A zillion years ago, while playing on the school ground tricky bars, I met a girl that would become my friend and stay my best friend through thick and thin for more than 50 years. As luck would have it, she lived close by, just around the corner, 5 houses away from me. Twelve years ago, she moved away from me to pursue her dream of always wanting to be by the ocean. I let her go with sadness in my heart, but, I knew I would see her again in her new environment. To celebrate a birthday milestone for me, and her birthday, too, I flew down to California. This is another place that has pieces of my heart scattered up and down the coast line. I spent many, many summers there as my grandparents lived in California. I would frolick in the ocean, play in the sand......I even put the grainy stuff inside my ear once. I sat on the beach, sifting the sand through my fingers, and decided that funneling it into my ear would be fun. NOT. I ended up with the worst ear ache ever!!!. I can say that when I put a shell to my ear, I really do hear the ocean..................
Several months ago, I closed another chapter in my life, and opened a new decade door. The last decade did slam me in my ass as it was leaving me behind, bidding me a fond farewell. To see this door close, it made me realize again how important family and friends are. They are the only solid piece of matter that I need in my life. Everything else is just stuff that I have accumulated over the years.
Time has flown by way too fast. I am getting older, my family is getting older, and my friends are doing the same thing. So far we are all intact, no deaths among us. The human in me is getting older body wise and mentally she is still young at heart, forgetful at times, but she can still mess with someones head and still get into trouble................
I was missing my best friend. I needed to be with my bestie in California. Her birthday is close to mine so celebrating our birthdays together just seemed like the thing to do, plus it gave me a really good and logical reason to head to California. It was time to spread more of my heart and soul on to the sandy and rocky shores................I left the sand on the beach this time and not in my ear............
Time has flown by way too fast. I am getting older, my family is getting older, and my friends are doing the same thing. So far we are all intact, no deaths among us. The human in me is getting older body wise and mentally she is still young at heart, forgetful at times, but she can still mess with someones head and still get into trouble................
I was missing my best friend. I needed to be with my bestie in California. Her birthday is close to mine so celebrating our birthdays together just seemed like the thing to do, plus it gave me a really good and logical reason to head to California. It was time to spread more of my heart and soul on to the sandy and rocky shores................I left the sand on the beach this time and not in my ear............
I made this trip all about her. She puts me up in her place, she drives me around. I let her plan what she wanted to do, where she wanted to go. My birthday gift to her....building another memory for us, being together as if we were kids again, and not letting her pay for anything........it's what best friends do for each other.....when you can consider yourself a senior citizen, you grab ahold of all the discounts you can get!!! hahahaha........and we did, every last one that we could qualify for. The senior discounts are starting earlier and earlier in age......50 to be exact. Before too long, you will be old when you are fresh out of the womb!!!
We had sushi in City Walk at Universal Studios. Because she loves sushi as much as I do, I cannot wait until she moves back. The other gals in my group, turn their noses up. The mere mention of sushi makes them gag........go figure. They ain't livin' until they try it.....but NOOOOOOOO, it's gross. Not in my book darlin', not in my book......it's yummy, good for you, and I love it.................
Went on a sunset cruise. A cruise around the shores of Santa Barbara. The sunset was stunning, weather was perfect. I couldn't have asked for anything better.
We saw the movie, The Heat. We laughed so hard we almost peed our pants, and at our age, it's not a hard thing to do. (Sneezing can cause major flooding)..........Tears of laughter streamed down our faces. We picked up our brains we parked at the door of the theater when we left. This was a movie that made us laugh and giggle and you didn't need your brain to think...........
The next day, we hopped on another boat. Headed to Catalina Island for lunch, shopping, and talking about stuff. Stuff we did as kids. Stuff we did as high schoolers. Stuff we did and are doing as so called adults. Stuff we are doing now. It's stuff. Nothing more, nothing less. But it's our stuff. That stuff has made some great memories. Some sad, but mostly happy, fun, and some hilarious memories making a permanent home in our memory bank of a brain........We can still laugh and joke about it and look back with absolutely no regrets. We had fun....we're still having fun..........
We stayed all night on the Queen Mary. This ship has such elegance and character. The wood is so beautiful. The staterooms make you feel like you are in that time period. I do wonder though, if everyone who sailed on this ship whispered. Or if they talked at all or did much of anything else!! The walls are paper thin. You hear everything!!!!........ We basically partied all night with a group of guys sharing a stateroom to the side of us. We heard every bottle cap open on their beverage of choice, some pretty good conversation on how to pick up ladies, what they did or didn't do or wanted to do......Their laughter...... It could have been annoying if we had let it, but we got revenge. We started to laugh hysterically, made a few comments on how guys think they are such studs and think only with what's in their knickers....if they can find it!!!...... They realized then, they had been caught.........the silence that followed was deafening. Their conversation continued, but on a little less vocal level until all became silent......for about 20 minutes, then the snoring started....Thank goodness for ear plugs and an extra pillow to put over the head.............
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| Filtered through a sunglass lense |
We saw the movie, The Heat. We laughed so hard we almost peed our pants, and at our age, it's not a hard thing to do. (Sneezing can cause major flooding)..........Tears of laughter streamed down our faces. We picked up our brains we parked at the door of the theater when we left. This was a movie that made us laugh and giggle and you didn't need your brain to think...........
The next day, we hopped on another boat. Headed to Catalina Island for lunch, shopping, and talking about stuff. Stuff we did as kids. Stuff we did as high schoolers. Stuff we did and are doing as so called adults. Stuff we are doing now. It's stuff. Nothing more, nothing less. But it's our stuff. That stuff has made some great memories. Some sad, but mostly happy, fun, and some hilarious memories making a permanent home in our memory bank of a brain........We can still laugh and joke about it and look back with absolutely no regrets. We had fun....we're still having fun..........
We stayed all night on the Queen Mary. This ship has such elegance and character. The wood is so beautiful. The staterooms make you feel like you are in that time period. I do wonder though, if everyone who sailed on this ship whispered. Or if they talked at all or did much of anything else!! The walls are paper thin. You hear everything!!!!........ We basically partied all night with a group of guys sharing a stateroom to the side of us. We heard every bottle cap open on their beverage of choice, some pretty good conversation on how to pick up ladies, what they did or didn't do or wanted to do......Their laughter...... It could have been annoying if we had let it, but we got revenge. We started to laugh hysterically, made a few comments on how guys think they are such studs and think only with what's in their knickers....if they can find it!!!...... They realized then, they had been caught.........the silence that followed was deafening. Their conversation continued, but on a little less vocal level until all became silent......for about 20 minutes, then the snoring started....Thank goodness for ear plugs and an extra pillow to put over the head.............
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| Wood corridor/hallway of the Queen Mary |
Staying with her, we had some good heart to heart chats. Since being in California, her health has become an issue. She's developed sleep apnea, diabetes and it's hard for her to walk distances. She's decided that its time to come home. Come back to Utah, where she has family and friends that will help take care of her if need be. Her move will happen in the next year or so when she can "retire'. How I hate that word. I feel like that word means, we're being put out to pasture. She needs to retire and coming back home to retire, I'm for it.............
I'll be going back, one more time to visit my best friend in a place that I love almost as much as my dear Bear Lake. I'll be headed back to plant my feet onto a sandy beach, place another piece of my heart onto the sandy shores of the Pacific ocean. I will be going back one last time to see my best friend in her element, her environment, before she heads back to her home in Utah once again. She's moving back, but it will not be the last time I set foot on to those shores. I'll keep going back.......
I find it hard to believe that we have been friends for so many years. I saw her get married. She saw me get married. We were there for each other when our children were born. I helped ease her pain when things didn't work out and she got a divorce. I even took a step back when she found freedom and wanted to be a single girl and test the waters again. But I've always been there for her when she needed me and she's been there when I needed her.........
Her and I, we belong to a unique group of ladies. We've been friends for a lot of years. These ladies are my Friday night out, raise-some-hell ladies, of which I am the sole instigator of raising hell. I ain't dead yet and I'm making sure they aren't either.........................She will come back and join the fold once again and make our Friday night ventures a little more interesting...............different personalities will be meshed and mashed together once again.
Hold on to friendships. They are not a dime a dozen. Friends come and go in your life, but best friends stay forever and ever...............
I think these last two pictures represent myself and my friends. We are a rusty group of women, a colorful group, and we do reflect off each other.
Good friends care for each other. Close friends understand each other. But, true friends, stay forever, beyond words, beyond distances, beyond time.....................
I'll be going back, one more time to visit my best friend in a place that I love almost as much as my dear Bear Lake. I'll be headed back to plant my feet onto a sandy beach, place another piece of my heart onto the sandy shores of the Pacific ocean. I will be going back one last time to see my best friend in her element, her environment, before she heads back to her home in Utah once again. She's moving back, but it will not be the last time I set foot on to those shores. I'll keep going back.......
I find it hard to believe that we have been friends for so many years. I saw her get married. She saw me get married. We were there for each other when our children were born. I helped ease her pain when things didn't work out and she got a divorce. I even took a step back when she found freedom and wanted to be a single girl and test the waters again. But I've always been there for her when she needed me and she's been there when I needed her.........
Her and I, we belong to a unique group of ladies. We've been friends for a lot of years. These ladies are my Friday night out, raise-some-hell ladies, of which I am the sole instigator of raising hell. I ain't dead yet and I'm making sure they aren't either.........................She will come back and join the fold once again and make our Friday night ventures a little more interesting...............different personalities will be meshed and mashed together once again.
Hold on to friendships. They are not a dime a dozen. Friends come and go in your life, but best friends stay forever and ever...............
I think these last two pictures represent myself and my friends. We are a rusty group of women, a colorful group, and we do reflect off each other.
Good friends care for each other. Close friends understand each other. But, true friends, stay forever, beyond words, beyond distances, beyond time.....................
author unknown.....
These pictures are from my eyes that I share to yours.........I am a photo nut case. I am reminded almost on a daily basis that some people cannot get out, enjoy the beauty of the world or enjoy their own surroundings. Share what you see with someone who can't...........I'm trying to do just that.........
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