Birdbath pumpkins...............
Leaves on the patio.....
Swag on the carport door.....
Wreath on the backporch door......
Window box on my kitchen window....a birdhouse with other fall items such as.....
a printed garden sign........
an iron bird......
a wire bird's nest with blue eggs and gourds.....
a cast iron rabbit sprinkles.....
a garland of wooden fall leaves and silk leaves......thanks for visiting with me.....God Bless.....Betty

..and they came bearing gifts.......

Due to my husband's surgery, recovery and a busy summer it has been quite awhile since I've participated in Kelli's Show and Tell.....I do want to share special gifts from our friends, Marion and John, from Wales, who visited 12 days with us in May.......
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..............and bring gifts they did...the best gift was themselves but they brought gifts for everyone.......This book is displayed in my kitchen on an easel opened to the current month.......An assortment of shells and rocks from the beach near Marion and John's home......


In Welsh, this is 'thank you'....if I remember correctly......
Double decker bus socks and plaid hankerchief for Edward, necklace, maps, prints, Ladies of Letters Log On cassettes, beautiful small dish and knife........
The gorgeous cloth with exquisite lace edging, beautiful suitcase- box with flowers, a silver thistle -stag pin with amethyst, a gold crown picture frame......and oh yes, Belgium chocolate....
Country Living magazine (British), newspaper, informative travel brochures, blue and white shore bird Great Britain book of stately homes, cathedrals, puts, walks, etc...
A picturesque blue and white plate, a white cup-saucer-pitcher, a box of Betty tea, an Alan Titchmarsh autobiography......
The bottom water color painting is of Bird Rock near Marion and John's home.....it is the picture onMarion's header.....I think of them as I pass the painting when entering and departing our family room......
I was curious about 'Christmas Pudding' so Marion kindly brought us one...........
A very special gift was contained in this black velvet pouch......



An indenture from the 17oo's to property in Yorkshire....do you think this would still be in effect? Hopefully, later I can show it opened up and the scalloped edges and why it was cut in that particular fashion.........needless to say, Edward was very excited over this gift.....

Bless Prince Harry's heart.......


Marion had asked if there was anything in particular that I would like to have from Wales......I asked if a six pence might be available.....even before I opened the petite shell purse I was pleased........To my surprise, she had included several old English coins....wishes do come true........so DIOLCH Marion and John.......