Friends Old and New

I got an email from my best friend in high school, telling me about next month’s 39-year barbecue for my high school class. There in the list was the name of the boy I had a crush on in 8th and 9th grade. My mom worked for his dad when we were in high school.

So I dropped him a quick note, acknowledging that it is difficult to be the reluctant object of somebody’s affections, and thanking him for his kindness and patience, both of which are in short supply among people that age. I think I made it clear that I was not trying to re-kindle a one-sided flame; I just wanted to say thanks, and no reply necessary.

His parents really did raise him right.

I am now on the mailing list for my graduating class. I have no intention to go to the reunion next year. Yes, I do love to travel; but I look at the cost of a plane ticket and think how much yarn, how many books or dinners with my friends it would buy. And I am already in touch with the one soul from my graduating class of 635 or 653 [it’s been awhile; I don’t remember] whose friendship is still precious to me. Not really appropriate for me to be chums with my high school sweetheart, who is still [miraculously, blessedly, in these flint-hearted times] married to one of my college classmates. We sent one other an email to catch up and seem mutually content to leave it at that.

The temple session yesterday, surrounded with friends from my ward in support of one of our newer members, was sublime. I got a little misty-eyed. It was good to sit in a quiet, holy place after the session and pray.

@ Firstborn: you commented that you would really, really like to move back to Florida after Lark graduates and the 24/7 is over. I do understand that feeling; I thought for awhile that after I got you girls all raised, I would move back to Idaho. That was before I knew about grandchildren.

When you were an infant and we lived in Provo, the folks were 500 miles from my sister and her family, and 400 miles from us. Other than the fact that the three of us were quietly, slowly starving in Provo because of the oversupply of worker bees relative to the number of hives, it was an ideal set-up. I grew up a long day’s drive from my sister, and we visited them two or three times a year. Gram and my aunt and uncle lived two days’ drive away, in Colorado. We saw them every other year, even after the interstate went through.

I have no doubt that you and 1BDH will go [or stay] wherever the Almighty needs you. I totally support that, even while relishing that all five of my girls are presently in Tarrant County. I hope you will be more or less equidistant from your kids, so that you can enjoy them and your grandchildren as much as I enjoy mine.

In knitting news, I went to Benno’s Buttons after work and found the perfect buttons for the Sunrise Circle Jacket. It’s a small but supremely well-stocked shop, and she pulled down box after box until we found buttons that deserved to hang out with my knitting. I will try to have pictures for you tomorrow.

Also in knitting news, I finished a miniature sweater for the Christmas tree. Or somebody’s Christmas tree. So, no pictures, just a couple days of sweet satisfaction knitted up in odd moments. It was an ice-breaker while we were waiting to hear the Harlot, or waiting to get our books signed. Here she is, signing mine; some of you will recognize my Famous Red Bag, making a cameo appearance.



And here we are together. She was up and down like a jill-in-the-box. Who knew that book signings count as an aerobic activity?



Yes, that is my cane you see posing with us. By the end of the evening, I was glad to have it. I had to park on the topmost level of the parking garage and crab-walk down four flights of stairs, and the bookstore was unprepared for the amount of people who showed up. I spent most of the pre-lecture time, all of the lecture time, and most of the post-lecture time, standing. Even after a good five hours of sleep, my left ankle is horribly swollen and my right ankle is still a little poochy. [I will drink lots of water today, some of it with a dash of lemon juice, and when I go to bed tonight, they will be themselves again.]

About the bookstore: lovely, bigger than my ankles, and new. I think the MC said they had only been open for six months. I was standing just about where the picture on their homepage was taken. Very much worth the drive if you are younger than I, and local. I will probably be giving them much of my [online] business. If only to enable them to buy more chairs...

What is this, you ask?



I met Mr. and Mrs. Buffalo Gold last night. I got to touch the yarn before they gave it to the Harlot. That is some seriously yummy yarn you see. The brown is buffalo; the cream is buffalo and bamboo.

I am going to rustle up some breakfast and turn on my cell phone. Today I get to spend some time with BestFriend!