The Other Gold

There's a Brownie / Girl Scout song that goes "Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold." I always loved that song. To me it meant treasuring what you had but always being open to something new.

Although I have some Silver friends who are really in the Platinum category, I want to talk about the ones in the Gold category today.

I went to my 50th high school reunion recently. First of all, there's a big credibility gap between my actual chronological age and my mindset age. A couple of years ago I went to an immunologist and I was thrilled because he was also a pediatrician. To me it meant I was in my second childhood: however my closest family and friends say I have never left my first one. I don't consider that a bad thing. It makes life ever so much more fun.

I digress--and probably will more than once since I am right brained . Back to the reunion. Sadly there were people who didn't come because 1) no one will know me, 2) I won't know who anyone is, 3) I don't earn as much as some of my classmates, 4) I've gained weight, 5) I have wrinkles, 6) I'm not married, 7) my hair is gray (I have no hair), 8) my life didn't turn out as I expected, etc, etc, etc.

I've got news for you. When you go to a 50 year reunion no one is really seeing you as you are now. If they are there for the right reasons, they are seeing you, not with their eyes, but with their heart. If they are there just to impress people with their current status and how "successful" they are, then they have missed the meaning of success and the only thing you can do is show compassion, and avoid them like the plague!

Unfortunately when you are part of a huge senior class (620 plus), you not only don't know everyone, but you don't get to visit with all the ones you know at the  reunions. One dear friend, Judy, who was also a college roommate, didn't come to the reunion, so I called her on Sunday afternoon and we visited for over an hour on the phone. It was great fun and one of the few people I actually got to have a long visit with over the weekend.

I was thrilled to find out that Ann is now a weaver. We had discussed weaving at our 40th reunion and she had come over to see my looms and wheels. I gave her some sources and she took some classes and is now weaving. I was even able to unload give her some books on weaving before she left this time.

Jim is not only a physician but he also enjoys photography and travel so I was able to give him the contact information for a long time friend on the West Coast that I am sure he will enjoy meeting. I do love connecting interesting people with others who have similar hobbies.

Gloria and Margarette are almost always seen together and they are two people I really admire and adore being around. They both have had very impressive careers and yet their friendship remains steady and they are two of the most down to earth people I know. I just love hanging out with them.

Particularly special was seeing those with whom I had attended elementary school. Who would have thought back then that we would be living so far away from each other as adults. Several of the guys and their wives take a trip together each year. How awesome is that? Again, there just wasn't enough time to really visit, but just seeing those dear, remembered faces was a huge plus for the weekend.

To me, friendship means being involved in each others lives, not just a lunch or get together once in a while. It means calling a friend to chat, dropping a note in the mail, sending a text when something funny or special happens. It means responding to a prayer request with more than just a routine reply but rather actually doing the praying. I have been blessed to have friends in my life who get the real meaning of friendship and I treasure every one of them.

I remember my Momma had some friends that she played bridge with but that wasn't the only time she saw them. They visited with each other and truly enjoyed each other's company. Not at "functions" but rather as part of their daily lives. That's friendship: the "over the back fence" type of friendship.

Well, I told you in the beginning that I was going to ramble and sure enough I have. Bottom line, while I didn't get to visit with everyone I wanted to at the reunion, I hope that the reconnections made there will lead to better communication in the future. Finding Gold again is always special and it remains very valuable even if it isn't polished as often as it should be. I hope to do better in the polishing area.

Anam Cara

Anam Cara is a beautiful sound. It just seems to roll off the tongue. The meaning is even more beautiful. It means "soul friend". It's no wonder so many of the Irish were poets. The language is musical.  I have started a study at church using a book called Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom by John O'Donohue. The first chapter talks about what a soul friend is and as I stopped to really think about it, I found I have been blessed with at least 3 soul friends.

How fortunate I am that they have let me in their lives. We can go for weeks without talking (although it's never really that long) and when we do talk, or even better see each other, it's like we have never been apart. They know my deepest feelings and yet they care for me anyway. There is a trust there that goes deep. I have often referred to each of them as the other half of my brain,  but Anam Cara is a much better way to describe what they mean to me.

I hope everyone has an Anam Cara.

Bo bos, and fiber

Had to take my younger Shetland Sheepdog to the vet last week as he had managed to injure his foot. I think he stuck it under the fence and got it caught. Scrapes and cuts top and bottom and extensive bruising but no broken bones. Thank the dear Lord for that.

I have hidden capsules in peanut butter which was easy and soaked his foot in warm water and Epson salts which wasn't. I finally managed a Rubbermaid type tub and he would allow me to put the injured foot in that while he balanced the other front foot on the edge of the tub. Conner didn't think there was any reason to get both feet wet.

Sunday afternoon he threw up and didn't eat supper or breakfast on Monday. He was however, drinking tons of water. So off to the vet we went - again. Turns out he had an infection in the pancreas which required an overnight stay and IVs of antibiotics.

I'm not sure who this was harder on, Conner, Allie or myself . I missed the little stinker and he and Allie had never been apart since I had gotten him. Thinking back on it, Allie wasn't exactly jumping for joy when he came home today. She probably liked not having her tail pulled.

Knitting friends came over last night and Z brought Wobbles who is a dear, sweet puppy. Allie was very pleased to have another dog around that didn't want to pull on her body parts.

So, between administering to dogs, driving back and forth to the vet's office, and thinking about cleaning out a closet, nothing much has been accomplished lately.

I have started another Baktus scarf (pattern on Ravelry) and no, I haven't finished the first one yet. I have to take the first one to the Post Office to have it weighed since I need to know when I have used half the yarn. My scale that I used to measure dyes and fiber died after 35 years. I am thinking a bit more on this second one as I am using 2 balls of sock yarn and the half way point will be when I finish the first ball. DUH! So much simpler than using one ball which weighs 3.5 ounces and having to weigh it.

Facebook is taking up a lot of time but I am having such fun. I have found friends who I had lost touch with and that has been a real gift. J and O I haven't seen since 1968 and it turns out they live just a few hours from my son. How great is that? J and I were roommates when we were teachers in FL. I am really looking forward to seeing them again.

Must clean a closet. Must clean a closet.

A Garden of Love

I have an area of my yard that Robert (who controls the grass for me) calls my Heart Garden. I love that name. I have planted things that I love in it just because I like them . There are amaryllis, rosemary, daylillies, tansy,coreopsis, and more.

I started looking around my yard the other day and realized how many friends have given me flowers. Jan C gave me double blossom daylillies. Ruth W. gave me spider lillies, and Eilene A. gave me walking lillies. All of those were transported from FL to here when I moved 9 years ago. It's like bringing friends with you.The amaryllis pictured above was given to me by my father over 17 years ago. Actually this is probably an offshoot of the original plant but I think of him everytime I look at it. He almost always sent us a red amaryllis for Christmas. I sent my sister 3 amaryllis a couple of years ago for Christmas hoping it would have the same special memories for her as it does for me.



The Bee Balm pictured above was given to me last year by my friend Cam. She is a wonderful gardener and our friendship extends over 58 years. I have some Spider Wort which I treasure because it came from the yard of Mrs. Camille, Cam's mother. When I look at it I remember Mrs. Camille's fabulous sense of humor and I feel connected to her even though she is gone.


Another friend, Maureen M, gave me some
Easter lillies from her garden this year. They
remind me of her sweet spirit and strong faith.



Dianne S is a special neighbor and friend. We share our love of crafts as well as our involvement in Emmaus. From her garden came these African lillies and it is so special to be able to look out my front window and see the mother plant in her flower bed.

I enjoy going to the nursery and buying plants but I think the ones I treasure the most are those that come with the love of friendship attached.