We met up with my cousin Troy and his wife Candace in Greenville South Carolina today for lunch at an Asian restaurant. Great food and an enjoyable visit. Like his younger brother, Kurt (Saturday’s blog), we had last seen each other at our grandmother’s funeral in June of 1996. Troy is the eldest child of my Aunt Janet and Uncle Doug.
We found lots to talk
about, sharing career and work experiences over the years and learning about children
and grandchildren. While retired, Troy now finds pleasure in refereeing soccer
matches for youngsters and high school aged teams. Both Candace and Troy are
active in volunteer work for their church. We enjoyed getting to catch up with
Troy and meeting Candace.
After our 2 ½ hour
lunch we headed to Davidson, North Carolina to visit with our friends MD and RD.
MD and I met on an online chat group thirteen years ago. She and her husband,
RD had been to California on a business/pleasure trip and had met us in 2011 at
Stinson Beach, CA. Several years later we met up with another friend in Pennsylvania
for dinner. We have stayed in touch over the years, and we treasure their
friendship. They have generously opened their home to us for the next few days.
MD is a writer and
she relaxed us this evening with a reading of two of her poems and a short
story she had entered (and won second place) in a North Carolina and South Carolina
regional writing contest. Her writing translates itself beautifully into the
spoken word. It felt as if I were transported into the places she described. I
could see the people in the story as she read. MD is incredibly gifted. I am
looking forward to the day her first novel is published.
RD is always gracious
to us. I could sit and talk with these two magical people for hours. Oh wait,
we did just that! RD’s work week is Wednesday through Monday so the next two
days are his weekend. RD and MD are taking us off on a touring adventure tomorrow.
I can hardly wait!
We are also excited
at the prospect of meeting MD’s dad. He was a career machinist! Now retired, he
enjoys wood carving. MD tells us his work is quite intricate and that he also incorporates
other materials besides wood into his sculptures.
Today’s photos are
from the first northbound rest stop inside the North Carolina border.
We saw two billboards
today on the road that drew our attention.
The first was in South
Carolina and advertised quite explicitly an Adult Store. Both Joe and I (who
are not prudes) were surprised at this. Not what we had expected from a state with
multiple churches in the same block everywhere we have traveled.
The second billboard was
right after we crossed from South Carolina into North Carolina. It read, “Abortion
is legal in North Carolina.” I thought that was rather neighborly of North
Carolina to extend an open invite for anyone ever faced with the difficult
decision of ending a pregnancy.
I did a Google search
and both types of billboards have generated legal challenges. Guess Joe and I
are not the only folks to be surprised by billboards.
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