Surprises are great – sometimes!
This was a wonderful surprise, a blast from the past.
There we were, quietly watching the golf from America on TV, when the phone rang. It was friends we haven’t seen for nearly twenty years, even though we live in the same county.
“Just on the off chance,” they said, “are you free tomorrow night? ‘Cos we’re barbecuing and we’d like you to come over.”
We were free and we went. They’ve moved since we saw them last and now live in a lovely old farmhouse in forty acres of their own ground where Heidi is a horse trader and looker-after (fifteen horses at the moment) and David pastures cattle for the farmer next door.
Their place is beautiful; a wonderful garden with a large, natural pond stocked with fish, their own water supply from a bore hole, and a delightful, soppy rescue dog, a cross between a setter and a retriever.
We had such a good evening, sitting out in the garden, catching up on the years (and wondering where they’ve all gone!) Years ago we used to meet up and joke about going into an old people’s home together and livening it up, never imagining that we’d actually ever get old.
Happy times. It’s a good job every age has something to recommend it, and this present age brings us memories to savour. It was great.