Today Helen came here for a final visit with us in Ontario for a while. We met each other for lunch at Boston Pizza in Orillia and then she accompanied me while I ran some errands and visited with Mom. The last time the two old friends had seen each other was two and a half years ago and it was a nice reunion for both of them. While Jim was alive, Mom and Helen would see each other regularly at least twice a year for 20 years but since his death, their visits have become fewer and farther in between. Helen's visit was a nice surprise and she certainly had an uplifting impact on Mom's convalescence and one they will both treasure for a while.

Afterwards Helen followed me out to Coldwater to the motorhome where we chatted while we watched the latest news about Hurricane Katrina's damage on the news. The updated news footage is surely just scratching the surface of the devastation being felt by our southern neighbours. We can only imagine how difficult their lives are right now and our hearts and prayers are with them as they try to survive the aftermath of the vicious storm.

Tonight we joined Dana, Richard, Noah, Thomas, Gayle, Graham, Taunja, Bryden and Faith at the Mandarin Restaurant in Barrie for a farewell dinner. It will be many months before we see them all again and it was nice to be able to get together one last time before we leave here on Sunday. Helen hadn't seen many of these family members since Rick and I were married in 1995 and was meeting the younger generation for the very first time. Though a restaurant may not have been the most intimate location for our get together, it provided a place where we could enjoy each other's company with no additional work. The food was good and the company was great; what more could we ask for?