long lost friends...found!

Can 36 years go by in the blink of an eye?

Growing up in Huntington Beach, CA was something of an idyllic childhood. We had a modest home in a lovely little neighborhood where all the kids that lived there, played together, joined Scouts together, played softball together & went to elementary, junior high & high school together. One of my bestest little friends was Susan Jacques.

My family took very few photographs, so this is one of my prized possessions...an old black & white photo of my 11th birthday party. My face is covered by a reflection, but on the right you can see Susan sitting on the floor next to me. {my little sister Kristen, who has the llama's in CO, is standing on the left}

I was in the sixth grade then & Susan & I did everything together!
Things I remember about Susan...
Her parents were French & had accents & sometimes I had a hard time understanding them.
She lived just a few house away from our elementary school Schroeder, so it was always fun to go to her house right after school.
We went to Girl Scouts together & our leader had a wandering eye & I could never tell when she was talking to me...so I got in trouble a lot cuz I wouldn't stop doing whatever she was telling me to stop doing. I thought she was talking to someone else. lol
I sold her sister my entire collection of Barbie's for $5 when I was in HS so I could go to a movie. I still kick myself for that.
And she was my bestest friend.

After HS, the gypsy in my soul took me to far off lands like San Francisco, Durango, Co & Salt Lake City & sadly, I lost track of so many of my childhood friends.
Fast Forward.
Through the super powers of facebook, Susan & I have just found each other after being separated for 36 years....how Crazy & Wonderful!
This is her sweet hubby Phil standing in front of the sign of my local lake, the lake I see everyday.

As serendipity would have it, they have been coming to Crestline for years. They have friends with a cabin here where they often come to relax & get away. They have eaten at the Cafe directly across the street from my shop. We have been feet away from each other all this time & never even knew it.

They came up this past weekend & we got to see each other face to face & it seemed as if time had stood still & we were still those 2 little girls who loved to talk & play.

She loves to make handmade jewelry...just like me.
She has her house decorated in lovely little vignettes...just like my shop.
She loves antiques...just like I do.
There was a reason we were such good friends when we were young.
We are so very similar.

So Sweet Hearts...today, if I could wish you anything, I would wish for you the pure joy of standing next to, talking & laughing with & being able to give a hug to,
a long, lost friend, found.
It's Magic!

Click here to view this photo book larger

{a photo book from Shutterfly I made a few years back with some of my childhood pictures}