Friends – We All Need Them

Whether we want to admit it, we all need our friends. Even if you’re an introverted recluse, you have friends and need them. You may not have many, but you have a few.

It’s great to have another human in a like situation, school or work, with similar interests, goals, demographics or is logistically close to us. Longevity of friendships can be more than several decades or just a few weeks. You may feel at ease with them from the start or know you can give them your trust early on. Lots of decisions need to be made along the way.

As the friendship deepens, the relationship becomes more like family should be. We all have friends who are closer than siblings when we think of our crew, our peeps, and our homies. Can you hear the strains of the theme song for “Golden Girls?” All stages of life, we need those friends.

All my life, it’s been a little weird for me. Having three brothers, sometimes I don’t understand the “girl stuff.” I have a few, very close female friends. The kind you have where you don’t need to preface the stories with backstory. They know your stuff. You know their stuff. I do that with my brothers all the time. It’s great.

I rely on a special group of ladies we know from the VFW. Our little group table lost two husbands in the last couple years, so we have two widows, and two who are widows for longer time. We didn’t know their husbands. It’s fun to share a meal with all of them, which we do from time to time. They’re good, solid people for this time of life. Glad to have them.

And a group from high school is the longest group I’ve known. Here and there are individuals who I’ve known longer. Peggy and her sister Karen, we’re lifelong friends. We lost touch for a while, and now, we’re all grandmothers, quilters, and stitchers. The girls just lost both their parents in the last couple of years. We have lots of stories for any throw-back Thursday.

There are other new friends we have from doing outreach for Veterans groups. Couple friends are new to me. I was single for so long, and the Babe knew mostly work people. Again, through volunteering, we have some wonderful couples who have become friends. They’re part of the bonus of a long life.

Friends also serve as sounding boards for bouncing ideas off, and for making decisions which are greater than usual ones. Getting honest feedback from someone who knows you well helps you keep your thinking balanced. I’m grateful for these friends who help balance my life and thinking. Blessed, over and over.

How about you? Blessed by friends? Have a blessed day, and I’ll see you tomorrow.

Reminiscing. Class of 1970.

For the first time today, I went to the First Friday of the Month Luncheon for my graduating class. There were enough to fill one long table @ Sortino’s Pizzaria. Pizza pleases everyone, so why not? It was great fun to sit and listen to people I knew from school all those years ago.

And, since I was introverted, I felt some of that today. It’s hard for me to talk about what I’ve done with my life. Thanks to be homie Gwen for mentioning I’m a writer. The thing of it is, though, I want to continue getting to know these people, who all took time out of their lives to gather and remember. The end of the month, we have a guided tour of the new public school built on the property our school occupied. It should be a good time, then food and beverages later, with everyone who wants to attend. I do want to see the school, it’s an opportunity to see what goes on now in a school. Looking forward to it.

Relationship building is important to me. It’s even more important at this part of life; our seventh decade on this planet, still learning how to maneuver through this crazy thing called life. Whatever you choose to put in front of you as the driving force for your existence, select and do it. Volunteering for a reputable organization is important to the Babe and me. The VFW Post 2503, one who has survived the closures so far, is the main one. Through work there, we met the folks at Guitars for Vets, Moving Veterans Forward, and 50 Mile March. A group of top notch people, who are committed to bettering the lives of our brave veterans who are suffering from homelessness and/or PTSD. Help is there, and we feel committed to promote it.

I’ve resumed Hello Fresh meals this week. We took a little time off from their delivery to use up the Omaha Steaks package of meat we won at a raffle. It was a little weird to cook with our own ingredients again, but I could get used to it. There is something about not having to walk the aisles in the store that I’m happy to give up, the loading the car, unloading the car, putting everything way. I’d be exhausted after each trip to the store. I can use the extra couple hours a week to write, or read about writing. It’s turned into my “life.”

So the kid’s book is out for review by a couple people, and I’ve gotten some pretty good feedback so far. It’s coming along. This weekend will be for working on my crochet project for me (part 2 arrived this week, so I need to get moving); normal blogging and stuff; and putting more things from my old sewing machine cabinet away in their new places. More nostalgia to come.

Visit with old friends and make new ones. Whatever separated us in high school is over long ago. We forge ahead in this life, learning, improving, and loving more as we go along. Remember that as you go about your weekend. Take care of you, too. And we’ll see each other tomorrow.

Thursday Things

When my first husband left in 1982 (at my invitation), my kids and I adopted a dog. The neighborhood dog had pups. She was a Spaniel of some kind. All her pups were black or yellow lab mixes. Ours was smaller than the rest and looked more like a black golden retriever. She had a sad look in her brown eyes. The kids named her “Shadow.” We had her for 16 1/2 years. The Babe and I took her for her final vet visit a couple months after we got married. He cried just as hard as I did. The kids, all adults, opted out.

After that, the Babe decided daughter Becky and I needed a puppy; We got a brownish black mutt and named her “Mocho.” She looked mocha colored, but the Babe called her mocho instead. The name stuck. She was a good girl. Becky took her out of her kennel and let her sleep in her bed to keep her from whining.

When I went on LTD, the Babe knew I suffered from depression and felt worthless because I was only 48. He told me to go look at the Humane Society to see if they had any puppies. I found a lab/shepherd mix, tricolor coloring, and the sweetest disposition. She was the runt of that litter. We went back and adopted her the next day. Mocho acted as her Mama and Mollie was such a sweet girl. Mocho became the alpha dog and Mollie the quiet one.

We got to have them in our lives for 12 1/2 (Mollie) and 14 1/2 (Mocho) years. We let them cross the Rainbow Bridge together. Hardest thing we’ve ever done. Mollie was lost without Mocho. They were ready. We thought we were. People never are. Even when you know you’re doing the right things for your loved fur babies.

We went nearly two years with no dogs. The Babe retired, we traveled some. When we returned from Puerto Rico in June, 2014, we visited a vet who had some pups only 4 weeks old. Their mom was sick; weaned the day before. They had a bug of some type. The vet compounded a concoction that killed the bug. Good companions. Cannot recommend adopting sisters. Two females, even spayed, were never friends. They battled each other. Yet, when Roxie died (by car) two years ago, Lexie mourned so hard. She exhibited signs of depression, slept a lot, and never left our sides. She wailed at the door to the garage. Broke my heart.

In October that year, the Babe had a heart cath and the wound didn’t heal. The skin was paper thin, and he had a wound vac for a month to get the incision to heal. What a mess for him. Amid this challenge, we adopted Goldie. The Babe needed her and her sweet way with him. Best buds. After two years, Lexie is no longer jealous of her. They have accepted each other now and peacefully coexist. Time heals a lot.

These stories bring me to this morning. We didn’t get smacked with the snow predicted. It’s overcast, cold, and bleak looking outside. The Babe left early for the Post and funeral detail. The dogs were antsy. I played with Goldie, and we had a great time. Then she laid down, happy. What does this have to do with life today?

Maybe we need to take a lesson from our fur babies. It takes very little to thrill a dog. Everything makes them happy. Play is everything to them. They adore you and let you know it. They waggle their butts and squeal with delight. Yes, squeal sometimes. It’s hilarious. Live with the joy a dog shows. Every day is the best day ever. Let’s all mimic that! Have a beautiful evening. We’ll see each other tomorrow.

Super Sunday

Yesterday, I went to an art exhibit to see the works of Liz Boutin. She is a new friend and artist I’ve just met, and she has her works at the VFW Post 2503 for Veterans Day Week. It was nice to see her nature paintings. She does some beautiful work. I purchased a Dragonfly painting. It’s in three parts, and she cautioned me it’s a real job to get all three parts equal when hanging. The Babe will have fun with that! A photo of the painting is in my header photo today. I love the colors. Since we have a Wetlands behind us, we have a bunch of Dragonflies in the yard. I love them! So beautiful. Thanks, Liz!

Today will be spent gearing up again for writing. It takes more than having an outline and a half of an idea of where I want the characters to go. It takes having the house clean – dusted, vacuumed, decluttered, and how it should be all the time. It takes having some meals planned so we don’t have to eat out. I’ve fallen deepy in love with carbs and ice cream again, so I need to get back on the Keto bandwagon. I will not backslide after losing 45 pounds. I’ve given away my big girl jeans.

It also takes plotting the play time with Goldie. She requires a lot of activity. Last winter, I got smarter and threw her toy down the basement stairs. She would run up and down, get her energy out, and stop when I tell her, “It’s time for a drink.” She laps up her water and goes to take a nap. Perfect! It’s that time of year again. If it’s 30 degrees outside and windy, forget about it!

I’m glad to be able to get back to writing. That first week, it was easy, then life got in the way. It’s ok though. Having 30 days is somewhat forgiving in case you have situations that need attention crop up. And the more you want to get done, the more interruptions you get. Murphy’s Law, you know?

The sunny morning yesterday gave way to clouds which stuck around today. The house is clean, and I’m done working for today. The culinary challenge of the day is figuring out which containers in the freezer contain meatloaf, and is it still edible? We have too many things leftover and frozen to buy new stuff. I’d like to clean out the freezer before adding more to the tundra. It’s interesting how I usually think I’ll be able to do so much every day. The days I get stuff done, it’s not unusual to crash in the afternoon, like I did today. I need to remind myself I did a lot of work, got the house amazingly clean, and moved furniture and decorative items and put out some new ones.

Cozying up with some new decorations.

I’m going to plot some points tomorrow morning for the story, book, and check how they will fit with what I have so far. It’s going to be a session in planning and time management, since I’m meeting our artist friend Liz Boutin, at the Post tomorrow. She will dismantle the exhibit she showed last week about PTSD. I’m a little sad it’s all over, but the holidays will soon be upon us, and people will be busier than ever. I hope the days are good and the nights short.

Thanks for being here today. I we’ll see each other tomorrow, and it will be another great November day. See you then.