Afternoons with Judi

It was Judi who informed me that those slimy, bug-riddled things growing in the forest were mushrooms, and threw me off Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup for years.

 

It was Judi who, upon seeing a spider crawling on my forearm with my permission, said she was afraid of spiders, and I decided I should be, too.

 

It was Judi who said she thought spaghetti noodles with just butter, salt, and pepper were the best, and thereafter, I found she was right and prefer them just that way.

 

And, it was Judi who, as we walked to the school bus stop one chilly October morning, shared with me the little red jewels called pomegranate seeds that she carried on the salty lid of a Planter’s Cocktail Peanut can.   My first taste of a fruit with a surprising pop of tangy juice was so elusive that I wondered afterward if I really had tasted that goodness or had imagined it.

Our neighborhood gathering in the 1950s.   Judi and I are in this photo, but I won't point us out in the interests of her privacy.   Actually, it's because I didn't ask her permission because......well, it's easier to ask for forgiveness.

 

Judi is my friend from my 1950s childhood.   She and I lost touch decades ago when life took us in separate directions, and I made efforts to locate her through Facebook, to no avail.  

 

I dreamed about her recently.  Another friend “presented” Judi to me in that dream.   I saw her as a princess or a figure of royalty, her slender figure clothed in a sparkly silver, pencil-thin gown enhanced with ruffs of white ermine fur at the neck and sleeves.

 

I thought about Judi almost constantly for a couple of days after that dream and decided it was time once again to try to locate her.

 

So, you can understand how flummoxed I was two days after the dream when I answered my phone and a lady said, “This is Judi.”

 

 

 

Proving that I'm Not Stupid

 I listened to the voice of a friend on the phone and, after a pause, replied, "I would be stupid to turn that down.   Totally stupid!"

The friend, Mary, had just told me that she and her husband Shawn were going to come to my house and buck and split a large pile of spruce firewood. I had in my yard.

The very talented Shawn and his homemade fireweed handling tool.   Shawn is widely known as an artist who casts bronze items and owns a business called Bronze Ox.

I'll tell you, my first reaction was to prove that I WAS INDEED stupid and politely reply, "Oh, no.   Thank you so much but I can do it.    In fact, I like doing it."

I came to my senses and, while I can do it and like doing it, who was I kidding?   So, I gushed all over myself at her wonderful offer and there they were on the appointed day.

First a couple cords of logs had to be cut to size.   Then those lengths split and hauled to the woodshed and stacked.

Mary wears a lot more safety devices that I do.   For me, a pair of gloves and ear plugs.

I tried to help for a while by picking out the smaller pieces that didn't need to be split, but after a while I was getting in the way of their well times teamwork.

Mary is a retired RN.

Into the woodshed and stacked!!!

SO, I jacked up the lawn mower so I could air a flat tire and went off to mow the various lawns around here.

So blessed to have such thoughtful neighbors as friends.