A Reunion, Mugs, and a Shopping Coup

Yesterday I was thrilled to have a class reunion of sorts.  A reunion of two classmates.  A reunion for me and my friend Kathi whom I had not seen in more than thirty years. 

By the end of the summer that we graduated from high school, I had married Ron, and Kathi had gone away to college, many states away.  Sadly, we lost touch.  But thanks to social media (facebook), we reconnected last year.  And last week, I got a  facebook message from Kathi saying that she was coming for a visit with her parents and would we like to meet and catch up! 

Yes!

So yesterday, Kathi came for lunch and we hugged and chatted and made up for lost time.  We didn't do a whole lot of reminiscing about high school days, but we did more talking about our lives since then.  Kathi is also a "sister" in the Lord, so we have a bond that is more than just our school days or geography or common interests.  The time flew by!

So why does this post have pictures of plates and napkins and coffee mugs? 

ACK!  It is because I was having such sweet fellowship with my dear friend, that I totally forgot to take pictures!  My camera remained in its case and was not even thought of until Kathi had begun the drive back to her parents' house, so there are no photographic records of this particular class reunion. 

But I will hold the memories in my heart. 

Since I do have the photos of table stuff, I will tell you the story of these coffee mugs. 

You may remember that I am a fan of the folk artist Warren Kimble (and that Ron gave me a signed Warren Kimble print for Christmas...and that Ron actually spoke with the Mr. Kimble). 

When Target was new to our town, they had a line of Warren Kimble dishes.  Of course, I loved them, and I mentioned to my family that I would like to have a set of the mugs.  My son Ryan said, "Mom, you don't need more coffee mugs."  He was right.  (But I still wanted those mugs.) 

Enter Brian, who at that time was not yet my son-in-law, but was beginning a relationship with my daughter.  Well guess who gave me a set of those Warren Kimble mugs for Christmas!  Was Brian trying to make a good impression?  Perhaps.  And he did!    I still love those mugs and use them often.  (Of course, I love my son-in-law Brian too...and not just because of the mugs!)

Have you ever had a shopping coup?  I did today! 

For over a year, I have been looking for topiaries to put on my dining room mantle for the spring and summer months.  By spring, the parade of mini pumpkins has given way to Christmas decorations which have been replaced with a simple row of votive candles, and I'm ready for a fresh look.  I thought that a pair of topiaries would be the perfect thing, but finding ones that I liked was more than a challenge.  The few that I found were either too plastic-y or too large or too expensive.  I had decided that I would make my own, so I googled some instructions and began hunting for supplies.  Another challenge as I couldn't find greenery that had the wispy herb-y look I wanted. 

So today I was in Marshalls in search of a birthday gift, and there. they. were. 

My topiaries!

How did I know they were my topiaries?  They were the right size, the right look, and the right price.

Shopping coup! 

And here they are in their new home.