A breath of fresh air blew in from Louisiana

Last weekend a fair southern wind blew through Providence, bringing two old friends with it. Coming in by way of northern Vermont, Ed and Chris had started their road trip from home in Natchitoches (pronounced "Nackatish), Loosiana and spent a very short night here with us. But, over a leisurely dinner we had plenty of time to visit, catching up on some nine years of things, people, places, all the changes in  our lives before letting them get a much needed rest.

Monday morning everybody awoke at a leisurely pace. After devouring with all due elegance, pastries by the French Tarte, the four of us piled into their car for a quick tour of Providence -- skipping the chance for Ed and Chris to experience  riding in the backseat of a Mini.

We spent the better part of the morning showing them a bit of the city we call home (for the moment), and naturally the tour started at  the French Tarte's pastry studio.

Susie tries to explain something to Chris

no one keeps a straight face for long around Ed and Chris

From Pawtucket we scooted back across the city line into Providence, parked near Brown University and strolled along the waterfront, giving them, an idea of what this tired New England burg is really like.

After returning to our condo, we parked and walked the block or so over to the new Westside Diner, where the four of us got a real taste of 1956 Providence (both ambiance and food).

We strolled back to the condo.  Ed and Chris packed up their things, loaded the car and after a round of hugs we said goodbye, again. In the blink of an eye they had pulled out of the drive and turned onto Westminster Street heading first west to West Point, NY and then south to Georgia and home to Louisiana.

It had been 40 years since Ed and I shared a house together in Bethesda, along with five other young hospital corpsmen. And it's been 9 years since the four of us spent a handful of days enjoying the sights, tastes and sounds of the New Orleans Jazz Festival -- just months before Katrina hit that wonderufl city and my Dad passed away.

Let's hope it's not another 9 before we see those two again. . . and next time it will be down their way.