When our friends LiSha and Chris visited us, all the way from China yesterday we spent the day celebrating. After sharing lots of family photos and stories  we took them on a whirlwind tour of the highlights of Heath and Shelburne Falls. We began with a visit to Bob Dane’s glassblowing studio to show off his artistry and shelves and shelves of beautiful glass ready for his local sale on December 8-9 and 1-16. Unfortunately, we  couldn’t take our guests off for a trip to the Dane Gallery on Nantucket.

Needless to say, driving around Heath and explaining the use of all the buildings including the town offices, library, transfer station, town garage and fair grounds we built up a hunger and drove down to Shelburne Falls for a delicious dinner at the West End Pub. I highly recommend the hazelnut and chocolate torte!

After supper we  took a walk to show Chris and LiSha the varied elements of a small town. Michelle ran into us and couldn’t resist bringing us in to see the new bar at her restaurant, The Baker’s Oven Bistro and Bakery  and showing off the  new mosaic backed bar AND the new dinner menu. I love having  a bakery in town and getting great bread – and muffins – and now I am looking foward to dinner there.

LiSha regaled us with  tales of the way her work takes her to Italy, Hong Kong and Shenzhen. She speaks English and Italian! And Chinese. Chris works for a Swedish company and visits there on business often. The world, China and the U.S., is changing for all of us. How many of us speak two or even three languages?  We met LiSha 17 years ago in Beijing where she was  our language partner. We have hopes that we  will not have to wait another 17 years before meeting again.