We're Going To Miss Our Awesome Friends

The tender friendships one gives up, on parting, leave their bite on the heart, but also a curious feeling of a treasure somewhere buried. 
                                                                        ~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry


By the time you read this, Mr. Cottage and I will be on our way back to Michigan.  This has been one really amazing, sad and joyous week for both of us.

Sunday we went to breakfast with our good friends Jim and Kelly.  That evening we went to one of my favorite pizza restaurants in Sarasota, Cosimo's, with our other good friends, Jim and Marybeth.  They use to be located in the mall, but they've been closed all season and just opened in a new location a couple of weeks ago, just in time before we left. 

On Monday evening, Mr. Cottage and I were treated to dinner at Papa Nick's with three other couples:  Jim and Kelly, Ron and Fran, and Dick and Diane.  We had a wonderful time with all of them and didn't want the evening to end.

Then Tuesday, after a day of lots of packing, Mr. Cottage and I finally made it back for our Happy Hour.  Little did we know what they had planned for us...

The above is a copy, but we were presented with an actual board with all their photos and signatures on it.  How awesome is that!  Mr. Cottage and I will treasure this special gift they made just for us.  I found out that all the photos were taken this past Sunday and we had no clue.  They also gave us a bottle of Pinot Grigio wine and two coffee mugs from our Sun N Fun gift shop.  

Then Wednesday evening, we went to a special Appreciation Dinner that our RV park puts on for all the volunteers in the park.  Mr. Cottage volunteered for both the Color Guard and for teaching Pickleball, so we were able to attend this fantastic event.  Free drinks, food and entertainment all the way from Las Vegas!

I hate seeing this come to an end, but all endings just mean new beginnings.