Charlotte-Virginia Trip - Day Four

Ralph and Buffie Richardson

It was a long night Saturday.  Liam Jacob had a friend over and the three boys pretty much had free rein with the X-box with the girls gone most of th evening at a birthday party.  Today began with a breakfast at an IHOP with Ralph and Buffie Richardson, their daughter-in-law and two grandsons.  Their son was in California for the weekend and Ralph and Buffie had traveled down from Lehigh PA.

I had gone to school with Ralph from kindergarten through college and had been in their wedding but had not seen them since.  Along with two other high school and college friends, we got reconnected through FaceBook last December.  Incredibly their son--who was in California for the weekend making preparations for the bachelor party for their youngest son getting married in April--had relocated from the Los Angeles area to Charlotte last October and their house is two miles from Liam's and the kids go to the same grade school.  Even more coincidentally, they were in Charlotte this weekend.  So we got together for breakfast.  It was a wonderful taste of what awaits tomorrow when the three of us drive to Asheville for lunch with Pat--one of the high school/college friends--and Jackie Miller.

Future artist at work

I spent the afternoon being with Eibhlin as she worked on creating drawings of rainbows.  She worked in water colors, pencil, and markers.  She was very particular about the colors and the exact sequence of them in the drawing.  She is perky and delightful, if a bit willful.  However those qualities will serve her well.  While we were working, her Mom and Dad called as they were driving back from Asheville.  I was able to get a few candid photos that may well augur her future.

Future teenager at work

Click here to see the updated album of the trip.

Click here to see the rugby photos from Saturday.