Time with Good Friends

"Friends are kisses blown to us by angels...Author Unknown"

Over the years I have been blessed to meet some wonderful people that I am fortunate enough to call my friends. It takes me time to let people in and share my life with them, so I can count my close, dear friends on two hands, and they are all lifelong friends. In the last two months we have been fortunate to spend time with some of these friends.

Labor Day weekend my friend who has been in my life the longest (since we were two years old) came to spend the long weekend. The weather was very hot and humid, but it did not stop us from having a great time. One day we went to Portsmouth, NH and had lunch and did a tour at Red Hook Brewery http://redhook.com/. The food was good, the company great and we enjoyed the tour and sampling of beer. A bargain for the tour and samples at $1 per person - how can you go wrong? From there we went down to Lawrence, MA to enjoy some Italian treats, Crispellis and Rice Balls, at the Feast of the Three Saints. Certainly not heart healthy fare, but too good to pass up. After that we stopped in Salem, NH to spend a bit of time with friends before heading home. A full day of fun for sure. The next two days John had to work so Melody and I spent hours catching up on life, having pedicures and enjoying each others company. We had not seen each other for a long time so it was good to have the days together.

The beginning of October our friends from Derby Line, VT came for a few days. I have known them for close to forty years and they are wonderful, fun people. It had been over a year since we had seen them, and we made the most of the time we spent together. As the sunshine we were hoping for did not appear, the leisurely boat ride did not happen. However, we did go play golf in the misty gray weather and had a great time in spite of it. After golf we came home and John and Al went out in the boat to fish. Vi and I spent some quiet time talking over a glass or two of wine - sharing stories of our children and grandchildren. In the evening we went out for a wonderful meal, and more great company and conversation. Morning coffee brought a bit more time to talk and laugh before they headed on their way.

These special times do not happen often enough and always seem to go by too quickly. Although we talked about so many things, there is so much more that could be shared. With great friends it seems you never run out of things to say. I will cherish every moment that we were able to spend with all of our friends, and hope that it will not be another year that passes before we reunite. As I get older I realize how precious these friendships, and the time spent together, truly are. I am blessed to have them in my life.


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