I'm still basking in the glow of a wonderful Memorial Day weekend, probably the best one that I can remember. We enjoyed the outdoors, spent time with friends, dug in the dirt and honored heroes. And, hamburgers were grilled. It felt like summer, so much that it was quite a rude awakening to have to come back to work on Tuesday.
Saturday morning we were involved with a really wonderful group, The Honor Flight Network. They arrange tours for veterans so that they may experience first hand the monuments that our nation has erected in their honor. Volunteers greet the flights at the airport, cheering for the vets and thanking them for their service.
We went up to National Airport with Hope's Girl Scout troop to greet a flight of WWII & Korean War vets who were flying in from Florida. The girls were so excited -- they waved flags and streamers and kept declaring "That is our plane!" (Though, the planes that they saw weren't actually our plane. The excitement overtook them.)
When the vets finally arrived, there was a huge crowd of people waiting on them, of every age & walk of life. An older gentleman set himself up on a folding chair, donned a straw hat & played patriotic tunes on his horn. As the vets passed through the gauntlet of admirers, they were met with applause, thank yous & hugs.
After our heartwarming morning, we packed up the car and headed to the Eastern Shore of Maryland, to our friend's vacation property on a tiny island near the Chesapeake Bay. It was the husband's 40th birthday so they invited all of their friends out for a big celebration. They have a small, simple house perfect for tracking in sand and shaking off Bay water. However, the view is the jewel of the property.
They are right on the edge of the island on 2 beautiful acres, with a tiny little beach right along placid water. There is a sweeping view across the river and out to the Bay. You could stare at it all day and we did. When not be mesmerized by the view, we played with children in the water and searched the beach for shells and sea glass, which were both in rich supply. Someone started up a game of touch football with both kids and adults involved.
(our friend's dog, Lucky, took home some sand on her nose)
We stayed almost until dark when we reluctantly left due to the 3 hour drive home. Our friends have posted many photos on Facebook of the day, all with comments that amount to a collective sigh of happiness.
The remainer of the weekend we stayed around the house, aside from a trip to buy more flowers for the beds around the house. Slowly and surely, I am creating as English-like a garden as I can manage in Virginia.
I don't know if they have peonies in England, but they are currently the shining star of my garden. The smell is absolutely heavenly. The only word that I can think to describe the fragrance is lush.
I am grudgingly getting back into real life, but with the comfort of knowing that summer break is only 15 working days away....
