BIRDS, HEARTS, AND SNOW

I met with my long-time friend Arlene today for coffee. Arlene and I have been friends since the late sixties when we used to work together and we have been through a lot together. She dated my step-brother for a short period of time and surprisingly, we both ended up in the same location after all these years.

This shot is her new feather adornment in her hair. Her daughter, Christie, is a hair-dresser and installed (I guess that's the proper phrase for this) these in her hair this morning. They are small pheasant feathers that attach like hair extensions and you can brush them and even wash your hair with them still in and they will last approximately 6 weeks. Really fun!

Arlene is one of those friends who will always remain my friend. She believes in communicating and sorting misunderstandings out before they get out of hand. She believes in talking about things and understands my personality because her husband has the same sort of personality. Her husband and I are both open and honest and sometimes say things that are unfiltered, but Arlene also knows my heart (and her husband's) and knows that there isn't anything that the two of us can't talk about. She is a wonderful friend. Her daughter is pregnant and due this year so we will be Grandma's together this year. We have already made plans to meet at the park and walk with our little ones. We can walk and talk and share things that women need to share. You know how it goes: sometimes you just need a friendly ear to listen. She will be babysitting her grandchild while her daughter works and so will I. We are so fortunate to be able to spend quality time with our grandchildren.
Here's Arlene's rear-view mirror ornament. It is one of my favorite things on earth I think: a heart. Hearts symbolize so much to me. They are at the core of all things in my life. They symbolize healing for me, they symbolize love and loss, they symbolize what is deep inside of me that I cannot always explain but someone that really knows me, knows my heart. Arlene and I have both experienced loved ones in our lives that have had heart problems. Hearts are symbolic of what we have experienced in the process of healing our loved ones.
On the way home from our morning coffee with each other I arrived at the vineyard to snow falling. The grape vines look so stunning when they are blanketed by snow. The vines have not been pruned yet so they are still in a dormant stage and are waiting for this blanket of white to turn to a blanket of green. When I arrived at home, I placed my new treasure in my kitchen.
Isn't the face of this watering can spectacular? This was a gift to me from Arlene today who saw this at a store and thought that it reminded her of me. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful friend that can see something in a store and think that it belongs with me. Thank you Arlene!
Here it is, in its entirety, resting next to my African violets, waiting to water them when they need it next.

Life: you just never know where it is going to lead you but the first time I met Arlene, we became friends. We worked together at Western Electric in the Accounting department and used to laugh so much. She has the best sense of humor, she is shy and stylish, she is a dedicated mother and wife, and she is a strong woman. Despite what she has been struggling with in the last few years with the economy, losing her house and her husband's company, and having her alternate home burn to the ground, she has survived and remained strong and steadfast in her faith. She has been a beacon to me and someone that I have looked up to in the last few years. We talk on the phone, she commiserates with me and offers me advice and care, and best of all, she cares for me. We never forget to end our phone conversations with the phrase: I love you. Because we do. We always have and we always will. I know this for a fact. I know that there is nothing that I could ever say or do to her that would make her abandon our friendship. We both have a strong faith; we both get a little depressed occasionally and don't mind admitting it to each other. We call each other, visit, and then feel better after. Isn't that the true test of a friend? We love each other through the good times AND the bad. I love you Arlene! Remember that always!!!