With Ann and Pam
Home leave is a very, very good thing. It’s mandated by Congress that Foreign Service Officers spend at least 20 business days back in the good ol’ U.S. every couple of years to reconnect with America.
We spent the week reconnecting with some of our favorite people. On Wednesday, I went to Little Rock to have lunch with my good Nuvell friends, Lynn and Jim (I also know Jim from growing up in Hot Springs). We had a nice long lunch and got caught up.
Thursday night, it was back to Little Rock for a wonderful dinner with Dail and Nancy (Dail is a cousin on my dad’s side of the family). We had a great dinner at Caper’s and visited, and also got to hear Dail play a little on his new guitar.
Friday, John and I had coffee in Hot Springs at Josh’s coffee shop and visited with him and his wife, Shelly. They’re doing a great business and seem happy. That night, our good friends Kelly and Brian drove to Hot Springs to have dinner with us at Central Park Fusion. Afterwards, we walked down to the Arlington Hotel lobby for drinks, and were thoroughly entertained by the older folks cutting a rug on the dance floor. Watching them always makes John and I want to take dance lessons – they’re so cute and have so much fun.
Saturday was an open house at Aunt Bonnie’s, so I got to see a lot of family. That night, Ann and Pam drove into town to stay at a friend’s lake house for the weekend. I went out Saturday night to visit for a while, then went back early Sunday and stayed until late Sunday night. I don’t think we took a breath from talking until late in the afternoon! I went back this morning and stayed until they got packed up late in the afternoon. They’re both doing great, and it was wonderful to visit with old friends.
With Brian and Kelly at the Arlington
Dail with his new guitar