Today I will write about some of my friends.

Liz: I’ll start with her, not for any particular reason except that she may pout if she is not the first I mention.

We personally met Liz at the Star Wars convention in Indianapolis last May. My daughter had already met her on the internet, like I mentioned in yesterday’s blog. We were to recognize her by her short, blond hair and a red top she was wearing. Yup, that narrowed it down to a few thousand! We were to find out about her hilarious, quirky sense of humor as we got to know her. Her personality is as sunny as her hair color. We all took to her instantly so we invited her to visit us in New York.

She stayed with us for three weeks and we had the best time getting to know her while she got to tour the city. She is an ardent musical lover and got to see a few Broadway shows. We accompanied her and saw the Lion King and Thoroughly Modern Millie in one week. She saw others. She kept us laughing with her way of being and would spontaneously entertain us singing songs with her lovely voice. I don’t know her parents personally, but I can say that “my Jim and Judy” are the nicest people I have not met... yet! No wonder Liz is such a great person!

Liz enjoyed New York and toyed with the idea of moving here but, alas, she went back to her home in itty, bitty, Muncie, Indiana.

McCourts: The other day, Friday the 14th, to be exact, my husband and I received a sad e-mail. Our dear friends, the McCourt’s, are selling their home and moving to Florida. While we are happy for them, we are sad because they are a part of our lives and we will miss having them within a 20 minute driving distance. Looking on the bright side of this situation, maybe we can vacation with them in the future and spend another memorable holiday season with them. I usually host Thanksgiving dinner but this past year I opted not to and accepted the McCourt’s invitation to spend Thanksgiving and a traditional Italian fish dinner on Christmas Eve with them. Annette is of Italian descent, in case you were wondering about the last name. I am so glad to have done so. We had one of the most wonderful times with them. I will miss our barbecue dinners and our brunches. I will miss John’s wonderful sense of humor and Annette’s tenderness and kindness.

Maria: She and I met because our daughters (only children, as a matter of fact) became friends when they were attending the same pre-school when they were both three years old. Our daughters are best friends and my husband and I are close friends with her and her husband, John. We have wonderful times just talking about everything. We share the same political views which make for great conversations. Her father is also a wonderful friend. We have seen our daughters grow from being adorable little pre-schoolers to fantastic thirteen year old girls. We have not missed any of our girls’ birthday parties. Maria, John, and Teresa are wonderful people and we are lucky to know them and count them as our dear friends. God willing, we will attend our girls’ graduations, weddings, and the baptism of their children.

“Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for a while and leave footprints on our hearts. And we are never, ever the same.”
~Anonymous