It's Good to Have Friends Everywhere!

Just a note about our Happy Hour at The Left Bank Cafe.   We ended up with about 8 people.  I feel so good because I got them all together, as did mah jongg!
The group consisted of our good friend, Kathleen, and my new mah jongg friend, Sue.   They wanted to meet each other, as they are both young-ish widows, and like to do all sorts of activities.   They liked each other, and exchanged information.   The others that were there were Marcia and Fred, and Beppie and Jack.    They are so much fun!   Anyway, everyone really had a good time, and it was fun getting together.  We used the gift certificate Laura and Jim gave me for my big birthday, which made it even more fun.   Thank you, Laura and Jim!

Today, Dan and I went to the San Rafael Theater to see "Vincere".  It's a film about Mussolini's mistress, Ida Balser, and their early love affair that produced a son. She later claimed  she was his first wife, and mother to his first born son.    He denied it , married someone else, and as he rose to power, had her put in an insane asylum.   She suffered from "eratomania", as she pursued him relentlessly.   We enjoyed the movie alot, though it was quite different!  It was very melodramatic, like an opera.   The film itself was fascinating, as it was interspersed with actual Italian film footage from the time period, from WW1 through WW2.

As we walked back to the car, we both realized we are getting sad to leave here.   There are so many wonderful things out here, the food, the theater, the museums, stores, lectures, bookstores, etc.    It's a great area, and we appreciate being able to live out here for a few months.    I also felt so good about having made friends, getting together a group of people and who are fun.   This plus people we already knew makes for more and more connections out here.    We are "family" with Lindsey's mom and dad, and really enjoy them, as well as enlarging our little circle.    Mah Jongg has been a great way to meet others, truly, we all get addicted to it and find each other.

Of course, mostly we will miss our family---Jay, Lindsey, and our dear Henry.  It has been so great to see him change, almost weekly!    I can't believe the changes we've seen in the 9 weeks we've been here, it's been so great to experience that.    We feel such a bond with him.   Even now, he'll break into a smile when he sees us.    We will miss that so much.

We are eager to get back to our nice life in Traverse City, so we don't leave that sorrowfully, but we will have some regrets.