As much as we like the members of the community here at St. Francis, we miss our family and our friends immensely. Therefore, we were so excited to have a visit from our two dear friends Mary Ann Crane and Marie Martino. Both are members of our parish in Hickory, and we have spent many hours with them and their husbands having dinner, discussing life, and in general having great times. Both ladies worked at the Inn all day Thursday and on Friday. They are outgoing and great conversationalists. By the time they left, they were all on a first name basis with Danny, Ted, Rambo, and a number of other colorful characters that populate the Inn.
We were rather short on volunteers Friday and I (Thea) was the coordinator that day. So it was helpful to know that if I left Mary Ann and Marie in charge of cut desserts, I did not have to return every 15 minutes to be sure they would be finished in time. These ladies have not only raised families but also done lots of volunteer work, so they were able to take in the routine we use pretty quickly. By the end of the day Friday, Mary Ann was instructing the servers and bussers and Marie was doing mail checks for the guests. If they had stayed a few more days, they would have been asked to be Team members!
The only negative about their visit was that they had to leave, and we will not see them for at least 8 more weeks. Looking at the calendar made us realize that we are starting to be "short-timers;" eight weeks from today we plan to start our journey South. We can already tell that the transition will be bittersweet. We have gotten so much from the guests and the community here, but at the same time there are people that want us nearby in North Carolina and other places where we may be able to share our gifts.
What a delightful surprise to open your blog and find our smiling faces and Vito in the background.
ReplyDeleteWe are home safe and sound. Thank you for allowing us to join you in your ministry. Thanks too for my cross. When I saw Marie's I thought, "Oh, I want one too." She then said, "Here Mary Ann is one for you too." I was thrilled. Miss you very much and my guests at table one and two and all the volunteers. Mary Ann
I know I can speak for Mary Ann and myself when I say truly the pleasure was all ours. We felt so privileged to be able to serve the guests at St. Francis Inn, to get to know some of the other team members and volunteers at the Inn as well as spend some quality time with you dear friends:)
ReplyDeleteBlessings to you and all these next couple of months.
Peace and Joy, Marie