Tag Archives: friendship

My Friend, Marsha

This is my good friend, Marsha.

Marsha used to be a potter, displaying some of her fine work on my website, Creative Artworks, for several years. On a trip to Florida, we finally met face to face. Marsha met me at the hotel and spent much of an entire day taking me to wonderful places, sharing lunch, and then finally sitting with me in the lobby of the hotel where we could have easily talked all night.

Marsha has now turned to making beautiful silver jewelry, rather than potting, and her creative juices continue to flow. We email each other several times a day, just chatting about what’s happening – or not happening – in our lives. We’re good friends.

All of a sudden several days ago, Marsha wrote with an apology for whatever she had done – or hadn’t done – to tee me off. I wrote back immediately, telling her that everything was fine, she didn’t owe me any apologies, asking the reason for the email. It turns out that something is wonky on either her end or my end, because we can’t communicate via email.

I’m getting emails from lots of people, but not Marsha. I’ve written to her several times, but haven’t received an answer. I wrote to my husband and asked him to send me an email to test my email. It worked fine. I don’t know what’s wrong and have no clue about how to fix it. I’ve rebooted my computer, doing everything I can do, to no avail.

I called her on her phone. I get a canned message, asking me to leave a message, which I do. I’ve left texts on her phone. No answer.

I finally wrote her a note on a card and mailed it snail mail. She should receive it by the end of the week.

She left a message on the blog this morning, obviously thinking I’ve dropped her as a friend without saying a word. I’m really frustrated. The lack of communication is telling her we’re no longer friends, and it couldn’t be farther from the truth.

I’m hoping she reads this post, picks up her phone, sees all the texts and messages I’ve left, and calls me.

I’m down to carrier pigeons and smoke signals if this doesn’t work.

Here is the latest picture she sent me – showing her at a recent show.

Lovely lady, lovely friend.

UPDATE:  I finally found what I thought was an old phone number for Marsha. I called, expecting to be told the number was no longer in service. She answered!!!!!! We talked, exchanged all kinds of contact information and are updating our records. We’ll talk again later today. Friends are too important to lose!

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Friends

Ashley Rice-sayingimages.com

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Celebrating Ann Burke

I was lucky to meet Ann in 1969. I started teaching a first grade class in the middle of the year at an all Black elementary school on the north side of Tulsa, Oklahoma. I had just received my degree and was in the right place at the right time to get a teaching job right away.

I was scared spitless. It was a ‘self-contained’ 1st grade class, which meant that I was responsible for teaching those sweet kids EVERYTHING during the day – reading, math, writing, spelling, gym, art, music, current events, holiday stuff, etc. I met Ann the first day and we bonded instantly. She took me under her wing, listening to my fears, funny stories, questions and gave me her best advice. She taught 4th grade. I’m not sure how long she had been teaching at that point, but I was delighted I had someone to go to for help and guidance.

We learned new things about each other as our friendship grew. I learned that she had a daughter and a son. She thought the world of both of them and would do anything for them. She was divorced and raising the kids alone, working full time, taking care of the house and yard and pets.  I kiddingly asked if she could JUGGLE, as well!

As the years passed, things happened and we went our separate ways. My husband and I moved to Arkansas because of a job offer for him. Ann and I had one of those RARE friendships that didn’t fade away. It didn’t matter how long it was between letters, cards, or visits, we took up where we left off, happily chatting and continuing to share our lives.

Over this time, I also was lucky enough to get to know her daughter. We are friends, now, too. She’s a lovely, strong lady I’m proud to know.

Over the years Ann’s health became more and more of a challenge. Lately, things went downhill quite rapidly. Her daughter kindly kept me in the loop on how she and Ann were doing and what was happening. Ann went to hospice and died yesterday. Her daughter, who has done everything possible to make her deteriorating condition bearable, was at her side.

Ann’s and my friendship almost made it to 50 years. I’ve been richer for knowing her and sharing her love for her children. I hope that she is now “Dancing with the Stars” (one of her favorite programs), looking down and smiling at us, having found peace and the welcome absence of pain.

Thank you, Ann, for being my friend. Dance your heart out!

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Defining Yourself

SayingImages.com

This week my husband and I went to Brunch Bunch to celebrate the birthday of our good friend, Kay. She LIVES the quote above.

Example: Friday we were celebrating her birthday. I brought her a present and a birthday card and we shared a nice lunch with good conversation and lots of laughs.

Kay brought US presents on HER birthday. She is trying to alter her recipe for her wonderful Mountain Dew Cake so that my diabetic husband can enjoy stuffing his face without guilt. The experiment this week didn’t work, so she baked ANOTHER, regular Mt. Dew cake and called me before we left to join her for lunch. We agreed that she would surprise him with one small piece of the cake. He was surprised and delighted – because the way to his heart is through sweet desserts – and he joyfully gobbled up the cake even before his lunch arrived. :0)  Kay told him about her experiment, and that she would try to figure out how to make him a sugar-free Mt. Dew cake and would bring the whole cake to him when she was successful.

She brought ME three really pretty bowl candles by the Habersham Candle Company – their “Wax Pottery Collection.”  You put them on a plate when you light them, but they smell terrific even without being lit. My husband particularly liked one of the scents – “Sweet Tea & Lemon” – so I put that one in our office, where we spend a lot of time.

It’s just like Kay to bring you things on no occasion, just because she thought of you, bake and bring cakes to people all over our town of Greenwood, Arkansas, help friends and family in need – I could go on and on.

When I grow up, I want to be like Kay.

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The Best Things in Life

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August 1, 2018 · 11:45 am

BE KIND TO LINDA DAY!! :o)

RaiseSmartKid

My friend Marsha and I email several times a day. We are very close, even though we’ve only actually met face-to-face once. We’re good buddies, helping each other see things in different ways, helping each other over rough spots in the road, making each other laugh, and cheering each other on.

Yesterday I was telling her I felt overwhelmed. Everywhere I looked there was something that needed my attention. It doesn’t matter what I do, I feel guilty that I’m not doing something else also needing my attention. I don’t have the time – much less the energy – I need to get everything done. This is a recurring theme in my life. Sometimes I handle things better than others. Lately I either work myself into the ground or ignore the whole thing and dive back into my current Eve Dallas “In Death” series book.

Marsha said,  “My suggestion:  a priority list INCL TIME FOR THE ART ROOM. Doesn’t have to be every day, tho that would be nice.. maybe once or twice a week? I truly believe you owe yourself the “battery recharging” time in the Art Room.  That your mind and body will both feel better, more energized for the time spent creating & also doing yoga.  Today is BE KIND TO LINDA DAY!!  :o)  Observe it with reverence!  :O), Marsh.” 

Is it any wonder I treasure her?

I’m going to try to take her suggestion today. I do have things on my list that I really NEED to do today, but I don’t HAVE to more than 4 things that are priority. (I already did the grocery shopping.) I’m going to make it a point to get up to my art room. It’s still clean from the last purge I did, so I’ll actually be able to sit on my chair at my drafting table without moving several things first. I may just turn on my music and sit there and soak up the joy of being there. I may get an idea for something to try. It’s a wonderful place I can shed concerns and dream….

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Filed under Bright Ideas, Dreams, Encouragement, Friendship

Brunch Bunch

Eleanor Roosevelt – SayingImages.com

Every Friday my husband and I meet our good friends to share a meal and catch up. I used to call it “Lunch Bunch,” but I’ve dubbed it “Brunch Bunch” now because we meet at about 10:45 a.m. – lunch to them and breakfast or brunch to us and it’s easier to stay good with our Nutrisystem plan by calling it a FLEX BREAKFAST.

We have met most every Friday for years. We share what’s happening to us, good and bad. At some point we’ll probably have to change the same of our meeting to “Geezers’ Group because we’re all getting long in the tooth. There’s a lot of fight in us yet, though, and I’ve come to treasure our special time on Fridays.

My husband and I feel so complete up on the top of our ridge line, with our lifestyle of projects – separate and together – it would be easy for the days to pass without our seeing many people. I’m especially glad to have met these two wonderful ladies and shared so much of our lives. Our group is sometimes larger, with other friends and family joining us when they can. Sometimes we meet with just one other, and it’s a special time then, too.

“Friendship isn’t a big thing – it’s a million little things.” – Unknown

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A True Friend

Len Wein via SayingImages.com

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Why Does a Dog Have So Many Friends?

email from Bill Lites

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True Friendship

Lucius Annaeus Seneca via SayingImages.com

Lunch Bunch this morning was its usual good time – and I realized halfway through it that that’s what makes it so special.

Kay made today’s lunch special because it is Good Friday by bringing Linda and me some miniature roses in sweet little bunny ceramic pots. Linda’s rose were red and mine were pink/coral. We shared what had been happening, what we had been doing, what we were planning, etc., as we usually do. Kay finally said she hadn’t been able to talk for 3 days this past week. THAT brought on a discussion about responses to “How have you been doing?” inquiries. We agreed that it could either be a simple alternative social phrase for “Hi,” where one should always answer, “Good, fine,” or something equivalent. That your answer depended on who was asking. And that your friends really wanted to KNOW how you’ve been, how you’ve been feeling, and more.

I’m lucky to have two long-time, dear friends to share the week’s ups and down with. Two ladies to shares big laughs with. Or tears. Or fears.

My good friends allow my husband to share the lunch, are happy whether he says anything or not. They even accept him enough to threaten him when he’s rude – and that’s true acceptance.

I hope that you have someone you can be real with, too.

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Grateful

SayingImages.com

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A New Friendship

C. S. Lewis via SayingImages.com

A friendship born like this is rare and is magical. I’m amazed when you can be introduced and soon you feel you’ve known each other for years. This kind of friendship endures, not depending on how long it has been since you’ve seen or talked to this person. There is a kinship and caring that lasts longer than either of you. If you’re lucky enough to experience this, treasure these wonderful people.

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Winter is Here

patch.com

In about 45 minutes my husband and I will go to Lunch Bunch – our long time, every-possible-Friday lunch with good friends. We’ve been doing this for years and I really miss it if we don’t go for some reason.

It’s 21 degrees F out there right now. I’m not even sure if I should just leave my lettuce covered up with a sheet until it gets above freezing or not. The high is supposed to be 42, I think. This may be a moot point, since my sweet lettuce plants may have croaked last night – sheet or not sheet. When it gets this cold, it’s beyond the frost or light freeze stage. If it’s gone, I’ll be a bit sad, but we’ve had a really nice crop this year and I shouldn’t be over-greedy. I’m looking forward to the spring when – hopefully – I’ll have some robust, healthy plants grown in my greenhouse ready to go into the garden.

I’ll see what the temperature is when we get back from lunch and errands and then make the decision whether to uncover the plants today or not.  I’m looking forward to seeing what mischief I can get into the rest of the day.

Stay warm and dry!

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I’m Glad

source unknown

I’m a lucky woman. I’ve never had a LOT of friends, but I’ve always had GOOD – REAL friends.

I have friends I talk to every day via email, social pages, my website, my blog – some of whom I’ve never met face-to-face, but are close friends, nonetheless.  Some of my relatives are cherished friends, as well.  Some of my close friends I don’t talk to every day, but we reach out every once  in a while, knowing we are special to each other.

My life is rich and full because I can reach out to these wonderful people when I’d like – or need to – and I hope they feel the same way. Other than the love of close family, nothing is as important as friends.

I’m glad we’re friends.

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Friday Lunch Bunch

roflzoo.com

Friday Lunch Bunch is a longstanding, cherished tradition. We meet at the Pizza Barn in Greenwood. The place opens at 11:00, but somehow, my friend Kay gets them to open at 10:30. (She gets up at 5am and is ready to eat the wall by 10:00.) My husband and I refuse to get there that early, feeling that we’re pressuring the people there to accommodate us, so we start from home at 10:30, arriving at about 10:45, splitting the difference.

The core group is Linda, Kay and me. My husband is an honorary inclusion, as is Kay’s husband, when he’s not working.  Then the weekly group varies all over the place. We used to have Ann, a delightful lady who moved back to Texas and remarried. We’re happy for her, but we miss her like crazy.  A new member of Lunch Bunch is Dee, a very nice lady I like more each time I see her. Today Alice joined us. She lives out of town and only comes when she has other business. (Today it was picking up her husband’s boat which was in for repair.) Whatever the reason, we love it when she comes. She’s full of life, has wonderful stories to tell, and it’s fun talking with her.

We did errands before Lunch Bunch and errands after Lunch Bunch, and are home again. I came in the house smiling. When I realized it, it again occurred to me how lucky I am to know these people. Over the years we’ve shared a lot of things, helped each other through some rough patches, and cheered together at the victories. A group like this is priceless – and I’m grateful to be a part of it.

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Friends

Life Lessons by AwePost

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Saga of the Important Information Sheet Continues

fin6.us

I told you yesterday that I was in Day Two of trying to list ‘important stuff’ all in one place for our son. I was in the middle of it when our good friend, Carla, called, asking if she could buy some of our sheet iron. She said she would be here sometime yesterday afternoon.

The first break occurred when I went out to visit my husband in the shop.

The second was when UPS brought a package.

The third was Carla. She was trying to make a burn barrel. She wanted something to put across the top to keep burning stuff from being blown out and causing problems.

Common Sense Homesteading

The picture above gives you an idea of what she wanted to do.  The first thing my husband suggested was that she should cut out the bottom of the barrel, rather than drilling or shooting holes in it. We showed her our barrel and she liked what we were doing. We ended up taking our truck and going back to her house to get the barrel. It turned out that she had two, so we brought those back. We took them out to the shop, where my husband asked if Carla wanted to learn how to use our torch. She did, so she cut out the bottoms of both barrels as we watched and helped. My husband then cut three stakes to length, sharpened one end of each a bit so they would pound into the ground more easily. Carla has a sledge-hammer, plus blocks to put the barrel on. We put the barrels, stakes, and scrap sheet iron into the back of our truck. I drove her home and helped her get the stuff out of the truck. When she again insisted on paying, I just smiled, gave her neck a good hug, and left. By the time I got home, though, it was 6:00. So we called it a day.

So much for the progress on the important information sheet….

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Friendship

Zen to Zany

Zen to Zany

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Hugs

hugs-thoughts-5

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February 16, 2017 · 11:14 am

Just Listen

Rachel Naomi Remen via Lisa Bearnes Richey

Rachel Naomi Remen via Lisa Bearnes Richey

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Filed under Attitude, Encouragement, Family, Friendship

Friends and Rabbits

rabbit-havahart

Havahart

One of our good friends was having trouble with her computer yesterday. She called to see if my husband might be able to revive it. We spent most of the afternoon there. My job  was to keep everyone away from where my husband was trying to work so he could concentrate. He finally got her computer going after running virus scans and a Windows repair disk on it., plus some other stuff.  There is more work to be done, but the basics have her able to use it again.

She recently got a rabbit hutch and a rabbit! I didn’t take any pictures yesterday, but the one above looks much like the one she bought. She has an outside hutch and an inside cage now. She had a big plastic plate of colorful salad stuff and veggies for him. He had the run of her house (with her watching him carefully). He’s basically litter trained, but he tends to chew on cords or the edge of her rug, so she has to watch him carefully. He comes to her and allows people to pet him. It’s great fun to watch him.

 

rabbit-natlgeo

National Geographic

Her neighbors found a wounded wild baby rabbit recently and brought it to our friend. His nose was skinned and his hip was hurt. She didn’t think he would live, but he’s thriving so far. She allows him a bit of freedom, too, and he seems to love it. He lives in her bathroom at night.

The biggest surprise is that the rabbits get along with her other pets: a dog and two cats. She is careful not to let ‘the baby’ come in contact unsupervised with the cats yet, but the dog lies down between the rabbits, and the larger rabbit gets along fine with the cats.  The rabbits try to get on top of the dog. She is very patient, only snapping a bit when one goes too far. The rabbits get the message – at least for a while – and aren’t upset by the dog trying to set limits.

Our friend lost her husband about a year ago now. The animals give her lots of company, plus she is busy trying to take good care of them. And when her grandson comes to visit – which is often – she sure has a full, happy house!

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Breathe It In!

Whispers of the Soul via Carol Auclair Daly

Sark via Whispers of the Soul via Carol Auclair Daly

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Inside a Hug

Zen to Zany

Zen to Zany

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Friends

Magnolia Pearl Friendship Post via Zen to Zany

G. Henrichs via Magnolia Pearl Friendship Post via Zen to Zany

I’ve always found this to be true, whether it’s meeting strangers for the first time or getting to know relatives. Sometimes you almost don’t need to talk at all to recognize a special someone with whom you instantly ‘click.’ You feel you know them far better than you actually do, as far as details of their lives, but the heart of the friendship is feelings, basic reactions to life, maybe shared kinds of experiences.

I’m lucky to have both strangers who have become instant friends and relatives, as well. It’s such a comfort to meet someone of like mind. You don’t have to see them often or even communicate on a regular basis to feel close. And when you CAN be close, it’s as if you haven’t been apart at all. You don’t need to ‘catch up,’ although you do, and you care about all the details of what has happened, but the basic closeness never changes.

If you’re lucky enough to recognize this feeling, you’re rich. Nourish these special people, as they are definitely what makes our lives joyful.

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A Very Nice Day

wreaths-in-fall

Fort Smith AR Nat’l Cemetery

My friend, Carla, and I went this morning to lay a wreath at her husband’s grave in the Fort Smith, Arkansas National Cemetery. Volunteers spent hours yesterday tying bows to the wreaths and more volunteers trucked them around the cemetery. Family members came this morning to put a wreath on their loved one’s grave. The wreaths will be up until January 2nd, I think, and then more volunteers will gather them, take the bows off, and store things away until next time. Burials are free for veterans and their spouses. A wonderful tribute to our brave men and women in uniform and their families.

We went to a local Fort Smith restaurant for brunch and good conversation after that. Also – to warm up a bit! The temperature was in the low 50s when we left this morning. By the time I got home, it was in the low 40s with a raw, cold wind. It’s supposed to go down to 16 tonight with a chance of light snow…

After brunch we went to one of our favorite places – Hobby Lobby. Neither of us needed anything, but that was beside the point. We both bought things that made us smile.

 

chr-if-sign

I got this metal sign for my husband. I hung it on the wall above our kitchen calendar so we’ll see it every day.

 

chr-orn1

I guess these are made of some sort of treated paper, but I’ve never seen any Christmas ornaments like this before. I got two beige ones, like the one above, and two pale green ones, like the one below. Each of them has pearls and lots of sparkly glitter.

 

chr-orn2

 

chr-seahorse

This sweet seahorse painting was on sale, and I couldn’t resist it. :0)

 

chr-snowflakeorn

This picture doesn’t do this ornament justice. It’s super sparkly silver and simple glistens when light hits it. I just love it.

Finally, the next two pictures are of Carla’s present to my husband and me.

 

chr-diffuser

This is an electric cool mist diffuser. You can change the color! It has red, green, purple, blue, white, and more, I think. You fill it with water, drop in a few drops of essential oil in whatever aroma you like and turn it on. The mist goes up in a small column straight up from the center of the top. It turns itself off automatically when the water has been used up. So it’s very festive, plus adds needed moisture to the air. What a wonderful gift!

 

chr-diffuser2

Yesterday I turned it to the purple setting, and today I changed it to red. I LOVE IT!

When we were on the way home, Carla stopped at her house so I could see her new rabbit. It’s about 12″ from nose to tail and she says it’s calico colored. I would describe it as a really soft between a mauve and caramel color. He likes to be petted! So far, Carla hasn’t been able to hold him, but hopefully, that will come soon. She’s added this new member of the family to her dog and two cats. :0)

I called my husband, who met us at Carla’s. We and her close neighbor were able to help her get a huge outdoor hutch out of the back of her truck and set it beside her shop. She’s planning to start raising rabbits in the future. For the winter, the rabbit is living in an indoor hutch inside the house. All the animals seem to be co-existing without problems, though the dog tends to sit right beside the hutch with her nose as close to the rabbit as she can get. The rabbit seems oblivious…

I got home and put all my new goodies away. Now I’m happy to hole up in my warm house while the weather outside deteriorates.

 

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Friendship Day?

Shutterstock.com

Shutterstock.com

I don’t know when the ‘designated’ day is, but I suggest that EVERY day is Friendship Day.

We’re just about to leave to join OUR long-time friends for Lunch Bunch. We’ll catch up on Thanksgiving stories, how they’re doing, what their plans are, and share a meal.

How could friendship be better celebrated than this?

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Getting on in Age – Take 1

Email from Marsha Koenig

http://www.facebook.com/SpicedHumour via Email from Marsha Koenig

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Good Friends

Buzzinn - YesWeCoupon via Cathy Ruggiero

Buzzinn – YesWeCoupon via Cathy Ruggiero

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Best Seat in the House

Zen to Zany via Cathy Ruggiero

Zen to Zany via Cathy Ruggiero

We had a wonderful time last night, having one of our long time good friends over for grilled kielbasa and veggies. We got to catch up on what’s been happening – or not happening – sharing several good hugs in the process.

This afternoon we’re going to her house to help her take heavy shelving to her new storage spot and get it set up.  She’s looking forward to getting a bunch of stuff in her home out from under foot. I’m happy that she’s excited about making changes that will be good for her.

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Attention

Zen to Zany via Cathy Ruggiero

Zen to Zany via Cathy Ruggiero

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The Best Thing

Zen to Zany via Cathy Ruggiero

Zen to Zany via Cathy Ruggiero

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