(boy)Friends

Melissa and I had many things in common. Our love of writing (I was on the school newspaper & yearbook staff in high school - she was on the newspaper & yearbook staff in high school; I was class treasurer, she was Commissioner of Communications on United Student Body; we both played volleyball.....)but another thing we had in common was our choice of friends. We both had good "girl" friends, and we both had good "boy" friends.
Mine were Jim & John. (Jim and I tried the dating thing - didn't work. He was actually did a reading in our wedding! John & I share a birthday -coming up on the 22nd - Happy birthday John!) Melissa had Andy, Josh, Bone and a few others I'm sure I'm forgetting!). Jim, John and I have this picture taken every time we're together...once every five years, and today, for his mom's 80th birthday. (Jim was also a neighbor of mine, and I always felt pretty close to his WONDERFUL family). Melissa stayed close to not only her girlfriends, but Andy & Josh too. Josh actually flew in from Colorado TWICE when Melissa was in the hospital and Hospice. She actually wrote a poem about him in high school too - I'll post when I find it.)
So todays post is about (boy)friends. Mine - Jim (with a picture of HIS mom), and Fort's (with a picture of Andy's mom). Our lives wouldn't be the same without them.
Thanks Jim, John, Andy, Bone (and any I'm forgetting...I'm getting old...)
*****
(of course ANOTHER thing we had in common? Our BOYfriends...they were kind, intelligent, good cooks and we were smart enough to marry them...thanks Donny & John - our lives DEFINITELY wouldn't be the same without YOU.)

*****
just a note....Fort knew about my friendship with Jim. I guess I must have talked about him occasionally, and how nice it was to have a friend you could talk to without all the drama...guys are like that. When she was in Hospice, Jim came to visit one night - very late (one of his daughters was at UD at the time - right around the corner from Hospice). There was a knock on the door, and the nurse stuck her head in and said "there is a Jim here to see you"...right away, Melissa said "SCHULTE??????" She knew. Good friends show up when you need them - even if it's been five years since your last visit. Thanks Jim. Don't think I ever told you, but that visit meant a lot to ME and to Melissa!
*****


Jim, Pam, John


Pam, Mrs. Schulte, Donny (her tshirt says "the Lawn Lady is 80". Mrs. Schulte is STILL cutting grass...for 5 of her neighbors! The "80" on the shirt was made to look like a number on a football jersey - both Jim & Jack were #80 in high school!)



GOT GRASS? (I guess she's looking for more lawns to mow....hey dad - HERE's someone who can cut your grass!!!!)



Kim (Jim's wife) & Donny ONLY go to the WW reunions if the other one is there...they have kept each other company at the last 6 reunions....



CONGRATULATIONS JENNY & ANDY!
Welcome Reece Evelyn Marie!
(finally) arrived Saturday, August 7 in the wee hours of the morning.

Reece & Grammy Peg (Andy's mom!)




(another interesting butterfly story...gave Jen & Andy a gift for Reece, and the card had a butterfly on it. Andy says "Hey - Reece's room is all butterflies!!!!" Fort is everywhere....still. She'll be watching over Reece too Andy!)

Lunch at Fort's favorite place...China Cottage!
Been trying to get together with some of Melissa's friends all summer, and finally had a date...and couldn't think of a better place than Melissa's birthday place. It is ALWAYS great to spend time with Melissa's friends (and their parents!)...and John of course!

Jen, Kyra, Pam, Evie



John, Donny & Dave (awwwww...John still has a thing for Donny I guess...)



Coach Fort (Friday night "Midnight Madness") Interesting story here. I think this Midnight Madness is something fairly new. Saturday was the first day for "contact", so some teams have started this tradition of having a contact/hitting practice the minute it is legal to do so - midnight on the first day. Fairmont players were dressed and on the field at 11 p.m. running through drills. I was sitting on a bench right behind the team (in the stands) and a butterfly went by (right in front of me - it WAS a butterfly!)..then flew toward the group Donny was working with. He saw it too, and turned around and gave me this "butterfly" signal and pointed (like "did you see it too?)
He said it flew toward the goal posts - and he thinks THROUGH the goal posts...I hope that's a good sign...