What Would We Do Without Our Friends??

What in the world would we do without friends?  My friends have carried me through the rough times in my life, been with me to celebrate the good, and always overlooks those silly, stupid mistakes you make a long the way.  The couple pictured above are just those kinda friends.  Rich and Joyce now live in Arizona, (they are the ones I always visit when I decide it's time to escape from our long winters) but I met the two of them while they lived in the Chicago area.

Rich and I have a long history together.  Shortly after I entered the corporate world and got a "real" job with a decent salary, paid holidays and vacations, benefits and a 401K that I am most grateful for today and every day, Rich was my boss.  I was his secretary, and those were the days when you typed a letter it was on a real typewriter, long before the days of word processing machines and computers with word processing programs, and if a mistake was made, out came the "white-out", some of you probably don't even know what that is.  And if he asked for something to be typed in triplicate...oh help me.  Anyway, Rich and I developed a great working relationship and after a year or so, he introduced me to his wife, Joyce.  Rich already knew my sweetie thru business, and eventually the four of us began to see each other socially.  By this time Rich had "promoted" me into management and I no longer worked "for" him, so there was no conflict of interest, so to speak.

We spent a lot of time with Rich and Joyce, movies, out to eat, golf, trips together even to faraway places like Hawaii and England, and when they decided to move to Phoenix after Rich & my sweetie took offers from AT&T to retire early, I was devastated.  Our friends that we spent most weekends together were leaving.  In 1990 they left their home here and moved to Sun Lakes, AZ into a lovely home on the golf course. I still miss them alot, and alot has changed over the years, but we have remained constant, steady friends. They were here over the weekend with their primary visit being to another good friend of Rich's that is suffering from pancreatic cancer (a really evil cancer).  They spent time with him at his home, went with him while receiving chemo because deep down they know this may be their last time seeing this old friend.  But between visits I was able to spend time with them as well, 3 different times in fact, Thursday evening, Friday morning and again last night.  They left this morning to return to sunny, warm Arizona and I won't see them again until January or February when I escape to enjoy their warmth.  Seeing them again, spending time with them, being their friend is what I am most grateful for today.  What would we do without our friends?  

"The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing...not healing, not curing....that is a friend who cares." ~  Henri Nouwen

Until next time....

Forgetful Mom = Generous Son

I have been busier than a one-armed paper hanger, if there is such a thing and because of my busyness I have not posted in a couple of days.  But it's not that I didn't stop and remember what I have been grateful for, just haven't had the time to put it down on paper (so to speak).

When my son was here visiting in early October we went shopping one afternoon at Kohl's.  I wanted to buy a small Kuerig because with the winter weather coming I always like to have a cup of coffee in the afternoons and I thought one of those small Kuerig's would be perfect to make that one cup to enjoy. Would you believe that when we arrived at Kohl's I suddenly realized that I had left my purse at home...now how does that happen??  When do you ever leave your purse at home.  I have no excuse other than the fact that while my son was here, he was doing the driving and I guess I was feeling so free and easy, a purse wasn't needed.  Well, darn, here we were at Kohl's and they won't let you even look up your credit card number without some sort of ID, and guess where the ID was, you are right, at home in the "left" purse.  You know all that privacy stuff is great, and I know it's for my own protection, but it sure gets annoying when you really need something and can't get it.  Generosity overtook my son as he picked up the Kuerig box and marched straight to the check-out lane.  Wasn't that great??  Forgetful Mother = generous son.  I like that combo.  So today I am grateful for my Kuerig, and every afternoon while I am making my afternoon cup of coffee, I think of my generous son. Doesn't surprise you that it's red, does it??!!

If you own a Kuerig, what are some of your favorites that you enjoy?  There are so many choices now for drinks, teas, coffees, hot chocolates.  But being that I like to enjoy mine in the late afternoon I am looking for coffee's that are decaf, the only one I have found so far is called The Donut Shoppe Decaf...anyone else find a different one??

Until next time....

Yes, It Snowed Here Too....

Yes, it snowed here too.  I have been seeing bunches of blog posts about the "first" snow of the season for a lot of us...and for a lot of us it was a complete surprise.  We received far less than many, but enough to coat the grass and the rooftops with that fresh fallen stuff we will be wanting come about Dec 24th.  Right now, my yard is still full of dropped leaves and there are some "fall chores" that still need to be completed, so I was definitely not ready for that white stuff to fall.

Everything around us seems to be caught between the two seasons....still colors so vivid on some trees and bushes, while others are stripped bare.  Today there is very little traces left of the white stuff, a little on the slopes that receive no sun but gone from the sunny spots. My backyard is almost completely covered in shade during these winter months. The sun being so low in the sky that the shadow created by the house looms over the garden.  Yesterday I captured this snow-capped dried monarda in those shadows.

Yep, time to drag those bird baths in so they won't crack over the winter.  I leave a couple out that are not made of ceramic so the birds have a place to grab a drink or two.

And because it snowed, it was time to bring out the snowman mug for my coffee this morning. Goodness, I have already dripped coffee down the front.  And yes, it sure tasted good on this cold windy morning.   For having a home that keeps me warm on those first frosty, snowy, cold, & windy mornings I am grateful.

While taking pictures in the back yard, I snipped some of the dried hydrangeas off of the bush and brought them inside to enjoy...I snip them all off during the holidays and place them on my Christmas tree...I love it.

Linking to Kim's

Until next time....