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Birds of a Feather: Getting Together with Carol Ann and Kevin

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Last Friday, Clif and I drove to Brunswick to have lunch at Wild Oats Bakery & Café with two special people—my blogging friend Carol Ann of Fashioned For Joy and her husband Kevin.

Carol Ann and Kevin live outside  Washington, DC, and they had come to Maine for a wedding. A while back, Carol Ann had let me know they would be in Maine in October and asked if we would like to get together.

My answer? Yes, indeed! I love meeting blogging friends, who prove to be just as delightful in person as they are on their blogs. This time was no different, and the four of us immediately fell into an easy conversation as though we had known each other for a long time.

We talked about family—we each have two children—and our jobs. Carol Ann has read my Great Library Series and had kind words to say about Maya, the main character, and the rest of the gang. Thanks so much, Carol Ann.

Carol Ann and Kevin have a Tesla named Natalia, which they drove to Acadia National Park, where they spent a few days before the wedding. Carol Ann noted that at the motel where they stayed, there were two Tesla chargers as well as two chargers for non-Tesla EVs. As Clif has observed, we are reaching a tipping point with EV charging points being pretty much everywhere. With the recent ferocious weather, it’s about darned time. (For those interested in the discouraging history of Evs, Who Killed the Electric Car is an excellent doc.)

Recently, Kevin drove Natalia to Iowa for a class reunion. He made it there and back again without any troubles. Clif and I have been EV enthusiasts for a long time, and it warmed our hearts to hear this. We are very much hoping to get an EV when our Honda Fit is past repairing.

We also spoke about home, for us a rural town in Maine and for them a neighborhood outside DC. Both have advantages—our town is in a region where there are many lovely lakes and ponds. It’s a quiet, down-to-earth community, and there is no keeping up with the Joneses. Their community, just outside DC, has many cultural opportunities, including some of the best art museums on the East Coast. Two hours in the other direction, there are sandy beaches with roaming ponies. (I sure would love to see those ponies.)

For me, the conversation took an especially pleasant turn when Carol Ann quoted from the excellent 1995 BBC television series Pride and Prejudice. I have watched this series many times, and it is one of my favorites. (I’ve also read the book several times.)

When we got home and I mentioned Carol Ann’s and my mutual love of Pride and Prejudice, Clif replied, “You two are birds of a feather.

We certainly are. And here’s a picture of the two of us, both smiling with our eyes closed. And note the similar color of our hair—Carol Ann, on the right, is Italian American, and I, on the left, am Franco-American.

At Wild Oats, we chatted for about three hours, and when we parted, I said “Au revoir” rather than goodbye.

Until we meet again.

From left to right: Kevin, Clif, Carol Ann, and Laurie

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This post is dedicated to our blogging friend Platypus Man of Now I’m 64. He follows both our blogs and wished he could have joined us. Alas, an ocean separates us. You were there in spirit Mr. P, and if ever you and Mrs. P come to the East Coast, Carol Ann and I would be so thrilled to meet you.

69 thoughts on “Birds of a Feather: Getting Together with Carol Ann and Kevin”

  2. Hi Laurie….lovely to catch up with fellow bloggers..I liked your descriptions of Carol and Kevin’s neighbourhood outside DC and your rural town in Maine.

  5. What a cheery post. The EV situation is a bit sad here as there has been no concerted thinking to make it work well. Without looking at your documentary, I know whom I hold responsible.

    1. Thanks! Sorry to read that about EVs in your area. For some reason I thought you were way ahead of us. It has been so slow in the U.S. because of the reprehensible actions of certain companies. Sigh.

  11. Thank you for remembering me, and for your kind words. I’ve been thinking a lot recently about the proposed meeting, and am thrilled to know that it worked out well. Hopefully you and Carol Ann will get together again before too long, and spend more time sharing stories, hearty laughs and good food.

    You might even find time to reflect again on the Pride and Prejudice adaptation, which reflects British television at its very best. Speaking of which, did you know that about 6 months ago THAT SHIRT (by which I mean the one Colin Firth was wearing when he emerged dripping wet from the lake!) sold at auction in London for £25,000 (USD 33,000). That is one of the most iconic scenes ever in British TV, and even now – nearly 30 years after it was first broadcast – it is still talked about enthusiastically by fans of the series.

    Best wishes to you Laurie, to Carol Ann, Clif and Kevin from your friend across the Pond. May your friendship, in both the real world and its digital counterpart, continue to blossom and flourish.

    1. Thanks so much! So wish you and Mrs. P could have been there with us.

      I did not know that about Mr.Darcy’s shirt. Holy cats! Yes, that is quite a scene. Colin Firth was such a wonderful Mr. Darcy. The best as far as I am concerned.

    2. Hello, Mr. P. Laurie and I definitely raised a glass to you during our meeting. You and Mrs. P. were with us in spirit. Thank you for the friendship blessing. It’s truly remarkable how blogging nourishes that. My affection for you, of course, is a fine example.

      p.s. I’ll think of both Laurie and you when I watch the A&E adaptation of Pride & Prejudice. I’ve even been known to watch only the episode of Lizzie’s and Darcy’s meeting at Pemberly. For the dialogue, of course.

      2. Hi, Carol Ann. I enjoy researching and writing my blog, and reading other blogs, but for me best part of blogging is the friendships I’ve made (albeit online) along the way. You and Laurie are both dear to me, and our paths would never have crossed without the assistance of WordPress. Well done, those guys!

        Hope you enjoy watching Pride and Prejudice (but only for the dialogue, of course!)

  15. It sounds like a lovely outing. I’ve always enjoyed meeting my blogging friends in person. They never disappoint. If you do happen to get out this way to see the ponies, let me know. I know where some of them hide during the late fall to spring months. 🙂

      2. On Assateague Island, Carol Ann. In the winter we usually go down the OSV area and explore some of the backcountry areas. It’s fascinating (all the old hunting lodges) and we almost always see at least a few of the ponies.

  16. What a wonderful meeting Laurie, it sounds like you had the finest of days! 🧡 xxx

  17. Dear Laurie — Thank you for memorializing our delightful lunch in such enthusiastic form. Kevin and I had a wonderful time meeting you and Clif. Our conversation was as wide-ranging and engaging as you report. Three hours passed in a flash!

    Maine offers many reasons for a return trip (the Tesla charging network definitely included). Seeing you again might be most important! And perhaps I can persuade you to come down here some day….

    1. My great pleasure! Can’t believe how fast those three hours flew. So hope you come to Maine again sometime soon. And we will certainly keep a trip down south in mind.

  18. I love “until we meet again.” It’s such an optimistic parting! Funny how the English language doesn’t express things as warmly as some of the Romance languages.

    How cool that you got to meet one of your blogging pals in person! I hope to do that, too, one of these days!

  20. That sounds such a great day! Meeting like minded souls is so fantastic whether they live near or far, online or in person.

      1. Oh! I would love to but given the distance (and the ocean) we may have to remain penpals!

  21. This would also easily fit into your “Thankful Thursday” theme, Laurie. 😊

    It’s so nice to know that meetings like this one are possible and so meaningful to both parties.

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