Tuesday4 Happy Tuesday Maxine Cracks Me Up

 Tuesday4

Sunday, July 23, 2023

Friendship

".,,there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother" psalms 18

 It's time once again for Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4.

 Let's talk about friendship.

1. Do you have or have you had a special or best friend or do you consider all your friends the same?

To be very honest, my maternal grandmother was my best friend. 

I love this photo. I am at her side along with my mom behind me and my mom's sister Annie. 

I lost my grandmother in 1967. All 

the wonderful friends who were confidantes 

are now gone too. 

2. Many in the past had close relationships and fell in love through letters.  What do you think of online friendships.. are they real ? Are there friends who last a lifetime?

I have several friends from blogging as well as pen pals when I was a young teen. So yes, you can have long time and life long friendships.  Depending on the person, yes I believe they can be lifelong friends. I had a friend I knew since our days in the playpen together. Her politics and mine don't blend so she choose to step away. Sad to say, she was a real honest to goodness Karen! I'm not kidding. 

3.  Are there stories, movies or TV programs that you enjoyed because of the friendship or relationship portrayed in it? I've read books where I loved the friendships. Those are always nice ones with life long commitments. RaeAnne Thayne is an excellent author in my personal opinion and she creates friendships that often withstand the times.

4. What does friendship mean to you?

Honesty, always keeping up with you, even to send a message to say hi how are you. But I truly value those who go beyond that. Mollye Self was one of these extraordinary friends. Even as she knew she time on this earth was limited she kept in close contact with me. That my friends, is a true friendship. People like Sally DiStefano who shared her faith and another sweet soul who was living in her last few years on earth. Another blog friend LaVoice told me she spoke on the phone almost daily with Sally. My dear friend Vivian took all my secrets I shared with her to her grave. She actually surprised everyone by donating her body to science. She was a hard working, unique person and had the most wonderful parents. I loved them all so much and one by one I lost them. People don't have many friends like that in their lifetime. My sister-in-law Cheri is another friend I love and cherish. I think because we have similar values and share so much that others don't understand. I was telling her recently how sad it is when a blood relative ignores you and she told me she would give anything to have a conversation with her younger sister she lost many years ago. Then my sister Patsy. She was almost a second mother to my sister Mary and I. We were all very close. I spoke with my big sis on the phone sometimes daily. She shared so much with me. Being an Army wife she had to pick up and leave everything she was use to to travel unknown roads. She is another real hero to me. Strong women. May we be them. May we raise them, May we know them. My grandmother had 2 sisters but her husband, my grandfather I never knew had 3 sisters. He was a very good man because he was raised with parents who loved all 4 of their children dearly.  My husband has a brother who no longer speaks to us and an older brother who passed away in 2015. He is very close to his only sister. I am grateful

Happy Tuesday 

It doesn't sound like this will be a happy story but I recently found out a gal I worked with for many years had passed away in 2013. It made me so sad . Lora was a tough chick, she had a few failed marriages and a daughter with Cerebral Palsy. She had two sons as well and there were times those of us who worked with her wanted to wring her neck! She always put a relationship ahead of her kids. But she found someone who seemed very genuine and moved to Tennessee to be with him. They married and I lost contact with her. So I choose to believe that she had found happiness  after all the sad failed relationships she had.  She was smart and we had many laughs and she once helped me host a Princess House show in a mobile home park where she knew the manager. She drove into Denver to pick me and all my stuff up. She helped me set up and took all the kids swimming while I hosted this show. She had a big heart and I hope she is enjoying heaven these days. Rest in peace Lora Jene. 

Lora didn't like her photo taken so this was a childhood photo. She struggled with her weight her whole life and I believe perhaps the gastic banding  surgery took her life as it  did the life of another friend  Michelle in 2010. Lora always reminded me of Mama Cass Elliot. She was a large woman and wore her long hair red.

She made me laugh out loud once telling me she didn't

 cook much, that a mouse had set up housekeeping inside her oven. 

Her dad was a mail carrier in their small Nebraska town. 

She was a
"Knowledgeable "Nebraskan. I loved to tease her because there was joke going around years ago that said,  U of Nebraska football players and their fans think the N on the football helmet stands for knowledgeable.

She was so proud of her degree from her birth state .

She could work on her own car and was extremely smart, except when it came to  men. 

Rest easy Ms. Lora Jene.

So we find, after all, that the things we thought small
      Loom colossal above all the host;
That the best of God's gifts are the friends we can call
      To our side when we need them the most.
~W. Dayton Wegefarth (1885–1973), "The Bright Things of Life"

"A good friend is cheaper than therapy." Author Unknown

"Only a true friend will tell you when your face is dirty." Sicilian Proverb

May all your days be filled with beautiful friendships. I appreciate you here. Ellen and Brian thank you for the advice for my C A T as Blake calls him. He loves that kid too!  We are going to get an appointment with him at the CSU Veterinary School of Medicine. I will keep you all posted.