The years dropped away as I greeted Inga. She has been a friend of the family for a long time, but I hadn’t seen her for over ten years. She went to a wedding in a neighboring town and remembered I lived in Western North Carolina. It was marvelous that she could stay a night with us, prolonging her stay in the mountains. As an original flat-lander like me, she adores the mountains, especially when they are sporting their brilliant fall colors. She and her sons call me Aunt Anne, and I realized she is a niece with no blood ties.
This was the view from her window that day.
We had a chance to share our new experiences of widowhood. There are more differences than similarities. Her husband was cut down by cancer in the prime of his life. They had 7 years together, compared to 58 for John and me. I have children who look after me, and she has two young sons. My heart grieves for her and all she has had to face.
Good times go along with the sad ones. Neighbor Logan came over to meet these people he had never met. Inga was delighted to be with him, since she watched him grow up through my blog. His nephews are similar in age, so he knew how to entertain them. He ran home to bring over his fossils to show them.
Of the five video clips I took, this one has everyone in it – Inga, her sons, Brit and her sons, as well as David, dog Kacey, and Logan. Favorite toys were yo-yos, a balance ball, a radio controlled truck, the piano, and a plastic recorder (flute). Even the yo-yos were noisy as they barely missed people and hit the floor. It couldn’t have been too bad, since I didn’t shut down my hearing aids.
It was marvelous to be with Inga again. I hope she and the boys will be able to come again and stay longer.
Mehrling Muse 
What a wonderful surprise!
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Friendship…Just pick up where you left off.
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That’s nice to meet in person after all these years but doubly nice Inga keeps up with your doings on your blog.
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What a great friend to have even if you don’t see each other too often! Cady
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You are so lucky that’s good to meet after all these years . It’s good Inga keeps up with your doings blog . I am so glad you meet your’s friend & kidos. Very nice both videos.
Tack care!
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We talked a lot in the less than 24 hours we had together.
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Very good Iam very happy too, you talked with lots.
Tack care!
God blessing!
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I’m quite sure that will be her hope too. Hugs Galore
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Merry hugs!
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O that lovely Anne. Sounds like a win win for both of you.
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How lovely to have a house filled with fun and laughter from young and old.
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And a couple of middles.
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It’s great that you were able to meet up again!
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How wonderful to have a long-time friend spend some time with you. Looks like everyone is having fun. Even Kacey.
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Kacey probably had more fun than anyone else. I hadn’t thought about it until you mentioned it.
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I could see that. My dogs love having company too.
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What a nice feeling to see a good friend after all these years🥰
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Wonderful moments together. Thank you for the videos.
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So great you could all be together. And I’m so glad she has you to talk with.
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The clouds in that first picture look like they are painted – so beautiful.
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We have more than our share of lovely cloud formations. Perhaps we see clouds more often than others because we constantly look at the mountains.
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Anne – We just drove through North Carolina on I-77 from Virginia to South Carolina. We must’ve been fairly close to you.
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I would have waved if I had known. I don’t know how close you were. I’m in the western part of NC in the mountains. Next time plan to come see me.
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We’ll plan on that!
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