Reuniting with old friends

My great adventure the last three days has been watching Ellen light up with joy and excitement at being back in the locales where she had spent most of her life and watch her bubble over as she reconnected with people and places that had been such a large part of her life for so many years.

Friday afternoon, Ellen got to relish one of her favorite New Jersey meals, Hot Texas Wieners as she explained here. That evening we had dinner with her former neighbors and dear friends, June and Lydia, at one of their favorite local Italian restaurants, which Ellen reported here.

All day Saturday was spent with other friends, Mickey and Alan and Evelyn, and included sharing three meals of locale fare with them at a local diner, a deli, and a dive, and a day on their boat, cruising and fishing off Long Island's South Shore.

Sunday began with a 90 minute hike in the non-profit Tenafly Nature Preserve where Ellen had served for four years on the board as treasurer. Then we drove to New Rochelle, New York, for the wedding of the son of her dear friend and former boss. The bride and groom are both accomplished musicians and the wonderful classical wedding ceremony music was presented by young musician friends of theirs. The groom's parents are Caucasian and Chinese, the bride is Korean, and the mix of guests, food, and the wedding customs mirrored all three cultures, making for a wonderful event. Below is Ellen being reunited with the groom's parents, Eva and Art...



After the wedding ceremony and during the cocktail hour, Pye-Bek, a traditional Korean tea ceremony was observed and included honoring the parents and grandmothers, and this photo shows the bride and groom, Soyeon and Tim, in traditional costume...


As stated above, it was a pleasure for me to watch Ellen's happiness at seeing familiar places, including three of her former residences, relate stories as we passed her favorite hangouts and eateries, recall good times from years past, and reunite with dear friends she hadn't seen in four or more years. A special joy for her was running into friends she hadn't even expected to see while we were at the wedding. It was a great weekend for both of us!