Back Safe and Sound

We arrived in Bethesda on March 29th to find the weather fairly mild and the cherry blossoms blooming everywhere. Daffodils and tulips also were up and the bright yellow forsythia added its bright accent.

Our first few nights were spent with Pete and Ruth Salinger who live about a mile from where we used to live. They make us feel right at home and so we settled in and got a good reentry period in the comfort of their newly refurbished home. Here is a photo of them in their new open plan kitchen/dining/sitting area. They designed it so that each room flows right into the next. Very comfortable and attractive.

Don enjoyed walking with Pete in the old neighbor-hoods early each morning. One day they walked through Kenwood which is renowned for its display of cherry blossoms. The top photo was taken during that walk.

We were able to keep a fairly relaxed schedule for the first couple of days. There was one meeting and a few meals out with friends. We took in a matinee with Pete on Saturday. (We saw "The Namesake" which was a most enjoyable film. We recommend it highly.)

Sunday April 1st was a busy day, starting with church in the morning, followed by a brunch out with daughter Wendy and her new beau, John. (It was our first chance to meet him; we were most favorably impressed.) Next came my meeting with the church quilting group for Show and Tell in the afternoon while Don visited with an old friend. Don picked me up from that gathering and we headed for Ashland, VA, just outside Richmond, so spend a couple of days and nights with daughter Shara and her husband Dave.

Monday was the warmest day while we were in the States. It got up to 80 and was a simply gorgeous day all the way around with blue skies and a lovely breeze. Don and Dave played golf while Shara and I strolled around the Richmond Botanical Gardens, had lunch, and browsed some shops. There were steaks grilled outdoors for dinner that night along with wonderful veggies which Shara prepared. We ate well but healthily because Shara is beginning a new career as a nutritional consultant. Last year she discovered that she had been suffering for years with an intolerance for gluten and dairy. She cut these out of her diet and feels terrific now, lost weight, and looks so good that she's her own walking advertisement for the good life through good nutrition.

I'll tell you more about the trip in days to come. We're gradually catching up on things here in Comrie where the weather is dry, sunny, and warm. The garden is bursting with blossom--daffodils, tulips, forsythia, azaleas, redcurrant, Jew's mallow, and more to come. The little plum tree just outside our bedroom window is loaded with lovely white blossoms. There is much to be done out there. We're getting to it in short bursts and, alternatively, resting to get over our jet-lag.