Friday I went to visit my friend Marlene who blogs at In Search of it All, who is about to skip town like a gypsy and head off into adventure. She’s selling her house and it will close while I am back in Annapolis teaching. I won’t be here to help her empty the house or clean it, or even to wave goodbye. While I’m a huge fan of adventure and I know her next few chapters are going to work out for the best, it means our ability to visit with each other will be interrupted. So I had to see her.
The last time I went over there I saw a fabulously decorated house on the way. This time I couldn’t drive past and leave it, so I pulled over to take a photo. But I couldn’t stop at one photo. The more I looked, the more I laughed.
Please enjoy this wonderful display, and have a Happy Halloween, my favourite holiday.
Marlene and I had a great visit. She is an exceptional person, and so filled with caring and generosity. But also, oh, what a refreshing clear-eyed view of life and her place in it, and our places in it. Marlene doesn’t have time for societal expectations, and works her way through the world as it actually is. This is why we get along so well. She has lived through life challenges that many of us can’t even comprehend, and yet she emerged on the other side of it all with a huge smile and a twinkle in her eye. We chatted until I think we got all the different topics covered. During that time, her daughter came home from work and brought us all sandwiches. Then I visited a little with her daughter, too.
They both sent me off with admonishes to “Be safe,” even though they are the ones leaping into adventure. My wishes for safety go right back to them both. As Roy Rogers and Dale Evans sang, Happy Trails to you, until we meet again.
Conscious Engagement 
I’ve only met Marlene on our respective blogs, but hope for the best as she moves on to her next adventure.
And we are looking forward to any posts you’ll have from Annapolis.
Lou, I’m glad you know Marlene, even if only through her blog. She is a marvelous woman. I will certainly post about Annapolis when I get back, and if you haven’t seen them already, I’ll share a link to another Annapolis post. I’ve mentioned the city here often. https://crystaltrulove.com/2019/12/16/exploring-annapolis/
I remember Roy Rodgers at ‘Saturday Morning Pictures’
I had to look it up, Andrew. What a great idea from England that you got to participate in. We had Saturday morning cartoons, but oh how magical it would have been in a theatre. I don’t think I ever watched Roy Rogers on a regular program, but my mother was a huge fan – especially of Dale Evans because she was a horse woman like my mom was. She made sure I knew them both, growing up.
This is one I wrote earlier…https://aipetcher.wordpress.com/2013/11/14/scrap-book-project-rugby-granada-cinema-and-saturday-morning-pictures/
Happy trails for real and be safe, both of you.
Thank you, my friend. Marlene is a worrier, like you are. She has accurately identified many places for potential problems in the future, and I tried to counter with my incorrigible optimism. I hope I helped and didn’t annoy her. 🙂
Ohhh, yes, your optimism is what’s called for. It brings you places. I’m sure Marlene appreciates it. Hearing that I’m a worrier makes me… worried. 😀 I recognise my mother in it, you see. It’s true, of course.
My mother was a worrier too. ❤
Wow! I was so surprised to see all those photos. H took some of them and I hoped to post them today but my sister came by and we did more work so blogging is on hold. I’ve been looking for WP to send the note that this is year 10 for me but has not shown up yet today. I started my blog on Halloween. Feeling quite run over today. Thanks for the ping back. Have a wonderful trip, Crystal. Love and hugs. M
Congratulations on 10 years of blogging!! That is a long time to be spilling your guts out to the world. Just think of all the things that have happened in our lives since then. I am going to try to look up our connection – whichever blog it was. It was around Christmastime, I remember. Thanks for the pingback on your own post. I liked H’s photos a little better because of the light. It was so grey the day I was taking photos.
Thanks, Crystal. It has been a very long time to put myself out there. I was living with TS then for the 10 months it took to get enough money and income together to rent a place up here. He had to drive me back up on his vacation time and fly home. He has done so much for me over the years including help me start the blog. I was unable to do so many things but I could write. The Halloween decor is gone and Thanksgiving is replacing it. I did like your photos and it looked like you each had a different perspective so it was fun to see. H took my phone probably a week earlier to take those photos. I think they continually move things around. We are in the last push to pack so I’m focused there. Thinking of you. Hugs.
Love you, Marlene ❤
I found it! https://insearchofitall.wordpress.com/2014/12/05/in-search-of-my-holiday-oomph/ This was the first time I said Hi on your blog. We’ve been friends for seven years!
Wow Crystal!! Thanks for looking that up. My son did move in with me right after I moved in here. It was fun to go back and see that post but I seemed to have failed to reply to your comment. I don’t know what happened. I can get pretty rattled sometimes and miss things. Thanks for the research.
No, you did reply! You sent an actual email. That way I was able to send my Christmas letter to you.
This is beautiful a great find I love people who do it up.
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Believe in Laughter
I agree! When people go to this much effort, I appreciate it. You should have seen me standing alone on the sidewalk here, giggling to myself about their funny and creepy display, while I took photos.
I don’t take photos But I did go to one house and stand there for a half hour examining everything I got lots of strange looks. 🤣😂🤣