In September I hosted my book club's monthly meeting. My selection was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. This was the first - and last! - time I hosted anything at the house. Because of that (and my love of Harry Potter), I wanted it to be special.

It was exactly that.

It was an evening filled with wonderful food and lively conversation. Everyone brought something that added to the party - er, meeting!

At the end of the evening, Diana (one of the ladies in the book club) gave me the best compliment when she said, "You have a warm and welcoming home." That truly meant a lot to me. That's exactly what I want my home to be.

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My last day and evening in Harrogate was spent with friends. Ryan and I went to Carissa's for lunch with her and with Sarah (and all our various kinder). Carissa made an impressive spread of Thai food, and pastries. She also gave me the perfect going away gift: a photo of the three of us and our friend Rachel during a night out, a bottle of local cherry wine, and home baked cookies! (We had fun drinking the wine after lunch!)

We had a great time eating and chatting and just hanging out while the kiddos played. Having a nice, relaxed lunch with two of my closest friends was a perfect last afternoon at Menwith Hill.

In the evening, I took my last run with the Harrogate Harriers. It was so hard to leave! I had a great time running with my friends, and didn't want the run to end.

When I got back to the apartment where Larry and Ryan and I were staying, my friend Joan came by to say goodbye.

What has really hit me during this time of transition, is how truly blessed I am to have so many great friends. The love and support that I've gotten from my friends on both sides of the pond has been nothing short of amazing. I am truly grateful for it.

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So now we've been in the States for a week. We're almost over our jet lag.

We spent the first couple of days visiting Larry's mom and husband in Indio (near Palm Springs), then spent a couple of days visiting his dad, grandma, and uncle in Las Vegas. We got to my parents' house in Palmdale yesterday. Larry flew to his new duty station at Ft. Meade in Maryland, and arrived there safely today.

I'll be starting a new blog to go with this new chapter in our lives, and will post a link as soon as it's up.

Thank you so much, to everyone for your love, support, friendship, and prayers! It means all the world to me, and makes all the difference.