Last night with MJK

After our hike, we arrived back at Woodberry just in time to catch the end of the Reids' cider making event. Jim and Cindy Reid are a Woodberry family who have this great old (antique, maybe) apple cider press and every year, they invite the community of faculty and their families to enjoy treats and apple cider. Jessica, Molly, and Kathryn came along, of course, and had a "Woodberry experience." :-) I don't have pictures, but the press looks something like this: You put the apples in the wooden basket, then turn the crank at the top and the cider is squeezed out and collected at the base of the press. Very cool. Sierra had a great time with all the kiddos and was totally fearless on the slide.

We headed back in time for Jason to take his advisees out for dinner before he went to Charlottesville to play hockey. The rest of us made dinner: pasta with Molly's homemade marinara sauce. Mmmmm!


Jessica, Molly and Kathryn were on the road back to Connecticut before 7am Monday morning. I was sad to see them go. I miss my friends. Some days more than others. It was so great having this wonderful group of girls around me for so many years and it makes me kind of sad I don't have those sorts of relationship nearby now. Don't get me wrong, there are several women at Woodberry who I see on a fairly regular basis, and who I consider my friends. I certainly enjoy the time I spend with them and have fun when we get together. The difference is that I have only lived here for a little over a year, most of the women are busy with little ones like I am and we just don't get together often enough. Relationships take time and effort to develop and I guess I just haven't had enough face time with my Woodberry friends to be super close to them. Yet. I am hopeful that as we spend more time together and learn more about one another these will be friends that I can call up and say "we're coming for a visit!"