Surprise Party!

This summer Philip is, shall I say, semi-retired. In that I mean he has hired a manger to run the business so that he can have some time off. Jude has worked for Philip for years and she is the perfect one to make decisions and keep the Village Craftsmen running smoothly.

I commented to Philip the other day that he never did have a retirement party, or a gold watch. (Even though I did buy him an old pocket watch years ago for Christmas!)
So, my friend Katy and I decided to plan a surprise retirement party. Oh, it was nothing like what is given in corporations or schools for that matter, it was Ocracoke style.

Katy and John had just moved into their new cottage on the island so it was the perfect excuse to plan an open house pot luck, that is just the way it is done here!

We had a great time keeping this secret and by the time we walked into Katy's last night, you could tell he was definitely surprised. There were flowers and balloons and even a banner. I think Philip was a bit overwhelmed by this party with his island friends. There were a few toasts, plenty of wine and beer and the food was fabulous!

Some of us stayed late to just talk and tell stories. It was inky dark by the time we left. Philip had the bouquet of balloons in one hand and steering his bike with the other.

Happy Semi-Retirement Philip!

Lou Ann