SAID THE CAT: March Came in Like a Lion...

Gale-force winds, the lion growled...

...and there was a blizzard. The early morning view as it began, followed by lengthy power outages over all of southeastern Pennsylvania.

That coincided with the arrivals of Gloria visiting from Tucson and Marge back for a short, work-related stay. How could they have arrived within two hours of each other! from such disparate departures was an amazing coincidence requiring but one transport from Philadelphia International Airport.

Gloria and I have enjoyed a "through thick and thin" friendship since our arrivals in Tucson; mine in December of 1960 and hers a couple months later in early 1961. How remarkable to have a week to catch up. An interesting moment came when Marge, Gloria and I sat down to a meal and I felt like no time away from each other had elapsed.

Gloria.

Gloria and I spent the first day mostly visiting antique shops while Marge had a workday at the house with a colleague. As we wandered through the antiques with their myriad unknown stories, we immensely enjoyed relating many of our own stories and memories brought out by seeing the abundance of similar things from our histories.

The busyness of the preceeding weeks that are bringing me ever-closer to the top of a senior-housing list at Dock Manor, led to my first purchase for that dwelling when it becomes available.

A pair of matching mirrors. Yes, I did get them for a song.

Our next day was filled with storm coping. Marge is super-prepared and though the electric was out at bedtime we all were snugly tucked in with heaps of quilts and flashlights. Then, the electric came back on. Not at the farm though, as we later learned, but a few hours afterward.

Warm temps and rain started washing the storm down the drain. Marge worked in a drive to see some of her family. From her Facebook page here she is with the twins...

Gloria and I headed to Longwood Gardens and their Orchid Extraveganza...

The DuPonts that built the acres of beautiful hothouses and landscaped terrain must have had happy young family members who enjoyed a tree-house we spotted on our walk there.

Church was canceled Sunday since the electric there hadn't come on in time. We spent a little time with Wendy, John, Keoni and Aidan...

Gloria, Keoni, Aidan, and Karma.

Keoni is home for Spring Break. He related arriving at PHL as the blizzard was settling in for the blow. He has had for months one airline adventure after another.

Aidan and Keoni are working on a concert for tomorrow night at the church. They played one of the pieces for us. Mmmm-mmm. What's not to love...

Out west, Sonja is moving up in her work at the VA and was sent for several weeks training in Denver while Jeff took care of the boys. From Sonja's Facebook...

Sonja.

Kingston, dear little great-grandson.

***

Life is so full of joy and sadness. As you know from earlier posting, dear old friend Gene (for Eugenia) passed from this life on Valentine's Day. Her daughter Dana is planning a memorial in California next month and another in Missouri in October when her ashes will be interred next to her mom and dad's burial place.

***

Monday saw Gloria and I off to the Philadelphia Flower Show while Marge headed back to Charleston.

Gloria and JM by the Japanese Garden.

Even the cupcakes had flowers...

...and flowers on hats.

Subaru was a big sponsor of the show. In one of their displays I found my pony's ancestor.

I was happy to see so many cousins of my happy little Tillandsia airplants were there.

That was Monday.

By Monday evening the weather reports for Wednesday were so dire for Gloria's departure that she managed to get her ticket moved to Tuesday cutting her visit a day short but no small relief that we'd not be caught in another blizzard. And, it turned out to be the best thing as the storm, though not driven by gale-force winds, was extremely wet, deep snow with temps rocking up and down around freezing.