Posts Tagged ‘Friends’

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Meeting an Old Friend for the First Time

January 5, 2015
Betsy, Ruth and Gwen at Cracker Barrel, Nashville, Tennessee. December 29, 2014.

Betsy, Ruth and Gwen at Cracker Barrel, Nashville, Tennessee. December 29, 2014.

(Note:  All pictures may be enlarged by clicking on them once or twice.)

Betsy and I celebrated the holidays by meeting a blog friend in person.  We have both followed Ruth for several years, and she quickly became a friend whom we enjoyed visiting on world wide web.  Ruth is a marvelous photographer, and you can  check out her beautiful blog HERE.

Ruth lives in western Canada, so when we learned several weeks ago that Ruth and her friend Gwen would be attending a gospel music convention in the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, we couldn’t let her get that close without meeting her in person, so we made plans to meet them.

Since neither Ruth nor Glen had ever been to Tennessee, we took them to Cracker Barrel for some good southern eating.  Although we introduced them to cornbread and chicken and dumplings, the highpoint of the evening was talking as only friends can talk.

Ruth and Betsy, Nashville, Tennessee. December 29, 2014.

Ruth and Betsy, Nashville, Tennessee. December 29, 2014.

Ruth mentioned that she would like to get back to Tennessee with her son some day.  We hope she makes it so we can show her the beautiful mountains of east Tennessee.  Of course, we warned her that one of these days we might show up on her doorstep in Manitoba.

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Posted in Friends | 23 Comments »

Our World: Burrell Creek Falls

January 20, 2014
Burrell Creek Falls, Reliance, Tennessee. October 23, 2013.

Burrell Creek Falls, Reliance, Tennessee. October 23, 2013.

(Note:  All pictures may be enlarged by clicking on them.)

This is my post for the Our World meme.  This meme is a second generation of My World Tuesday created by Klaus Peter and is hosted by five wonderful ladies.  To learn more about our world or to join and share your part of the world, click HERE.

In late October we met our blog friends Patti and Neal for a couple of days of hiking and sightseeing around Cumberland Gap National Historical Park.  Neal grew up in the area, and on our second day he took us to some of his old stomping grounds.  Along the way he told us that he knew of a little waterfall that we might like to see.  He didn’t know the name, but he thought it was pretty.

NealPattiBurrellCreekFalls13102401

Neal was right — it was a pretty little waterfall.  A little research showed that the waterfall was on Burrell Creek.  Betsy and I were happy to add it to our collection.

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Posted in Our World | 17 Comments »

Our World: Bad Branch Falls

November 4, 2013
Bad Branch Falls, Jefferson National Forest, Kentucky. October 23, 2013.

Bad Branch Falls, Jefferson National Forest, Kentucky. October 23, 2013.

(Note:  All pictures may be enlarged by clicking on them.)

This is my post for the Our World meme.  This meme is a second generation of My World Tuesday created by Klaus Peter and is hosted by five wonderful ladies.  To learn more about our world or to join and share your part of the world, click HERE.

Betsy and I met up with our blog friends Patti and Neal at Pine Mountain Resort State Park in Kentucky last month to enjoy the autumn color and do some hiking.  Patti and Neal like to hike as much as Betsy and I do, so Patti researched waterfalls in the area and found Bad Branch Falls.

Betsy at the trailhead to Bad Branch Falls. October 23, 2013.

Betsy at the trailhead to Bad Branch Falls. October 23, 2013.

We drove to the trailhead after visiting Kingdom Come State Park.  The day was overcast and dreary, but that didn’t keep us from starting off up the trail.

Bad Branch Falls, Jefferson National Forest, Kentucky. October 23, 2013.

Bad Branch Falls, Jefferson National Forest, Kentucky. October 23, 2013.

We eventually decided that the mile mentioned at the trailhead was measured by a crow in flight.  But we kept at it and were finally rewarded with our first glimpse of Bad Branch Falls.  There wasn’t a great deal of water going over the falls, but it was still pretty.

Patti and Neal at the base of Bad Branch Falls. October 23, 2013.

Patti and Neal at the base of Bad Branch Falls. October 23, 2013.

I got this picture of Patti and Neal at the base of Bad Branch Falls before we started back.

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Posted in Our World | 24 Comments »

Down Memory Lane: Our Reception

January 23, 2013

2001 -- Reception I

(Note:  All pictures may be enlarged by clicking on them once or twice.)

Although we both lived in Hendersonville, Tennessee, at the time, we got married in Knoxville.  We did this so that we could have a small family wedding.  Betsy was the Associate Minister at a large Methodist church in Hendersonville and she didn’t want to have to make decisions about who in the congregation should be invited and who should not.

‘The Girls’, Betsy’s girlfriends from the Hendersonville church, gave us a reception in the church fellowship hall a few weeks after our wedding.  This allowed members of the Hendersonville church to share in our wedding.

I came across pictures from the reception when I was going through my archives and posting pictures on my photo website.  The collage above includes some of those pictures.  From left to right along the top:  Betsy and I when we arrived at the reception, sampling some of the goodies, and with ‘The Girls’.  On the bottom left we’re sharing some photos from our wedding and honeymoon.  On the bottom right I’m talking with Mom and Dad.

To see larger versions of these pictures and others, click HERE.

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Posted in American Life | 12 Comments »

Our World: Ohio Autumn

November 19, 2012

Autumn scenes from Ohio, October 15-16, 2012.

(Note:  All pictures may be enlarged by clicking on them.)

This is my post for the Our World meme.  This meme is a second generation of My World Tuesday created by Klaus Peter and is hosted by five wonderful ladies.  To learn more about our world or to join and share your part of the world, click HERE.

In mid-October Betsy and I went up to Ohio to meet our friends Patti and Neal at Hocking Hills State Park.  We had two wonderful days of fellowship, hiking, and beautiful autumn colors.

Two of the pictures in the collage were taken at a rest area on our way to Hocking Hills (I even managed to get Betsy in one of the photos).  The whimsical sculpture was almost as colorful as the trees.  The other two pictures were taken during a hike to a natural bridge in Rockbridge State Nature Preserve near Logan, Ohio.

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Posted in Our World | 17 Comments »

Down Memory Lane: A Cabin in the Mountains

November 11, 2010

In May of last year our friends Judy and Charlie invited us to spend a couple of days with them at their cabin near Otto, North Carolina.  We’ve known Judy and Charlie for several years and enjoy their company.

Their cabin is a vacation hideaway in the mountains of western North Carolina.  The deck of the cabin is a perfect place for sitting and talking or just sitting and enjoying the mountain views.

One advantage of a May visit was that the mountain laurel was in bloom.  The cabin is one of only a few on the side of the mountain, so there are many mountain laurels along the road.  Walking along the road was a visual delight for more than the mountain views.

To see these pictures and others, click HERE.

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Posted in Travels | 13 Comments »

Thankful for Blogging Friends

October 27, 2010

Mildred, John and Harriet on the porch of their home. October 25, 2010.

Betsy and I were fortunate to be able to enjoy an early Thanksgiving this past Monday.  We had planned to meet blog friend Mildred and her husband, John, at their home in northern Georgia.  What we didn’t know was that Mildred had a wonderful Thanksgiving lunch planned for us.  The lunch was delicious and was topped off with a new treat for me — pumpkin ice cream on pumpkin coffee cake.

One reason we went down to visit them was that John has been having some health problems and we have been thinking and praying for the two of them.

The picture above shows Mildred and John with Harriet, the third member of their family.

This scarecrow welcomed us to Mildred and John's home.

Mildred is very creative and talented (in addition to being a great cook) and had this welcome set up for us on their screened-in porch.

Betsy and Harriet. October 25, 2010.

We had a wonderful visit with Mildred and John.  And, as you can see, Betsy found a new best friend while we were there.

Both Betsy and I are very thankful for blogger friends.

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Posted in Friends | 12 Comments »

Meeting New Old Friends

October 25, 2010

Patti and Neal at Cataloochee Valley, North Carolina. October 20, 2010.

Both Betsy and I have been following Neal’s blog (and he’s been following ours) for nearly two years.  Neal is a retired systems analyst living in Indiana, although he was born in eastern Tennessee.  Neal is a wonderful photographer and features his photos on his blog.  Neal is also my hero — he’s not afraid to tell Betsy exactly what he thinks!

When Neal found out that Betsy and I were going to Maggie Valley to see the autumn colors, he decided that he and Patti would like to do that as well.  The four of us met up Tuesday evening and had a delightful dinner.  It was as if we had known each other for years.

On Wednesday the four of us visited the Cataloochee Valley to see the elk which had been reintroduced there.  We then drove along the Blue Ridge Parkway to Mount Pisgah, stopping at just about every overlook to take in the colors.  I won’t frighten you by telling you how many pictures Betsy and I took over the three days.

Betsy, Patti and Neal at the highest point of the Blue Ridge Parkway. October 20, 2010.

Thursday we drove across the Cherohala Skyway from North Carolina to Tennessee, again enjoying the autumn color.  After visiting Bald River Falls near Tellico Plains, Tennessee, Betsy and I headed home while Neal and Patti headed toward a visit with Neal’s brother.

Patti and Neal taking pictures at Santeelah Overlook, Cherohala Skyway, North Carolina. October 21, 2010.

We enjoyed our time with Patti and Neal, even if this is the view of them we often saw!

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Posted in Travels | 23 Comments »

Happiness Is A Milkshake

February 13, 2010

Mom and Dad enjoying a milkshake. February 12, 2010.

The snow and cold of the past two weeks have pretty much kept my parents holed up in their house in Hendersonville.  Friday our friends Judy and Charlie, who live in Hendersonville, took Mom and Dad out for lunch at a fast food restaurant.  Mom and Dad enjoyed the hamburger and french fries, but the milk shake was obviously a big hit as well.  Charlie took and sent us this picture on his cell phone.

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We’re supposed to get some snow Friday night and more on Sunday night.  I’m hoping to whisk Betsy away for a Mystery Trip between storms to celebrate Valentine Day.  I’m also hoping that we can get back home without any problems.  I can’t tell you where we are going since Betsy reads this, but the chances that the trip includes waterfalls are pretty good!  We hope to be back sometime Monday evening.

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Today I’m grateful for thoughtful friends who help without being asked.

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Posted in Family | 16 Comments »

My Bride Left Me!

October 21, 2009

SadGeorge

If you read Betsy’s blog you know that she has left me to spend a few days in Maggie Valley, North Carolina, with her childhood girlfriends.  I’m optimistic that the separation will be temporary and that Betsy will soon be back home.

Betsy and the girls are in a beautiful cabin fairly high up in the mountains above Maggie Valley.  The road to the cabin is probably the worse I’ve driven on.  For the first time I had doubts as to whether our Prius would make it, but it did.  If Betsy had found a place higher in the mountains we would have had to have pack mules.

I don’t want to give you the impression that my beautiful bride heartlessly left me to a long and lonely week.  She wouldn’t do anything like that.  She’s made sure I’m not bored — the lawn will need to be mowed (hopefully for the last time) and then there are all those leaves that are coming down.  As if that’s not enough, we’re getting a delivery of firewood this week and that will need to be stacked.  Oh, yes, and I still have a few spring bulbs that need to be planted.

I’m beginning to think that Betsy timed her vacation perfectly.

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Posted in Betsy | 22 Comments »

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