Welcome to JOYFUL REFLECTIONS. Also welcome to MARCH!!!! My header picture this month is a photo I took of the pretty Crocus blooms in our yard... The Crocuses and Daffodils are the first signs of spring here in Tennessee. I am definitely ready for SPRING...

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Family and Friends

Since taking a Blog Break from Sept. 9-25,   George and I have had the advantage  of being with some family and also meeting some more fabulous blog friends...

First we went to Buffalo, NY, to visit George's daughter, Kelly and hubby Chuck...  We had a fabulous time with them, and they took us to some really GREAT places --including some of their favorite restaurants...Above is a picture of George's gorgeous daughter and the love of her life.  This picture was taken on the American side above the Niagara River at the Whirlpool State Park.   On the left side near the top,  you can see a bit of the Spanish Aero Car as it moves across the gorge.  Below are more!




Here are the four of us.  I had a terrible time with this picture.  I couldn't get the lighting right no matter how much I worked on it... I even cropped it a bunch --so that you could see faces... Oh Well!!!!!  BUT---this is one of the few times,  the 'shorty' in the group (ME) was TALL.... ha ha (We were all standing on steps, and I got the TOP one!!!!)




After leaving Buffalo,  we met  blog friend,  LINDA  and her hubby Bob,  at the Cracker Barrel for dinner in Erie, PA.   The neatest thing about meeting blog friends is that you feel as if you have known each other FOREVER... It was wonderful meeting them.  We could have talked forever. Above is a picture of Linda and Bob.




Here is a picture that George took of Linda and me.  She is such a wonderful friend--and a great photographer!!!!




Then--this past Saturday,   we met another blog friend and his family.   Blog friend, LARRY,  his wife Bev and her sister, Pat,  actually came to Crossville... They have a new RV ---and were camping at the Beanpot Campground near us.   We took them to dinner at one of our local restaurants,  the Catfish Cabin.  Then we visited them for awhile at their campground.  Larry has a 'cooking blog' ---and both he and Bev can really cook...  Yum!!!!  It was a neat visit ---and we enjoyed meeting this wonderful family.  Above is Larry,  Bev and Pat with their furry babies!!!!




Finally,  here is a picture that Pat took of the other four of us beside their gorgeous RV.   They are planning a trip to Texas in their RV sometime in the next few months.  It is a beauty!!!!

We love meeting blog friends ---and have been fortunate to have met several wonderful families... If you have not met your blog friends yet,  I hope you will make the effort to do that.  It makes the relationships even better!!!!!

AND--to the blog friends who live in PA, Ohio, and West VA---we apologize for not working it out to meet you on this past trip.  This trip was hastily planned --and we truly didn't know what we were doing until the last minute.  We'll try to come back and meet you the next time ---along with others along the way...

Have a wonderful day.  We'll be gone most of the day today!  Have to go to the 'city' (Knoxville) for some appointments and errands.... 
Hugs,
Betsy

50 comments:

Big Dude said...

Again, it was such a pleasure to meet you guys and I look forward to a visit from you over here

Anonymous said...

Just how many bloggers have ya'll met?

Carol Murdock said...

Hope someday to see our pic up here!

Arkansas Patti said...

George certainly can't deny Kelly as his daughter. They look so much alike.
How nice you got to meet your blog buddies and had such nice visits. It is like a reunion isn't it.

Lisa @ Two Bears Farm said...

Certainly looks like a fun time! And now I could go for some Cracker Barrel ;-)

Ruth Hiebert said...

Wonderful people in these pictures. I am happy for you to be able to meet so many blog friends.

Dorothy said...

Nice to meet your family and friends! What fun to meet the people you talk to on the blogs!

HolleyGarden said...

How wonderful to meet blog friends in person! And time with family is precious. haha - I love that you got on the top step! Everyone should get to be the tallest every once in a while!

TexWisGirl said...

you are such a social butterfly - both on the web and in person. :)

Karin said...

Fun times - getting together with family and making new friends! Blessings and have a good day trip to Knoxville!

Anonymous said...

What great pictures of visits with family and friends! Have a nice day, Betsy!

Anonymous said...

Great shots, Betsy, nice to meet new friends... and love that Cracker Barrel! heheheee

Good to have ya back blogging... =)

penny said...

You have to be the 'Friendliest' blogger on the net, Betsy.
Your sweet smile is infectious, it always makes me smile wide:D, thanks!
hugs,

Pam

Hidden Haven Homestead said...

Going on a trip that includes visiting family and friends is the best trip of all! George's daughter is a beautiful young lady. Have fun in Knoxville and if you are ever in Newport or Parrotsville you will have to stop by and say hi to Maggie for me.

Cheryl @ TFD said...

It's fun to see all your wonderful photos of your visits with family and friends! Have a nice trip to Knoxville.

MadSnapper said...

all the photos came our really well, and that is a lot of blogger meetings for one trip.

Rose said...

George has a beautiful daughter! What a great time you guys must have had!

Anonymous said...

Hi Betsy, Glad you had such a lovely time on your trip! Glad you are back to blogging as I also am. Have a wonderful day & enjoy the mild weather!

Lynn said...

Such a fun post with family and blog friends. I think you and George should get an RV, that would be so perfect for your trips! Yes, I did get my birday win from the Rays against the Yankees last night! Whoo hoo! I loved it. One more game tonight. Of course, the Yankees have already won the AL East champs, but the Rays were 9 games back Sept 4 for the Wildcard race and if we win tonight, no other team has come back from a deficiet like that. Then if Boston win tonight also, we play them tomorrow. Anyone think I LOVE the TAMPA BAY RAYS. GO RAYS!

Ms. A said...

I've only met one blogger and she hardly ever blogs anymore. Hope that has nothing to do with meeting me!

Barbara said...

Such a good time you have dear friend, if you get down Southern GA or Northern Fl let me know we shall meet up also, thanks for all the wonderful sites you have on your blog, and all the fun times you have. Hugs

Anonymous said...

You blog about places I have never seen. Very enjoyable. And it is always nice to meet blog friends, too. Don't forget to contact me when you visit Hawaii.

Serenity Cove said...

Would have been nice to meet you here in Ohio. We don't have waterfalls (well one little one) but we have Amish and good food and it is beautiful here.

Ginny Hartzler said...

These are all great friend pictures!! That Spanish Aero car interests me, why is it Spanish, what does it look like? If you have pictures, maybe you could do a post on it. The first picture you had trouble with, you did get it looking good, I like it! But glad you cropped it! Linda looks like me, only younger and prettier! I hope your appointments go well today!!!

Brenda Kay Ledford said...

Betsy,
Great shots. I'm so glad you and your husband have had a wonderful time visiting with family and friends. There's hardly anything better than having fellowship with loved ones. I'm so glad you had a good time together. This means a lot.

Linda@VS said...

Hi, Betsy. I recently returned from a vacation in the Smoky Mountains and found your blog while Googling in an attempt to more correctly identify the names of some of the places we visited. Your photographs are wonderful! I'll definitely be back for more.

Shug said...

This trip sounds like nothing but FUN!! I think your family picture looks great and you all are so photogenic. How wonderful to meet blogging friends...I bet there was a lot of talk going on there!

Glad you had a great time..
Hugs,
shug

Becca's Dirt said...

Sounds like a great trip Betsy. You and George are doing what I've been wanting to do for the past two years since I have been blogging. I am wanting to travel and meet these nice people that I have come to love. Great photos.

Busy Bee Suz said...

Wonderful photos....and it is so nice to meet up with our blog friends, I agree!!!
So happy you got to visit with the 'kids'!!!!
xoxoxo

Out on the prairie said...

Buffalo sounds real fun. I spent a summer working out there with a few college friends who grew up there.Winters are a bear.

Lady Di Tn said...

Great post. It is always fun to meet friends either blog ones or others. Hope you wore orange to the big city. Peace

Chatty Crone said...

I think that is so nice to be able to visit blog friends Betsy - so did they or were they just like you imagined and like they were on the blog?

sandie

JDS said...

Betsy,

I am glad you to see you posting again, and glad you had a nice trip during your sabbatical from blogging! How cool that you met some blogging friends while you were traveling.

I will actually be in TN in a couple weeks, but east of the Cumberland. Some friends and I will be hiking to the top of LeConte and camping there overnight, staying in the shelter instead of the lodge. (I assume you're familiar with LeConte, but if I'm wrong and you don't know what I'm talking about, just keep an eye our for me to write about the trip later in the month!)

John

LV said...

You feel like you really know some of the blog people. But you really do not, until you have that face to face meeting. I met two while I was gone a few days.

Ann said...

I've yet to meet any blog pals but darn if I had known you were in Erie, Pa I would have stopped on by Cracker Barrel :)

Mary said...

Looks like you had a good trip with lots of friends around. Lovely header shot!

Linda at To Behold The Beauty said...

What fun that must have been to meet folks you had known only through blogging before. Neat!

Angela said...

Looks like everyone had a great time visiting each other!

I Am Woody said...

I love the people that live in my computer! :)

Reanaclaire said...

hey Betsy.. great meeting out blog friends.. it is something exciting to meet up for the first time eventhough they feel like friends already as we are in contact each day in the blogs..

Diane said...

I'm glad you got to meet these bloggers AND to see some of your family, too. Diane

SquirrelQueen said...

How wonderful for you and George to have met up with family and blogging friends. Scrolling through your photos Betsy there is one thing that stood out, there is a smile on every single face.

Janie said...

So nice to get to visit with George's daughter and some blog friends, and enjoy some different and beautiful scenery at the same time.
Love the new header photo, Betsy. The colors are gorgeous!

carolina nana said...

What a wonderful trip you had and getting together with family and friends is so great.
Have you ever been to Holden Beach,NC?
I have found a realy nice house there and are thinking that might be our fall beach trip destination.
Blessings
Marilyn

Connie said...

What fun to visit family and meet with blog friends! Sounds like you had a great trip, Betsy! :-)

Cicero Sings said...

So fun that you have been meeting up with blog friends on your trips hither and yon! Most of mine live too far away but I have met 4.
George has a lovely daughter.

Loren said...

How wonderful that you were able to meet so many of your bloggy friends!! I will have to meet you & George if you ever come through Oklahoma again!!!

I have quite a list that I would love to meet! The only one I have met so far is Lori @ girlymuse. com
She and her Momma are just precious women and treasured friends!!

Annesphamily said...

Come to Colorado and we can visit some sites! I love meeting bloggers. The family is grand and your bloggy friends are wonderful too. What terrific photos.

Kirigalpoththa said...

Great to see you meeting blog friends and keeping the friendship beyond the internet :)

Linda G. said...

I can't believe that I didn't comment on this post in September or October 2011. I noticed as I was working on putting my blog back together that I didn't even have a post about our meeting. Photography projects sure kept me busy and away from blogging in 2011! Anyway, I have rectified not having a blog post about our meeting. Here's the post
http://daysremembered.wordpress.com/2011/09/29/blogging-friends-meet/
I linked to this blog post :-)
I really hope that we can meet up again sometime in the future. We are planning a trip to Maggie Valley NC in May this year. I'll keep you posted.