A Day With My BFF

I love it when I am somewhere cool (and we were somewhere really cool) and there are singles, or groups, trying to get register themselves there for posterity (twice yesterday). And by the nature of photographic devices, one of the group get left out (or in the case of singles, risk an off kilter photo).

Then someone come along and asks ' would you like me to take a picture of you?'. And usually the favor is returned.

But what I always think of is the situation in National Lampoon 'European Vacation', where Beverly D'Angelo's character ends up as a European porn star because Chevy Chase didn't erase the video tape of their pre-vacation 'romantic interlude', because the kind person taking their photograph makes off with their camcorder instead.

Not that I keep photos on my camera...not that there are any of those kind of photos on my camera ever...oh whatever.....

I have to go to coffee now.

PS We had a great day with Tish and Mr. Tish in The Park.

PPS Happy 4th!

Her View of It

Get thee quickly over there for more of BFF!

(Dearest Sister's view of All Tish Tuesday in which she shows off her mad math skilz.)

Nothing But Tish Tuesday

In kindergarten, in the month of May, I think, a new girl moved to town. I think she sat at my table in the afternoon kindergarten class.

What I know is… My birthday was in May and so was hers.

We became BFFs.

Serious BFFs.

We were in the same class in Mrs. Sterling’s first grade, and Mrs. Scroggins’ second grade, who, incidentally, were sisters.

That's me in the middle, and BFF, to the left, with Dearest Sister to right.

We were both skinny little girls, me blond, she brunette.

Our mothers attended the same church where we were in the same Sunday School class, much to the dismay of our teachers. We were sometimes out of control. We also attended Vacation Bible School at this church (and no other, unlike some kids who roamed the different VBSs…shock horror!) in the summer; the highlight for me was always the refreshment time of Kool-Aid and homemade cookies!

During church we begged to be allowed to sit together during service. Rarely did this happen. Our mothers were wise…or tired of putting up with our…silliness. The begging began again after church to be able to spend the afternoon together.

Since my mother took my sister and I out to my great aunt’s for Sunday dinner, and it generally wasn’t a big deal for there to be one more, BFF often would come with us. Great Aunt Ruth lived in the family homestead, a huge four story Victorian farmhouse built at the turn of the last century, which we generally had run of. There are lots of stories there…

More often than not, we spent one night over at each other’s house on the weekends. We were together all summer long, when there weren’t 4-H projects to be worked on. By me. When everyone was having fun…at the best swimming pool EVER!

The powers that be separated us in third grade, which was pretty darn devastating, then her family moved in fourth grade. Not moving out of state, and with several of her relatives in town, we still had some opportunities to see each other. About the time her family returned, my mother decided we needed to leave the small hometown for the big city.

Look at us, all matchy matchy!

We did not ever move back, but BFF came to the big city for a week at a time some summers. Where there was more swimming. Always there was swimming....

And then there were the summers Dearest Sister and I went to spend in Greensburg, ostensibly with Great Aunt, but we spent nearly all our time with BFF. Now. There are some stories… which won’t be shared at this time…(remember, I moderate comments, Dearest Sister and Tish!)…or maybe ever. Some of them have to do with the swimming pool...

We grew up, and touched base occasionally, but as it often plays out, life, spouses, kids, schedules…blah blah blah…but whenever we were in the neighborhood, or she happened to be close to where we were, calls were made.

BFF and me, serendipitous donut meeting, with...different...hair....

One morning, Wonderful Guy and I headed up to Rocky Mountain for some hiking. Deciding I needed to be introduced to the local donut place, we stopped and grabbed a couple. Back in the car, and settling in to eat my goodies, Wonderful Guy said, ‘that woman thinks she knows you.’ I looked up to see knocking at my window my BFF. They were driving through Estes, and had just stopped at the donut place, too. Freaky!


Hmmm...Dearest Sister and I are still sort of matchy matchy...which is...fun...but a little perturbing...

She stills lives in our hometown, with those who have stayed to rebuild after the tornado that took just about everything except the swimming pool, the Big Well, and our memories of what it was like growing up there.

I remember her birthday every year to this day.

BFF says she always thought of Dearest Sister and me as sisters. And still does.

And we might as well be.

The Timing of the Universe

**I choose to not make a part of this blog an elaboration on what ails me. In this instance, I want to share a special gift, and what makes it even more special. Thanks for indulging me.**

I was home from work early yesterday. I had a yearly eye doctor's appointment yesterday at noon, and about 9:30, started a migraine. I rode my bike to work, so there was that, too.

Blech, blech, and double blech. What to do? Cancel the appointment? See how bad this was going to be? Call Wonderful Guy?

I decided to wait the first symptoms out, take ibuprofen instead of the 'big guns' (which I think sometimes throws me for more of a loop than the migraine), and wait to call Wonderful Guy.

I made it. I rode to the eye doctor. The exercise and fresh air helped. I scrunched up and worked my way through all their wierd light torture devices.

And I rode on home, and sort of took it easy, sort of, the rest of the afternoon and evening. I did get the last two clumps of iris dug. Gold stars!

I was home from work early today as well. I had a ...'procedure'... this afternoon. It is common enough, a needle biopsy, but my first, and I was a bit apprehensive. (Migraine, anyone?) I fully expect the results to be normal...but still...I was unsure of what to expect. (I mean, what if something went awry and...and...I deflated!)

So I get home (rode my bike again today. I'm at 700 miles for the summer as of today.) and I was fixing a bite before I head over for the ...'procedure'...(a yummy BLT, by the way, with my wonderful tomatoes!), when a package is delivered. Wonderful Guy often recieves his stuff delivered, and I am not expecting anything, so I continued to eat. But it is for me.

In the midst of my anxiety, I recieve a totally-unlooked-for gift from a old friend I worked with over 10 years ago while I lived in Missouri. We email now and again, exchange Christmas cards, and everytime I decorate my Christmas tree, I think of her because I have so many ornaments she and her sister made to sell...and I bought. She is really such a creative soul.

I sent her photos of Grandbebe Girl in her Miss Muffett in Blue. Look what she did. She had a card made....


And a gift....

Of some gourmet brownies...

Without knowing anything about what was going on. And the package showed up today.

The timing of the universe is impeccable.

And when I can go with it, life is just so much smoother.

Wednesday Wrap-Up

My blog webshot showed up on Ravelry. I have been waiting and checking, and boy was I excited to see it. Not sure why except maybe I feel like I am flying with the big girls now!

I got an email from Ebay notifying me something on my watch list was short timing. ‘Hmmm’, I thought to myself. ‘I don’t believe I have put anything on my watch list recently. Perhaps I better check.’ Imagine my surprise to find a Harley Davidson Sportster there! Wonderful Guy has been shopping…

I enjoyed lunch on Monday with a woman I lived across the hall from our first year in college, many, many years ago. We have exchanged holiday cards, and visited a bit every few years. I had such a pleasant time, in spite of the fact I am fighting a terrible cold. Really remarkable how people resurface at different times in our lives. We have both lost our mothers in the last couple of years. It's a real, but very different, bond to share.

I caucused last night, and sat next to a woman who remarked, while we were waiting (and waiting, and waiting....) for it all to start, “I should have brought my knitting.” What!? Nothing else would have got me talking to a stranger. She is new to our neighborhood, just started knitting. Spins, too, and has her own wheels (yes, plural!). And we share the same name. Guess its fate. We exchanged numbers. She was excited to think she had found someone to knit and spin with close by.

Not bad at all for a Wednesday.