Getting around in January

Get boots on, find scarf and wrap around neck, gloves. Warm up car, clean front and back windows. "No, Bella you cannot come with". Bring dog back in house. Back out slowly, it might be icy. Hurry open the window, turn off heat....HOT FLASH!!! Okay back to normal. Seven minute prep time, for a five minute trip. Ah, winter.

Cousins

My friend Delphine is an only child married to an only child. This means her children have no aunts and uncles and no cousins. This seems so strange to me. Growing up we were always with our cousins, from both sides of the family. We spent holidays together and most weekends someone was having a sleepover.

On my mother's side there were girls close to my age. Shelia was 2yrs older and Tami was 2yrs younger. We would play school, office, Barbie's, and jump rope . In my dad's family all  the cousins that lived close were boys. We still saw them a lot and had fun when we were together. We played outside on the swing set or played tag. Sometimes we would  pretend we were in Atlantis,  the furniture was  islands and the carpet was the ocean. I can still remember jumping from the sofa to a chair looking for other survivors. Of course my aunt would not be home or we would not have been playing in the living room.

Often my parents would go out with my aunt and uncle and we would all stay home together. We would pop popcorn (in a pan with oil) and watch T.V. until we feel asleep. On nights like this our cousins usually spent the night at our house. For years Shelia and Robby went to church with us. Aunt Diane and Uncle Billy and their fours kids came over later Sunday afternoon and ate dinner with us.

I have very good memories of time spent with my cousins.

New Friends

   I don't make New Year's resolutions simply because I know I cannot keep them. Instead I make New Year's goals. For many years one of my goals has been to make a new friend. Not a casual friendship but one that will last. In 2009, I was able to work on two new friendships. I have known both Dawn and Charlene for a while. Dawn and I went to grade school together and I met Charlene while I worked at a cross-stitch shop  Also, she is the mother of one of Bryce's friends from high school.
   Dawn and I go to the same church and we would say hi whenever our paths would cross but that's as far as it went. Then another lady in my Bible Study asked her to join and she started coming on Tuesdays. I had always liked her but I did not realize how much we had in common. We even met a few times along with Charlene to knit together. Again we discovered we had a lot of the same interests. A few months ago Dawn gave me a small gift in an envelope she made herself. Inside were two vintage hankies she found while thrifting. It was a perfect gift, she understood me! I felt like we had wasted so many years.
    I liked Charlene as soon as I met her. First, she was as obsessed with stitching as I was. And she is not a phony. She is who she is. She is smart, kind, caring and not prissy.   We have a lot of fun together and she gets my humor. She is a very good knitter and loves yarn even more than I do. We also have a lot in common and talk on the phone for hours even though she lives only a few miles away.
    I don't know who God will bring into my life this year but I am looking forward to making new friends. God has blessed me with wonderful friends all my life. Some are here for only a season and some will be my friend forever. I thank Him for all these women and the good times we have shared.