A Snapshot of Friendship

 

Last week I had the rare pleasure of getting to meet two fellow bloggers — C and V from Stickhorse Cowgirls!  Hubby and I were passing through the city where they live and I had contacted them and asked if we could have dinner.  Hubby just stayed long enough to eat, and then he left the three of us to gab till our hearts content.  And we did just that.

It was so exciting to get to put faces to two women who had over months of reading and commenting on each other’s blogs, become my blogging friends.  We talked (and ate, at least part of the time) for three hours, with nary an awkward silence.  The conversation really was more like old friends catching up after a long absence, rather than strangers meeting for the first time.  Remarkable, touching, fun, memorable.  And now, I consider V and C real, honest-to-goodness friends of mine.

But, the real friendship I want to tell you about is the one between the two of them.  Sitting at a table with them for three hours gave me a little snapshot of their very special friendship (of over 50 years!), and how it blesses both their lives.  I can’t remember anything specific they said that would be an example.  All I can say is that I came away from that evening having been reminded of how precious old friendships can be when they are firmly grounded in shared love and respect and lots of shared memories.

May we all cherish and nourish the friendships we have been blessed with — both old and new.  They are such a plus in life.

Thank you, C and V for such a memorable, fun evening.  Now, when I read your words, I see your faces and hear your voices. 

A truly special evening.

I thought it was about baseball!

 

If we go to a movie, it is usually with our friends Linda and Doug.  And there is an on-going mental “balance sheet” being somewhat kept in all our minds of “chick flicks” versus “manly” movies.  The guys are really pretty good sports about it, but they do give us some grief after they’ve “endured” yet another chick flick. 

Part of our problem is that the alternative to the chick flicks are sometimes filled with gratutious violence and absolutely filthy language, which none of us feel is particularly entertaining.  In fact, I feel that most of the time this language suggests laziness on the part of the movie makers, i.e., rather than working hard at expressing intense emotions with carefully crafted dialogue or wonderful camera shots of well-acted facial expressions, they just have the character spew filthy language as “short-hand” for all that.

Anyway, I read a write-up of a just-released new film called The Open Road that I thought we would all enjoy, and especially the guys because it looked like a baseball movie. 

As I recall, the newspaper write-up described the story as a semi-pro baseball player who was raised by his mother with just occasional contact with his famous baseball player dad.  But, now his mother was seriously ill and asked him to go see his dad and ask him to come to see her.

While it was obvious the story wasn’t exactly about baseball, I pictured the story about the mother’s illness and the possible re-uniting of the family all played out against a back-drop of exciting baseball games, and the rise and fall of the son’s budding baseball career.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.  The only scene in the whole movie that I remember was even at an actual baseball field was when ”sonny” went to the empty stadium to clean out his locker because he was quitting the team.

Yes, it was a “chick flick”, not the baseball movie I had promised.

When the credits rolled, both guys silently turned and looked at me. 

I groaned, acknowledging my error in judging the movie’s emphasis, and stating the obvious, “They could have been rodeo clowns for all the difference it made!” 

It really wasn’t a bad movie, and Justin Timberlake was a surprisingly good actor as the son, but there’s no getting around it, it was a chick flick.  Sigh.  So sue me.

Babs and Bons: The Cheerleading Challenge

 

talk smack (v) To talk trash … casting doubt on a person’s ability.  Ex: Before the fight, the boxers were talking smack to each other.

       This is Babs.  Doesn’t she look dignified?  Of course, she can be very dignified, but she also has a hilarious wit.  She is married to a doctor and is herself a dialysis nurse, so obviously there are many times in her life when she has to be dignified and serious — but, when she is with friends, her wit is what you see.  And sometimes, she can even talk a little smack (all in fun, of course)! 

   This is Karen, the most popular girl in our class.   She was and is fun and witty, was a cheerleader and was elected prom queen (the epitomy of popular when we were in high school).  One of her ”claims to fame” was her cheerleading ability … and specifically her jump.  She was one of those especially agile cheerleaders who could jump high in the air and extend her legs straight out to both sides.  But, Karen could and would take that one step further.  She would jump high in the air, do a perfect splits in the air and then maintain that pose all the way to the floor, landing in perfect splits.  When I would see that jump coming during a game, I would watch the fans on the other side of the gymnasium, because it was fun to hear them gasp and see them obviously talking about it after she had done that spectacular jump.  

Now, let me just say there is much of being a freshman in high school that I have forgotten.  But, I do remember that many of us (including Babs, Bons and me) had hopes in the back of our minds that we could be cheerleaders.  Never mind how realistic our hopes were (or how little our talent) there were many of us who tried out for cheerleading.

And then there was a reality check for most of us.  Even though many tried out, few were chosen.  With Karen, I’m sure, at the top of that list.  And no one could have denied that Karen was a natural at it, so we were all still friends.

Well, at the reunion Saturday night, Babs told me that it was time for a “wrong to be righted” — she was the one who should have been a cheerleader instead of Karen.  So, she and Bons were going to challenge Karen to a face-off.  It took me a while to figure out why Babs needed Bons to do it with her.

     I caught a picture of Babs talking to Kathy, Keith’s wife, who was a cheerleader a couple years younger than us.  Maybe Babs is asking Kathy for some “insider” cheerleading tips!?

     It looks like our friend Sue may be reminding Babs of the words to an old favorite cheer, “Go, Fight, WIN!”

     Babs told me that when the time came for the challenge, I should make everyone stand waayyyy back because she would need as much room as possible to do her cheer.  And then I asked her how Bons figured into the challenge and Babs replied that she was going to do the actual cheer, but she had appointed Bons as her designated “jumper”.  See Babs pointing at Bons?  And I think it’s pretty obvious from the look in Bons’ eyes that she’s thinking, “Like that’s going to happen!”

    While all of this was going on, if Karen was nervous that she was being challenged, she hid it well.  She did a good job of acting like she was having a great time, and wasn’t nervous at all.

   And then, just like when we were in school, there was a reality check.  I don’t know if it was something that Karen told her (maybe that she could still do her signature jump?) that made her drop the challenge, or if it was Bons’ laughing refusal to be the designated jumper, but Babs dropped it. (I suspect that was always the plan.)

This whole little Babs-created drama was a great sub-text to the reunion Saturday night.  I don’t think she ever really planned to do the challenge, but all of the conversation, speculation and laughs it generated were really fun.

Babs is a nurse at a location where kidney patients receive dialysis.  I’ve heard that people who have to do that regularly, not surprisingly, come to dread those visits.  But, if you had to have dialysis, wouldn’t it make it a little easier if you had a nurse like Babs?  Someone who always has a smile, a caring word and even a funny comment once in a while?

I’m sorry you didn’t get to do your cheerleading challenge, Babs, because I know it would have been memorable.  But, when you think about it, with your personality, I’m guessing you have been a wonderful cheerleader to all the patients you have taken care of over the years!  And, I’m also guessing, while some lifting and pushing might have been required, you probably weren’t ever required to do a jump!

The Reunion: Ol’ Time Rock n’ Roll!

 

Our 45th class reunion Saturday night was the best for me ever, and I have no idea why.  I was sick!  Wouldn’t you think that would have been reason enough to give this one a pass, or at least go but only have a so-so time?

Nope.  Sick and all, I had a great time.  And I know that part of the reason is that the DJ was spot on with the music, and once the group would get going on one of our old favorite “fast dances”, when that song would end, he would just go right into another one of our favorites, so he kept the momentum going.  A side note:  I think DJ’s are a very under-appreciated group.  They can make or break a party by not just the songs they choose, but how they mix them – just their timing and sense of what will keep that particular group on the dance floor.  This one was great at all of that!

    Sue is a classmate who went to Alaska for college, married Kelly, also a teacher, and they still live there.  And they both have always loved to dance! (She’s cute, even with her eyes closed, isn’t she?)

    And Kelly is very good about dancing with lots of the women who love to dance, starting, of course with Sue, but then …

    … with Kay 

    … with Jennifer

    … with Kathy

   And when Sue dances sometimes it’s hard to tell who she is dancing with.  She just dances!

   And Sue and Kelly weren’t the only ones who were feeling the beat!

    See Adele (from Portland, OR) in the pink?

   At some point she changed into very practical footwear so that she could dance all night! (This was taken as she participated in a very fast congo line — running shoes were very appropriate!)

   Bob, facing the camera, had never been to a reunion before, partially because he is a Professor at a university in Saipan!   But, he said he had a great time!  It’s always fun to see someone new attend and watch them  enjoy reconnecting with old friends!

    Yes, that’s me all the way to the right.  Sometimes when the dancing really got going, I almost forgot that I was sick!

   Denny was one of the few guys in our high school class who really enjoyed dancing the fast dances.  And he was always very good about dancing with alot of different girls (even those of us who were going steady with non-fast- dancing boyfriends) so dancing with him is one of my favorite memories.  And I got to dance one with him this time!  Suzan probably had hand sanitizer waiting for him after he danced with “Typhoid Sandy”!  btw, the outfit looked alot better before I took off my shoes and my jacket, but it was HOT in there!

What a fun time.

    I couldn’t resist taking a picture of the room as we left.  This is the first time ever that I have stayed until the end of a reunion!

Tomorrow:  Pictures of classmates, when they weren’t dancing!

A Cutting Comment

 

A couple who are close friends of ours were both single adults for quite a few years before they married.  And when they were getting to know each other, one of the things they found out they had in common was a disdain for doing dishes.  They had both developed the habit of making one-pot meals and using paper plates to make clean-up quick and simple.

And after they married, the paper-plate-habit became part of their married routine too.

Another trait they share is a love of hiking or just sitting and reading in beautiful settings — they’ve done both all over the country.

One of their favorite places to hike and/or sit and read is the Smokey Mountains, where they go several times a year and where black bear sightings are pretty common.  So, a friend of theirs who is a knife collector (that would be Hubby), gave them a Bowie knife to carry with them in the mountains, just in case.

The evening Hubby gave them the knife, they went home and were looking at it.  And in a case of unfortunate timing, he started to remove it from the sheath just as she reached for it.  The result was that she got a fairly deep cut on her hand.

He took her to the Emergency Room, where the doctor confirmed that she would need a couple stitches.

As the doctor began to put in the stitches, she mentioned that it was going to be a little embarrassing to explain to people how the cut had happened.  She felt it made her seem careless.

The doctor, as he stitched, suggested (I suppose) the first alternative excuse that popped into his head, “Well, maybe you could just say you got the cut washing dishes.”

And then her dear, sweet husband said, “That would make it a paper cut.”

The doctor had to pause in his stitching until he could quit laughing.

Mike, the Grocer

 

In Mama’s Depression story, she said, Old Mike Mataxis, the grocery man, sold us groceries on time all the time Ruhl was out of work.  When Ruhl went back to work, we owed Mike $50. 

I’ve looked through her book for more of the story about Mike, because I know there is more, but I can’t find anything, so I guess it’s up to me to tell you about my parent’s fond stories about Mike, the grocer.

Mike ran a little neighborhood grocery, and my parents had done all their grocery shopping there since they had moved into that neighborhood.  But, it was the four months when my father was laid off that forged a very special relationship for them with Mike.

They told Mike as soon as Daddy was laid off that they didn’t know how long they were going to be able to pay for their groceries.  But Mike told them not to worry … they would figure something out.  And, what he did was take what they could pay and carried the rest on the books and then toward the end, when their money had almost totally run out, he just carried all their groceries on the books.

Of course, Mama was very careful during the time Mike was carrying them, to only order the very barest of essentials.  But she said whenever they bought groceries, Mike would slip some pieces of fruit and a few pieces of candy in the bag for the kids.  She said during that time he never treated them any differently than when they had been paying customers.  And he would just wave them off if they tried to thank him.

But, a few years later, after their hard times had passed and they had paid Mike back, Mama did have an opportunity to thank Mike in a very special way. 

When World War II broke out, Mike’s young son (like many, many young men), enlisted and was sent overseas. 

But Mike was Greek and didn’t read English very well, and Mama found out that when he received letters from his son, he struggled to read the letters and struggled even more to write a reply.  So, Mama told Mike she wanted to help.  When he would receive his once-a-week letter from his son, Mama would read it to him and then write a letter back to his son for him.

What a great friendship that ended up blessing the lives of both Mama and Daddy and Mike, the Grocer.

Why We’ll Probably Never Move to a Warmer Climate

 

Yesterday afternoon I went to the near-by super store for groceries.

In the baking needs aisle, there were two women chatting.  As I approached I saw that one was Hubby’s cousin’s daughter, so I greeted her and then looked at the woman she was talking to and realized she was Hubby’s younger sister’s best friend.  I had no idea these two knew each other!  Two great people whom I know, but didn’t know they knew each other (I found out their common connection is that they are both nurses).  So, the three of us had a nice chat (luckily that aisle wasn’t very busy right then).  Finally, we said our good-bye’s and went our separate ways (but not before they helped me find the reduced-fat graham cracker crusts!). 

But, then, before I even got to the end of that aisle, a woman I didn’t immediately recognize came around the corner coming toward me and called me by name!  It was a “girl”  from my high school class.  We hadn’t seen each other in probably 15 years, so we stood and talked and caught up for a few minutes too.

When I got home, Hubby said, “I thought you were making a quick trip to the grocery?”  I told him it was a quick trip, except for the baking needs aisle!   He understood, but, I’m not sure he will ever truly understand, because he has always lived in this area and has always known alot of people.

And that is why we will probably never move to a warmer climate.   There is nothing more heart-warming for a little girl who moved to a new city when she was nine years old and knew no one, than to now know and be related to so many people.

When my heart is warmed by relationships and friendships, my feet can just wear thicker socks in the wintertime.

 

Reminder:  Go to last Friday’s post and comment so that you’re eligible to win Janet’s books!  The drawing will be this Friday.

Happy to be a Rent-a-Friend!

 

   The Hoffelt’s granddaughter, Linda, in the middle with their dog, Taffy and her “rent-a-friends” … Phoebe Ann on the right and me on the left.

When I was little, our second-door neighbors were the Hoffelts.  When I look back now at what I considered the very old Mr. and Mrs. Hoffelt, I would guess they were in their late 50’s.  Sigh.

Anyway, Mrs. Hoffelt didn’t work and her husband was a pharmacist who worked long hours at his drug store so she had alot of free time.  Mrs. Hoffelt did enjoy tending the flowers in her yard, but she always found a little time almost every day for her other favorite “hobby” – sitting in the porch swing on her wonderful big awning-covered front porch for an hour or two,  just watching the world go by … and talking to us little kids in the neighborhood when we would stop by.  Sometimes she would give us kool-aid and cookies, so she was definitely a popular stop with us, and besides, when you’re a little kid, it’s just fun to have an adult actually carry on a conversation with you.  (Mama did tell me years later that she always had a little fear that the reason Mrs. Hoffelt enjoyed talking to at least me so much was because I probably told her everything I heard and that happened at our house!  I always was a “talker”.)

Mr. and Mrs. Hoffelt only had one child, an adult daughter.  Their daughter and her husband, the Fletcher’s, were both professors at the University of Missouri.  And they only had one daughter too — the much adored, only child, only grandchild, Linda.  (I’m telling you these names because wouldn’t it be fun if I heard from Linda or Phoebe Ann?)

In the summer, Linda would come to spend a week with Mr. and Mrs. Hoffelt, and as soon as they knew which week it would be, Mrs. Hoffelt would be sure to tell the mothers in the neighborhood when Linda would be there.  I suppose that was so that the mamas could clear their daughters’ “social calendars” because Linda would need playmates — and we were them!

When I call us “rent-a-friends” I, of course, don’t mean we were paid.  But, we did get alot of perks.  For that week, we were treated much like we were Mrs. Hoffelt’s granddaughters too!  So, believe me, I never complained and, in fact, looked forward to Linda’s yearly visits. 

Because Linda only came for a week-long stay once a year and because, when she was there, Mrs. Hoffelt made sure that we got to do lots of things, it was a fun time.  There were other kids in the neighborhood who played with us too, but much of the time it was Linda, Phoebe Ann and me.  I think that was probably because Phoebe Ann and I were the two who lived the closest.

     At the kiddie pool.  I remember begging Mama to buy me a two-piece bathing suit so that I could be just like the other two.  You can see how much success I had, but apparently had fun anyway.

   And, I think the picture of us in high heels with our cowgirl outfits probably illustrates how quickly we must have moved from one play activity to another – ”Does this feather boa make me look fat?”  to “Round ‘um up, cowgirl!” in the blink of an eye!

      Roller skating.   Notice my bare feet?  I guess when you go barefooted most of the summer, you wouldn’t hesitate to strap roller skates on your bare feet, but it seems like that would hurt!  

   One time we actually went to a for-real roller skating rink.

Another time either Linda or Mrs. H came up with the idea of the two of us sleeping in a tent in the Hoffelt’s back yard.  By the way, this was the only night in my whole life that I remember ”camping”  in a tent, and, just my guess here, real campers would probably say that “camping” in a backyard with a grandma holding your hand most of the night is still not camping! 

   In our PJ’s.  Notice the sun is still shining brightly?  We probably put them on about noon!  Mrs. Hoffelt served us supper on this little table in the tent.  (See her watching protectively from the door of the tent?)

The tent was just big enough for a cot on either side of the door, with (luckily) a chair-width space between.  I don’t really remember exactly how that night went, but Linda and I must have been afraid after we had been left alone in the tent and it actually got dark!  The reason I’m pretty sure of that is because I DO remember Mrs. Hoffelt bringing a chair out sometime during the night and spending the rest of the night sitting between our two cots so that we wouldn’t be afraid (and would maybe stop crying?) and would get some sleep.  I’m sure that night wasn’t much fun for her, and I’m also pretty sure that’s the reason it is the only time I remember us “camping out” in her back yard.

       Since this picture had the year 1955 on the back of it, and my family moved to Indiana in January of ‘56, this was probably taken the last time Linda and I spent time together.

I don’t like to think that my friendship has ever been “for rent”, and I like to think that Linda and I would have been friends if we had met in any case.  But, I have to say it was awfully easy to be her “rent-a-friend” for a week each year, when Mrs. Hoffelt made it so much fun!

A Little Midwestern Cowgirl’s Birthday

 

   For my 7th birthday, my Uncle Jim, who loved photography, took this picture of me.  I assume the cowgirl theme was because of my love of all things Annie Oakley.  Too bad he didn’t have a barn and bale of hay for a setting , because the fru-fru hassock gives the picture kind of a “sissy” cowgirl look, don’t you think?

But then, maybe he had seen the following picture, so felt that was appropriate.

     Me and my “posse” in a not very “posse”-like setting.  Whoever heard of cowgirls lounging in a hammock?  And, do you notice the footwear?

   Three of us are wearing high heels!  (I even left my girly anklets on with them.)  I guess we didn’t have boots so we thought our “play dress-up” high heels were the next best thing?!

   The older girl was really stylin’ with her boots, cuffs and badge, but I can’t decide what’s going on with the hat.  At first, I thought there were holes in the brim, but I have come to the conclusion that I think her mama had stuffed tissue in the hat to make it fit her, and it’s sticking out around the edges! 

I tell you we were so cool, even before they knew to call it that! 

It was a wonderful childhood … a fun time to be a little Midwestern cowgirl who really didn’t know any cows.

To celebrate my birthday we are going to see Star Trek tonight, but I think I’ll leave my six-shooter and cowboy hat home. 

I hope you have a great day too.

Creative People Throw Interesting Parties!

 

Okay.  So, I got an invitation to a “granny” party.  It said to bring a gift to be auctioned off at our school’s  Gala … one gift per carload.  Reminds me of the special nights they would have at the drive-in movies when we were teenagers — one price for as many people as you could pack into a car! 

Well, we are past the “packing” a car phase, but I did invite four friends who are grandma’s for a “comfortable car-full”, and told them the invitation said to wear a solid color, like black , blue or brown.

   Cheryl and Candy seated; Belinda and Barb behind them.  We are nothing if not rule followers, so we all wore black, although I couldn’t resist adding a scarf.

Because I had discovered the Peony Tea House a few months before, I suggested that our gift be a “tea party” for two.  (See yesterday’s post if you want to see what was in it.)

The event was hosted by Nancy, Paula and Cheryl B., who are also the co-chairs for this year’s Gala fundraiser for our Lutheran school.  This grandma’s night was held at A Party Apart, a business owned by Cheryl B.and her husband.  Their party planning and supply business is in a big brick building downtown which contains their warehouse and showroom. 

   The party was in the showroom, but you had to walk through the warehouse to get there.  As we got further into the warehouse, it was an interesting place all by itself.

    Can you picture planning a party that required calling A Party Apart and saying, “I need abut 15 ft. of fence with grapes “growing” on it for my party!”?

   Or would you plan a party the other way around … by looking through their warehouse for inspiration, falling in love with a “look” and using it as your theme.  ”Come to our Statue-in-Niche-at-End-of-Bridge Party.”

      We were intrigued by this knight in shining armor.  In fact, someone (believe me, I didn’t volunteer!) said, “Stand over there by him while I take your picture.”  What was I thinking that I let her have my camera?

   Note to self:  Not an attractive look and, besides, jutting your jaw out does not make you closer to the kiss target!

Then we arrived at the showrooms where the party was held.  I worked on a charity committee with Cheryl B. one time and quickly learned that her head is full of creative ideas just waiting to be fully realized.  So I wasn’t at all surprised that her showroom shows her eye for creativity and “presentation.”

 

We had been instructed to wear a solid color, because they had “booths” set up and wanted us to be “blank slates” to try new things  …

    like trying on lots of different, and some very unique, glasses frames …

      and trying on, and possibly buying, of course, jewelry from a very high end local shop, 

   the jewelry lady even had a full-length mirror and a black-clad mannequin so that you could see the jewelry on …

    and having your make-up done …

    and having your hair styled.  (That’s one of my sisters-in-law in the chair.) 

All of the booths were busy all evening.

The food was great and here are some of the items that were unique. 

  There was a potato bar.  Chafing dishes of both white and sweet potatoes, martini glasses to put them in, and then a variety of toppings to put on them.  I have never eaten potatoes out of a glass, and definitely not out of a martini glass! 

  This “tower” had little square glasses of many different flavors of mousse.  And small enough servings that you could at least try two kinds.

   There was a bar, or …

  you could have citrus-permeated water.

In the middle of the evening, the three hostesses gave away some door prizes.

    Our hostesses, Nancy in black, Cheryl B. in green and Paula in white.

One of the names they drew was Jane’s, and she was in the process of having her hair styled, so …

  This fuzzy picture is the only one I got of Jane accepting her prize, half-way through her styling, but this is particularly funny because Jane is a very dignified, put-together lady, who, I’m sure, has had very few people see her hair anything but perfectly coiffed, so now a whole bunch of us have!  But, she was a good sport about it …

   … and she did check to see what she’d won, before getting back to hair business.

Some people shots.  If all these women are grandma’s, grandma’s are definitely getting younger looking!

   Paula sets a high standard for how “white haired grandma’s” should look!

   My other sister-in-law who was there is facing the camera, while talking to Belinda.

 

   Here’s Jane after being “styled.”  Darlene on the left was styled too.  In the background is Jo, who is an artist and I’ll show you the picture she painted for the auction in a minute.  But, first I want to point out that my friend, Cheryl, is standing next to Jo.  Well, I think Cheryl’s standing.  She looks so short, I’m thinking she’s on her knees.  (Sorry, Cheryl.  I just couldn’t resist saying that!)  Believe me when I tell you that anything Cheryl lacks in height, she makes up for in personality.  I’m not sure what you call her job, I know she went to radiology school, but she does mammograms.  I bet she makes that sometimes-unpleasant experience alot more fun for her patients.

Here is the gift table.  There was a container to the left for monetary gifts.

    This is the painting Jo painted and donated.  I love it.

It was a fun evening.

On our way out, through the warehouse again, Cheryl made a pass at the Knight.

   But, he didn’t seem to notice her.  So, sorry Cheryl, I guess he’s just not into you!

A good time for a good cause.  It doesn’t get any better than that.