WHY PHILIPPI? # 2 MAKING PLANS OVER COFFEE

This morning Beanie and Dorothea arrived to make our plans over coffee. Whenever Beanie comes into my kitchen now, she catches her breath a second as she sees Ben's empty chair.
But the three of us girls (we feel like girls) excitedly began making plans.
facsimile of Beanie in yellow blouse and Dorothea in pink.

"Where are your parents from, Dorothea?" She answered they came to the U S from Athens. But they loved America so much they never went back even to visit.

Beanie said, "You know, Annie, Dorothea knows a lot of modern Greek. The pastor at her church taught classes at the church as well as at Memphis State."  

No, I did not know that. But it was wonderful to hear because having one of us speaking the language would help so much. I studied classical Greek in college, but don't know anything now except the alphabet.

I would not have recognized Dorothea. We had not seen each other since our graduation night and senior dance in 1951. She is still pretty and so is Beanie. We enjoyed being together.
I wondered if anybody had a good idea where to stay in Kavala. 

Dorothea said her husband and the other men stayed in a dorm like place, but she has no idea of the address. No matter, we will stay at the very best, most expensive hotel in Kavala.

We found Hotel Philippeio on line; it looked like just the right place.
I slept so many nights on a Greyhound bus on my real trips in the US; but old people do better in luxury. And we can afford it!!

Then Dorothea showed us the card.

She said to look at the thick tall column on the left of the postcard.Now look at the bottom. There is one long stone and a loose stone on the right of it. There is an x (not shown here) on it.  She thinks the love letter is in a plastic sack under the loose stone???

Beanie and I just looked at each other with raised eyebrows. Thirty years? Not likely we thought to ourselves. Still this adventure is so important not only to Dorothea but to Beanie and me too.

Last night I started rereading in Acts about Paul in Philippi...I will forever find the things that happened there exciting...and can hardly wait to be there.

I have already bought the flight tickets and made reservations to leave Monday.(9/23)

We will tell you more as we know more.
love, annie in memphis
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Choir in Kavala

old7lady9blogger80@gmail.com

If only I could hear Ben's sweet voice reading this before I publish it on the blog.

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