Thursday, October 23, 2014

To Friendship...

I'm sitting here enjoying a snowy episode of Gilmore Girls, eating a Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tart, sipping a cup of Starbucks Pike Place Roast coffee. And no, I get no compensation for name dropping of major brands. ;)

I'm feeling very blessed. Both sons are home today. They're visiting and video-gaming in the other room. My husband is out getting a haircut and doing some shopping at the mall. I have a large pan of my grandma's Spanish Goulash baking in the oven for later, and the house smells terrific!

I'd been missing two of my closest friends so much. They've just been on my mind. I found out yesterday that DeAnn hasn't been well, but we texted some messages back and forth, and it made her seem closer. In reality, she lives not too far from me, but life seems to be pulling us in different directions, and we just don't get together much any more. We're going to try to fix that, and very soon! We met many years ago when she began dating one of my childhood friends. One of our first nights together, at a church retreat, we spent much of the night talking after all the other ladies had fallen to sleep. Over the years, we've watched our sons grow up, worked on many Harvest Parties for the kids Sunday School classes, had years of Church Camp, dinners out, and game nights! When we're together we're either laughing or breaking out in song, or sometimes both! She is such a dear friend!

Carol lives several hours from me, in north Idaho. We became close because she married my cousin, Paul. They lived in Meridian for several years which is when our friendship really began. We discovered we are "kindred spirits" and have so much in common. It was because of her, I began blogging. We both love books and writing, music, and so much more. We can talk for hours. She has introduced me to so many new ideas. She has a great love for animals and gardening, and she is an excellent cook and hostess. She's an actress in local theatre and has also appeared in a short, independent film. She has a strong Christian faith and has been a constant inspiration to me. I mentioned to my husband, just this morning, how I was missing her. He went out to the mailbox a few minutes later, and there was a card for me! It was from Carol, and on the envelope had a picture of a couple Lab puppies (I love Labs), and "Best Friends" was printed on it. To the side, Carol wrote in "and kindred spirits" which made my heart smile!

I have many other dear, close friends, but won't write about them on this day. If you're reading this, and you are one of those, please know each one of you is precious to me and holds a unique place in my heart.

Here's to friendship!

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Thoughts about Hoarding and about Letting Things Go...

I had pulled out a box of depression glass, I'd had stored in my garage, in preparation for a yard sale last month. Only a couple of pieces sold, so the rest went back into the box until another sale a week ago. I just finished rewrapping the leftover items to send to the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store and happened to look at the date on the newspaper I'd had them wrapped in. It was June of 2004, exactly a year after my mom had passed away. These items were from her home and had been packed away for most of the intervening years. I'd pulled them out one other time a few years back for a sale, but when nothing sold, placed them into the same box wrapped in the same newspapers and returned them to the garage. They hadn't been enjoyed by anyone for over 11 years. That's what happens when grief hits and you can't let go of things, or if you're just one of those people who hoards things thinking you will use them some day.  It's really a shame nobody has been able to enjoy the pieces all these years.

I was able to sell a few pieces in the sale last Saturday. From what was left, I selected two milkshake glasses I love and two small bowls, which match my dishes, and placed them in my china hutch. They are pieces I will use and enjoy. The remaining dishes are packed up for their trip to St. Vincent's. It's time for some other bargain hunter, like my mother was, to find them and take them home to cherish.