Good Morning!  I am very excited today because today is a day for scrapbooking with friends and accomplishing

tasks that create a wonderful place for all of those pictures I’ve taken.  Since it is another rainy day, I think I will work on an altered project, journal in my Fredericksburg book, and plan some more NE pages.  I look forward to a great day with “simply the best” friends. 

My mother and I had a wonderful time yesterday on the phone looking through my updated blog.  She is always such an encourager and appreciates time spent on documenting life through writing.  She is my inspiration, as she has produced volumes of history of our extended family for each of us, including her own personal written accounts and writings of her research.  She is an amazing person and loved dearly!

New Friends:

Ms. A.

During some of our volunteer work, Bill and I have befriended a sweet lady, Ms. A. who lives alone with her Shitzu-Peke named Buttons.  It is not easy for her to get about these days, so we try to go as often as possible to assist her in letting Mr. Buttons outside.  I usually end up staying a bit just visiting with Ms. A. about her past activities and listening to stories about her family.  She apparently had an amazing musical family of three sisters and one brother.

Her many talents consist of playing the accordion, the autoharp, the guitar, the piano, the harmonica, the keyboard and the recorder.  Her brother played the fiddle and even has a fiddle carved by their father, with the base of it made out of a cigar box.  She has signed pictures of Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Slim Whitman, etc.  Her entire family got together frequently and played all of their instruments.  She is very intelligent and is an absolute delight.

We have enjoyed getting to know Ms. A. and consider her one of the gifts of retirement. 

Mr. N.

Bill and I befriended Mr. N. in the nursing home when GBill spent three days there.  Mr. N. manages to spread his cheer down the halls with the staff and residents, and wherever he roams.  If you happen upon Mr. N. during his travels, he will surely introduce himself to you several times during the day and tends to become a bit confused, but in spite of those difficulties, he is absolutely charming.  I hope I will be so blessed to be as cheerful and charming as Mr. N. in my older years.