Friends are Priceless...But Some are Worth Even More.

Today I was reminded of just how important my oldest and dearest friend Jennifer is to me.
She was my next door neighbor growing up.
She visited me in the hospital the very day I was born.
She went on family vacations with me.
She spent every single day at my house (or vice versa)

She gave me the chicken pox.

Today she gave me a gift that I honestly don't believe I will ever be able to repay.
Have you ever had something so valuable, personally valuable, lost forever?

I did.

Today I got a call from Jenny. She wanted to meet for coffee as she was passing by my house on her way to the ferry. She had something to give me.

She told me it was something that had belonged to me. She said "remember when you moved and you had people come in and paint?" I remember vividly moving from my childhood home. So I said yes.

It seems we had left behind a few items that the painters and carpet guys tossed out. One of those items caught my neighbors eye.

She at 13, pulled it from the trash, cleaned it then lovingly placed it in her hope chest to give to me.
It's been 23 years.
Today she gave it to me.

23 years ago she found a quilt. Not just any quilt. A hand sewn quilt. The very last one my 96 year old Great Grandmother ever made. She had made it for me and I cherished it then even when she was still alive.

Today, I would have given my weight in gold to have it back. You see, my Gram died at the same time we moved from that home. I knew the quilt was lost. We assumed it had been lost in the move but never placed where.

When I was pregnant with my daughter I cried to my husband how I wished I had that quilt.
A small piece of my sweet, intelligent Irish, Great Grandmother. Whom I adored with all my heart.

Thanks to my oldest and dearest friend, I have it back.

Someone else would have thought we meant to toss it out. Not Jenny. She knows me to well. She knew better. She knew how important that piece of cloth was to me. That is a true friend...no, that is family.

Thank you Jenny. I am truly blessed to have you in my life and I always have been. I love you my dear friend.

Thank You.

Dolphins, Dance and Lightning

Oh my. It has been way to long. Sorry Melissa.
So much has happened. I hardly know where to start!

Most importantly, my husband came home from patrol. Hooray!

I got to go out and meet up with the boat (along with some other wives) and ride it back in. It was a great trip out. Some of the finest ladies I know were there. We enjoyed our bus ride and subsequent boat ride to meet the submarine. Chatting happily and occasionally breaking into song. (Thanks Cara)

After a few hours we met up with the sub. I boarded and was greeted down below by my handsome husband!

What a sight that is!

Gracie had won "first hug" so Chris was the first guy off the boat. Meaning she had to be there waiting when we got into port.

Thanks to my wonderful friend Melissa she was not only there waiting for her hug, she watched the boat come into the canal while enjoying a fabulous picnic lunch. Thanks again Melissa! She still talks about it!!!

Let's fast forward a few weeks.

Gracie is preparing for her upcoming dance recital. Irish dance. We have been spending many, many hours driving back and fourth to Kingston for practice. But, being as she started Irish dance in March...she has advanced in class already and is a natural. Her teacher is really impressed with her. So and I....of course!

The Fourth of July was spent first by watching the annual Third of July fireworks show in Poulsbo, which we can see from our neighborhood. Then on the Fourth, we went to our friends Dave and Carrie's for what has now become our tradition. You see, they were the very first "boat people" we met. They invited us last year, right after we moved here. Carrie and I became fast friends. At the party last year I was also introduced to a couple other wardroom wives. It was an amazing reception. They welcomed us with open arms and never in my life have I felt more welcome at a new duty station that I did here. Thanks Carrie!
So, we naturally headed to their house again this year. What could be better than alcohol and explosives?!

Now on to this week. On Wednesday I had a nice dinner with some great friends. We were saying goodbye to two of our wardroom wives. I got to chat with some wonderful ladies and say my goodbyes to my friend Suzanne. (I'm going to miss you!!!!) Who is off to Hawaii.

On Thursday I was invited by the Captain to join my husband at quarters so I could do the honor of pinning on his "Dolphins." Probably the single most important event in a submarine officers career.

He not only got his dolphins, he did it faster than anyone. I'm bragging, I know. But I am tremendously proud of him!

Gracie and I were there, standing with Chris in front of the entire boat to do the honors. It was so exciting!

Those are the highlights of the past month and a half. Yesterday and today we have enjoyed nonstop rain and thunderstorms. It has been wonderful! Up until yesterday, it has been sunny and hot.

Oh rain, how I love thee...let us never be apart!
I also missed a really good thunderstorm. The only redeeming quality of the South. So it has been an added bonus to see the flash and hear the crack of lightning.
Gracie also has been able to play her favorite game from when we lived in Charleston. 1, 2, 3.....lightning!!!

The rules are simple. You count to three and say lightning and try to say lightning as it's flashing. Works a lot better down there than it does here...but she has given it the college try!

Ok, I think that sums up all the highlights for now.
Wow...sorry I've been so distracted lately! That happens with the guys get home I guess. I'll try not to make it a habit!

Doctors make the best neighbors

As I stated before, I have been sick.

My allergies are trying to kill me slowly with as much torture possible.
I called the doctors office to make an appointment but, due in large part to the Swine Flu pandemic, was told there were no available appointments until the middle of June.

Ok, that's just crazy. Seeing as it was like the 20th of May or something. By June 12th I would be either dead, my allergies finally winning the battle for my soul OR the problem would have already corrected itself after a long and agonizing fight with my sinuses.

So I was talking to my neighbor about the problem. His wife is a doctor. Not just any doctor...a NAVY doctor. He called her (she was working at the time) and she said "come in at 3 and I'll see you"

3:00 I made a visit to my favorite neighbor where she checked me out. My ear drum was attempting to free itself from the confines of my ear, but no infection. Good!

It turns out it was an allergy problem all along. She gave me five different kinds of medication. One for congestion, one for coughing and three for allergies.

Ah...sweet Zyrtec.

The Gods have smiled on me in the form of Zyrtec and Flonase. However, I do find Flonase insulting. Not because I have to squirt it up my nose, but because it mocks me by smelling like lilacs.

On the plus side, it is the very first time in my entire life I have smelled lilacs without sneezing. Win!

So in conclusion, if you are in the market for a new house. I strongly suggest you find one with a doctor next door. It will simplify your life drastically!

Thank you Shannon for being the most awesome neighbor....and doctor on the planet. I'm totally going to buy you a houseplant that now, thanks to you, won't make me sneeze!

Anniversary and Friends

This past week I celebrated my 10th wedding anniversary.
As you are aware, my husband is somewhere in the briny deep playing hide and seek.

So, I spent the day with friends. One friend in particular. Carrie.
But I'm getting ahead of myself here.
First things first.

Renee came by on Wednesday with the most beautiful bouquet of flowers I have ever seen. Along with the greatest basket filled full of Starbucks and various other coffee treasures. Then, to top it off....she made the greatest cheesecake I have ever had.

Ok friends, take a gander at this....Starbucks espresso. Lots of it. Rich dark chocolate...even more of that and cheesecake. Put them all together and you have what I like to call "heaven" because I truly believe this is what God and the angels eat daily.
Damn, I'm hungry now.

So, Friday Mayday. I head out to spend the day with my friend Carrie. Her Mom has a heart problem and was having some tests done.

I meet up with her and we head to breakfast where she insisted on picking up the tab.
Then Old Navy where I learned that on the first of every month is military appreciation day! You save 10% with you ID.
I saved $14. Yeah, She didn't pick up the tab on that one :)

Anyhoo...then we headed to Target. Then the mall. She needed luggage for her upcoming family vacation.
Finally her moms tests were done and we parted ways. two hours later, I met back up with Carrie this time with kids in tow at Red Robin.
We were met by our friend Sharon and her adorable kids and our friend Becky.
We had a great dinner. Chatting and enjoying the company.
Seems like a great full circle somehow. The first time I met any of these women was at my welcome dinner for the wardroom wives which was here, at Red Robin!

Finally we headed back to my house because Carrie had bought a cake to celebrate! It looked like a mini wedding cake. With bows and pearls and hearts. It was pink on pink (or is that blush and bashful) and It was AWESOME!

By the end of the evening I realized I had gone the entire day, busy from the moment I woke up. I didn't have a single moment to be sad that Chris was deployed. I truly enjoyed the day.
Thanks Carrie, Sharon, Becky and Renee! You made this an anniversary I won't forget!

Three cheers for the Navy!!!

Hip hip hooray!
Let me tell you a little story about my friend Stacy.
She and I met in Idaho while our husbands were in college. Both of them were in the seaman to admiral program at the University of Idaho.
We spent three years shopping, gossiping and getting manicures. We were like totally college co-eds!
Well, coeds with kids....disturbing isn't it?
Anyway, we quickly because the best of friends. Finally the day came that we had to part. Chris graduated and we moved to South Carolina. I was sad to say the least.
6 months later, Anthony graduated and they moved to Virginia. Lucky for me (but not for them) Stacy and the boys had to spend the first 6 months in Florida because they didn't have a house in Virginia yet and Anthony was heading out to sea for two to three weeks at a time.
So Stacy had to drive back and fourth between the two. Guess what's directly in between Florida and Virginia...I'll give you a hint My old house!
So I got to see her once in a while, but eventually they bought a home and her parents moved away from Florida and her travels up and down the Atlantic coast were over. then I moved again. This time to the opposite side of the country.
But, Stacy had other problems then my moved cross country.
but that all changed last week.

First, her husband has been deployed for over 7 months. In that time Stacy had a baby. Sweet little Hunter. Who is no longer little as he was born a month after his Dad deployed.

Well Anthony, Stacy's husband has returned! He finally came home where he was reunited with Stacy, their two older boys and the newest member of their little family. That new member is crawling, has teeth and eats solid food now...but that doesn't matter now because Anthony is Home!!!

So everything is hunky dory at their house. I'm naturally thrilled for her.
However I'm more excited because the Navy also decided to give Anthony a welcome home gift.

New orders.

To WASHINGTON! You heard me. They will be living not 10 miles form me. And, no short ferry ride either. Nope. He will be stationed on this side of the pond!

My manicure and Starbucks buddy will be here this fall!!!!!
I'm so excited.

Life is Short

Today's lesson is simple. Tell the people you care about how much they mean to you.

Today I received the tragic news that an old friend had died in a car accident. A horrible, nightmarish accident.
I hadn't seen my friend in years. I honestly don't believe I have seen him since I moved away from Seattle in high school. But I never forgot him. Nobody could. He was always smiling. Had beautiful green eyes and a smile that lit up a room. He was handsome, funny and sweet. He was a huger. He would hug everyone when he saw them.
Junior high was tough for me. Not because of the awkward pre-teen years, but because my Mom was battling cancer. I was depressed, moody and scared. Not to mention....a middle school girl!

Usually the very first person I would see every morning was Nate. His locker was a couple down from mine. He would smile and give me a big hug.
When I was going through, probably the roughest time of my life...Nate was my own personal sunshine.
Now that sun is gone. I never told him how much his morning pep talks cheered me up. I never let him know that his hug was something I looked forward to and I never told him how truly important he was to me. I never got the chance to let him know that in 7th grade, in my dark place he was a shining angel.
I wonder if he knows it now? Rest in Peace Nathan, you are back home with the angels.

Rally Cry

Hello again friends. I am here to ask you to take some time and read a blog by my friend Clare. If you look at the bottom of this post, you will see a link for RunMomRun. Please go and read her story.
I can give you a little background and tell you the story from my perspective but I can't do it justice. You have to read her words.
You see, almost 10 years ago I met one of my dearest friends. Clare. She and her husband had moved to Chicago the same time me and my husband had. The guys were in a Navy school together and Clare and I were bored housewives. So naturally we clicked. We spent hours drinking coffee, shopping and chatting. For a year were were inseparable. When we both moved to our new duty stations, her Norfolk, Va and us in San Diego, Ca. I cried. I wondered if I would ever see my friend again and if we would drift apart once life got in the way.
Well, I'm happy to report that hasn't been the case.

Anyway, my point. When we started hanging out, she told me about her son Johnathon. At that point in time, she was less than a year removed from his death and the wound was still fresh. She honored me with her candor and trust on such a sensitive subject.

She told me all about Johnathon's likes and dislikes. His favorite music, toys, cartoons and food. I got to know this beautiful little boy through her. We cried, we laughed and most importantly, we remembered him.
He loved elephants...and I remember I gave her an elephant that belonged to my Grandmother. I didn't know why I had brought it with me to Chicago. I could have very easily left it back in Oregon with my Mom. I remember when I packed it wondering what the heck I was packing it for. I put it in a closet and forgot about it, and only brought it out when I suddenly realized, she was meant to have it. She still has it. To this day, I can't look at a stuffed elephant without a little lump in my throat welling up.

I was one of the privileged few who got to know Johnathon. Even though I never met him in life, I feel like I truly know this little boy. Very generously, she gave me a little picture of him that is tucked away in my photo album with all my most loved family members. I cried the day she gave it to me. After all, she couldn't take any more pictures of him ever again and she was giving one to me.

As I said before, when I met Clare the wound was still fresh. Her emotions were raw and she still didn't quite have a grasp on it all. I knew the stories of how she coped after his death, but I also watched her transformation happen right before my very eyes.

I would never have believed you could recover from the death of a child. But I didn't know Clare before. Her road was rocky, tiresome and so unbearable at times a lesser woman would have given up. But I watched her climb her way, arduously, one tiny step at a time until she was finally almost a complete human again. Her eyes have a quiet pain in them, but they smile now. Her laugh on occasion has a hint of heartbreak, but it's hardy. She is whole again although a bit battered and bruised with battle scars from the personal war she has fought.

Today she is taking on a new challenge. She is running. Running in marathons raising awareness and money so that you and I never have to go through what she has. She has a very simple goal. Prevent another child from dying of cancer. With Johnathon as her inspiration, she runs. His struggle, his fight for life, is her motivation to keep moving. Forward Motion. Always stay in forward motion.
Clare is the strongest person I know. She would be the first to challenge me on that. But it's true. She has strength of character, willpower and a heart the size of Texas. My Clara is named after her because I knew, if she could somehow inherit a tiny fraction of her disposition she would be able to do anything.
So now friends, I ask that you read her blog. Hear her words. And if moved, help her cause and donate. If you are moved by what she says, perhaps you could pass it on to your friends and family. Together let's help eliminate childhood cancer forever.

http://forwardmotion-runmomrun.blogspot.com/
http://www.active.com/donate/rallyathletes/RUNMOMRUN

Who says you can't go home again?

Friday I had the pleasure of joining a group of old friends for brunch in Edmonds. Some of these girls I haven't seen in almost 20 years!

An old childhood school friend, Jennifer was visiting her parents for a couple weeks and thanks to the wonders of modern technology we have all reconnected via Facebook. She decided that while she was here, she would like to get a sort of informal reunion set up. After weeks of planning and getting schedules coordinated, the day finally came.

I got Gracie off to school and headed out to catch my ferry. I was so super excited I was actually singing in my car. I rode the Edmonds-Kingston ferry across Puget Sound. Once I was there, I drove a few short blocks to the Pancake Haus. If you know Edmonds, you know this is a fantastic little place to eat breakfast.

I was a little early, so I popped into Petosa's grocery next door to see if anything had changed. Nope....it's all the same! Exactly as I remember.

It was time for the bruch date so I headed over to the Haus. I was the first to arrive because I have a really annoying habit of being punctual.

Shortly after I arrive and before I could remove my coat, Jennifer came in followed by her Mom and son. We exchanged big hugs and I was shocked at how grown up she looked. She was 16 the last time I saw her. She still looked like a little girl. Today, she is an absolutly georgous woman! Her Mom looks exactly as I remember and her son is a doll.

Kolleen quickly followed Jennifer. I have seen Kolleen countless times since I moved away as we have been better at staying in touch. But as always it was still great to see her.

Following her was Sarah. My childhood best friend. I haven't seen Sarah in years but we do keep in touch often. I was so thrilled to see her again in person that I almost cried. She brought her beautiful two month old baby Stella who I wouldn't let go for a second. Sarah looks the same, acts the same and IS the very same Sarah I spent every single day of my life from first through ninth grade with.

About that time Tatum, Libby and Liz joined us. Libby just looked at me and said "where the hell have you been the past 15 years" to which I could only reply..."everwhere" If you know Libby, you will understand when I say...Libby is Libby. I was glad to see time hadn't changed her a bit.

I was so excited to see Elizabeth again. She was one of my very best friends back in the day. She and my old best friend Catherine quickly because BFF's after I moved to Oregon...so I held some sort of anomosity toward her for a long time. (fueled by the fact that she looks like a Supermodel)
But those feelings have been long buried in the way back machine and I'm looking forward to making new memories with her in the future. She still looks beautiful and she brought her husband Jay who is a really nice guy and is from Poulsbo so they visit often!

I didn't get a chance to catch up with Tatum as much as I would have liked. She looks georgous and I hardly recognized her. She brought her adorable daughter Katlyn who was quite annoyed with me for not bringing Gracie.

Anyway, we spent 3 very quick hours chatting about where we've been, what we have done and our children and husbands. Gossip about friends who were absent (all good I promise) Sarah and I acted like giddy teenagers again and gossiped about Twilight and what our exboyfriends were doing. Turns out mine is a doctor!

I was sad that the party had to break up so quickly. We are planning another one as soon as we can. It was so great to see everyone again. This is one of the main reasons I'm so thankful that I live back "home"

Sarah and I are planning dinner soon. Kolleen and I...well, we see each other a lot anyway, but we are still planning playdates and Liz and I are planning coffee when she gets over to Poulsbo.
All in all, it was a fantastic day spent with some amazing old friends.

I guess you really can go home again.

It doesn't make sense

Why do some people skate through life...without a care in the world. Never having to remove the rose colored glasses? Really, it doesn't make sense to me. These twits are out there, unaware what real pain and suffering is.

More importantly, what do you tell a friend who is going through the worst possible torture a parent could go through? Mind you, for the second time in her life. How do you help her? How can you say everything is going to be alright when in fact you know it simply will not be alright...ever?

All I could do was repeat over and over "Oh my God, oh my God" I'm supposed to come up with something profound. I'm the proverbial shoulder. I'm supposed to be a rock. All I could do is cry. I don't think I have ever in my life, broken down and actually cried when someone needed me to be the strong one. This was a first. Of course it was a giant, ocean sized shock, but that's beside the point.

So I am asking you...how do you respond? Perhaps in your unclouded minds you can give me some thought provoking wisdom. What do you say to your friend who needs you to tell her it will be alright?