Visitors -- Part 4: Taking leave

D#2 was scheduled to work on Tuesday, when Wonderful Friends were scheduled to leave.  So, of course, we met for breakfast at Fil-a-Bagel! 

We've been connected for so long, it is so comforting when we are able to reaffirm that connection.   In 2011, Wonderful Friends (sans Godson) came to D#1's college graduation and we three went to Ohio for Godson's high school graduation.  This year, they came to Pennsylvania.  Looks like next year, it's our turn to go west.   I've always loved this photo of me flanked by Godson (left of photo) and D#2 (right).

Here's now it looks now:

May God be with all of us 'till we meet again.  And a massive hug to Godson!

Visitors -- Part 3: Down the shore

Monday brought perfect weather to go "down the shore" for the day.  Nothing fancy, no place special, just some time near the water.   D#1 had to go back to DC for work, so D#2 and I joined Wonderful Friends for the ride to Atlantic City -- easy to reach, available parking, boardwalk to stroll,  and no beach fees.

(Photos courtesy of Wonderful Friends since I forgot my camera;)

Godson (center below) managed to connect with a couple of his friends from University of Northern Ohio (UNO) who live in New Jersey and went off with them for a while. 

Like all good things, our day "down the shore" had to come to an end.  And, unfortunately our visit was doing the same. 

Visitors -- Part 2: Philly

The day before the Affirmation, all of us gathered for a trip into Philly.   Hopped the train the Center City. Left to right: German daughter, Boyfriend of German daughter, D#2, D#1, and Godson. 

Lunch at Reading Terminal Market, where each of us found something
to our  liking. Finding seating was even harder than deciding what to eat!

Wonderful Friends, D#1, and I took a lengthy stroll to the College of Physicians of Philadelphia where we

visited the Mutter Museum, which calls itself "America's finest museum of medical history."   Since it was the first such museum any of us had seen,  we couldn't say if it is the finest, but it was memorable! 






 Beside the Museum is a welcoming and peaceful  garden, planted with over 60 varieties of medicinal plants, and offering benches on which to rest and relax. 

The younger contingent took the subway to South Street where they enjoyed looking around.

and making new friends.

German daughter and Boyfriend took a return train, while Wonderful Friends, daughters and I grabbed some dinner and then took in an evening show at Comedy Sportz. 

Reasonably priced, this family-friendly show never fails to elicit howls of laughter!   I think we have a new "in" joke among ourselves "Sploosh!" and I am certain that we will find the hand signal for the "groaner" foul useful in the future.  H/T to D#2 for the suggestion!    We chattered and laughed some more the whole way back on the train!

Visitors -- Part 1: Affirmation

In a variety of ways, I've been playing hostess lately.  Wonderful Friends of many years came to visit for a long weekend. While they didn't stay with us, we planned all our time together, as we have so little of it.  Then German Daughter (and Boyfriend) came to stay for a few days before taking flight back across the Pond.

Wonderful Friends are husband and wife K & K (Godparents to D#1) and son is S, my Godson -- he of the wild quilt presented as a high school graduation gift.  D#2's Godparents were very old friends with family connections back to my father's college years and are, all too predictably, no longer with us.  When we were planning the visit, K & K asked if D#2 would like them to become a more-or-less "official" pair of Godparents, no disrespect intended to the originals, of course.  While there is no longer any potential need for them to truly take a parental role and raise my daughters, we all welcomed the idea of somehow sealing this long-standing relationship and strengthening the connections between our two families.

I talked to our pastor about it and he suggested we do an affirmation of baptism service following the regular Sunday service that we planned to attend during our visit.  We were all quite agreeable that this was an excellent suggestion!   On Sunday, August12, we gathered at the font in St. Paul's and reaffirmed her baptism, with K & K as sponsors, and then we remembered our respective baptisms.

Thanks be to God!