UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTERS OF THE PLEASANT KIND

I wasn’t expecting Mr. HCB to suggest we go out for coffee this morning, but he did - so we went to Jack’s and met various friends there, which is always good.

Shelly, a lady I used to meet in Jack’s and swap books with, but who now works full-time popped in for a takeaway coffee and had a chat on her way in, which was great and during our chat we discovered that she knew a very good friend of mine, who used to live in Swindon, but who now lives in Salisbury - what a small world!

Because I wanted to call into a MinuteMan Press, a print shop in Old Town, to ask about printing off a booklet containing my Blips of our Golden Wedding Adventures, I left Mr. HCB chatting to two friends (both male - and they say women talk!) 

On the way, I called into our local hospice charity shop and whilst looking at the jigsaws a young mum with her baby came over to look too.  When she picked up a Gibson jigsaw, I remarked that I had looked at them, but then realised that we had given them to the shop only a few weeks ago!  We chatted some more about jigsaws and puzzle sorters and she said her father was retiring today and she wanted them for him, to give him something to do.  I asked if he or her mother took photographs, explained to her about Blip - and then gave her my card so that she had a note of the website.  

She seemed quite interested and said she could do something like that with photographs of her baby daughter, which I agreed would be a great idea, and then she could see how much she changed each day.  She told me that she had just been to visit her grandmother, her baby’s great grandmother, who was in a nearby nursing home and was 106 years old.  I’m so glad I popped into the charity shop!

I then went round to the print shop and was served by Sarah, who was very helpful.  I told her what I wanted, so I have agreed to either send them my Blips or take them in on a memory stick, so they can work out a price.

I rang Mr. HCB to tell him I had finished and that I would walk on down towards home and he could pick me up on the way, which he agreed to do.

As I walked, I took several photographs, this being one of them, and an older lady, walking her dog, came up and was interested in why I was taking random photographs, so again, I told her about Blip.  We then had a lovely conversation about the weather and especially how cold the wind was today, the amount of litter lying around, the beautiful blossoms on what she thought was a dogwood but I thought was a cherry, and then Mr. HCB arrived.

When I got home, Amanda messaged me to say she had enjoyed meeting me this morning - I was able to send her a photograph of the puzzle sorter so that she knew exactly what I was talking about earlier.  

Lots of lovely encounters already today and another one planned in a while with my friend, Caroline.  I do honestly wonder why people who are retired say they are bored!

We don’t meet people by accident - 
     they are meant to cross our path
          for a reason.