Come And Meet

The Nicest People

In North Carolina!

   Well, I've worked backwards with my travel pages and so have finally gotten back to my very first venture out alone.

    I met Joanne on the Grandparent's Board, where she was looking forward to her very first grandchild! Well, actually it was twins!! How thrilled she was and so was I! I was anxiously awaiting the birth of my fourth grandchild but my son's first child.

    We had a great deal to talk about, as you can well imagine! On top of that, Joanne was very worried about her daughter's problems with her pregnancy, while I was going through problems at home with my daughter, Melanie, who was giving me many other problems, being retarded, hyperactive and very aggressive, not to mention many other very difficult problems.

    Joanne helped me through one of the most difficult times of my life and I did my best to help her. Before we knew it, we had become fast friends!

    Before too long, our grandchildren were born and Melanie was finally placed in a group home. We were both adjusting to our new lives and soon found ourselves talking about meeting! I was soon to turn 50 and decided that it was going to be a turning point in my life. Joanne invited me to visit her and meet her family and I decided to go for it!

    What a wonderful adventure I was about to embark on! I was about to meet people I had never met before and wasn't the least bit nervous about it! My family, on the other hand, was petrified! They tried their best to convince me that I shouldn't go but I stood fast, assuring them I'd be fine. Joanne was wonderful and even took a picture of "my room" so I could show my mother, in an attempt to put her mind at ease. It did help a little but she was still scared to death for me. I was going though, and that was that! I was soon on a plane to North Carolina!

    I should explain the reason for the patriotic background and graphics before I go on. Joanne's husband, Tim, is in the Marine's, so I thought it befitting to them. Don't you think so?

Here's Joanne at the airport at the end of my visit. The joy with which she welcomed me was nothing compared to the friendship and love that she left in my heart at my departure. It will last a lifetime!

Here's Joanne in front of the very heartrending Beirut Memorial she took me to. It was incredible.

Her house "spoke" Japan! How incredible but what I loved most of all were these dolls that Jo made! What works of art! She's a truly talented lady!

The highlight of my visit, though, was the meeting of her wonderful daughter and beautiful little grandbabies! How I looked forward to visiting them as often as we could! What a wonderful family they were!

K

E

N

D

R

A

with

M

A

K

A

E

L

A

A

N

T

H

O

N

Y

and

K

A

L

E

E

I just couldn't get enough of these beautiful little munchkins and neither could their Boba!  You could feel the love they shared a mile away!