Montana Friends

Posting Santa Claus on my blog reminded me I have a picture of my first boyfriend, George, his wife Susie and son and family so will post that. George and I were best buddies from second grade on and always had fun together. Bill and I were remembering when Bill and Carla and George and I were in sixth grade and we had our first double date. Suddenly, best buddies who could always talk, didn't know what to say to each other. It was funny and fun. Walking home from that date there was a beautiful spring snow still on the trees and I have never forgotten how beautiful Glendive could be with all those overhanging trees.

I lived with Susie in Billings when I was teaching school for one year. She was known as "Beauty and Brains" and still is. Great memories.

Santa Claus

Whoever thought one of your school friends would grow up to be a Santa Claus? Not me, but here he is, Bill, the class flirt, an authentic Santa Claus with a real beard and mustache!! He says he has been doing this for over 15 years so look for this face in those Christmas commercials!!

Carla

My friend Carla whom I had written about from my childhood sent this picture today. She is sitting with her son Ken on her last birthday. She still looks like a young gal and he is very handsome. Thank you, Carla, it is so fun to see friends in our old age who we knew as children.

Myrna never signed!

Myrna called me to tell me that she never signed the LTL pledge to not smoke or drink! I didn't remember this. Mrs. Lowe, a church biddy, called and reported to Myrna's mother that Myrna had refused to sign the pledge. Her mother asked if Myrna had said why. "She said she didn't know what she was going to do when she grew up." "There's your answer!" her Mom said and that was that. And Mrs. Lowe never spoke to Myrna's mother again.

Heartaches

The word Heartaches"

reminded me of my friend Myrna who I stay with when I travel back and forth to San Diego. She lives just off the freeway in a beautiful home in Manhattan Beach. This song

"Heartaches" was one of her favorites in high school when she was going through a heartbreak romance. She also loved "My Blue Heaven". Funny how songs remind you of people and places. Here she is with Eddie, a neighbor in Glendive, at our 2000 high school reunion. They were not a romantic couple but were the best jitter buggers in our high school!

Myrna had to work from an early age in Kaplan's, the dress shop next to our store Anderson's, so she missed out on a lot of the after school happenings. She was such a great clerk because she is a people person and took an interest in all of their customers. Myrna is such a people person that she had and still has friends of every age. She is everyone's best friend, with a very compassionate heart and kindness for all. She has a fantastic memory and knows all about each of us. We all think she is our best friend... and she is!

Myrna had some heartbreaking moments in her life but persevered over all. Unfortunately the "love of her life" passed away in 1993 and they did not have enough years but she was so happy those years together in Manhattan Beach. Now she lives alone with a daughter, son-in-law and two granddaughters near and two stepsons and their wives and two grandsons a little further away.

Myrna had the smallest waist of all of us. We made these ballernina skirts that were a full circle and so fun to dance in. Myrna's mother worked but I remember her being so fun to be around, always laughing and joking. Myrna and her mother made this fabulous boiled white frosting and chocolate cake and the best divinity. Myrna is still a great chef today and it is always a pleasure to eat whatever she is dishing up. My favorite outing with Myrna at her church was Easter Sunrise Service and then to the basement of the church for scrambled eggs, sausage, hot cross buns and orange juice and then we would go wake up our Catholic friends...Even though we had our own church in our home on Sunday nights, I went to the Methodist Church with Myrna. Her aunt was our Sunday School teacher when we were in grade school.

A really fun adventure in junior high was to travel by open truck (We were all in the back--against the law today) all the way from Glendive across Montana to Livingston for a Church Camp.

It was really fun--here we are discussing the weighty things of the world, Raine, Myrna, Myself and Eddie. On the way back to Glendive the back of my jeans came unsewed and so I tied my fringe jacket around my waist and said I was too hot to wear it--actually it was freezing in the open truck.

We also joined LTL (Loyal Temperance League) and signed our names that we would not smoke or drink. I was probably one of the few who never did.

Lake Tahoe, contd.

Marjorie on the lake shore.

We were trying to catch the different colors of Lake Tahoe. They go from an aqua, to a deep turquoise to a deep blue but this picture did not get the right colors. Anyway the lake and sky are beautiful no matter what or when at Lake Tahoe.

The water at Lake Tahoe is over 99% pure. It is so clear it is unbelievable. We did not go in it as it is too late in the year but it is very fun to swim in and you can walk a long way out, but it is extremely deep in the middle, 1645 feet with an average of 989 feet throughout. Lake Tahoe is one of the "must see" destinations and did you know it has enough water to cover the entire state of California to a depth of 14 inches--122 million acres of water. We also took the Dixie II dinner cruise for $10 each ( a deal from the timeshare people). The filet mignon dinner was unexpectedly fabulous!

This is one of the stately redwood trees that are found around the lake--not as big as on the coast but they have really lovely markings and color. This picture did not do the tree justice.

The Canadian Geese are very much at home all around the lake, as we found out when we came up in the summer of 95. You have to watch where you step!

Carla

Today my childhood friend Carla called--(Carla is her stage name, she was on the Perry Como show, played the lead in "Fantasticks", was Miss Montana, Homecoming Queen in High School, Child Prodigy, pianist, violinist, singer, A student)--In other words she did it all and I was a best friend.

Here, she is the smiling one in the center, I think it was a birthday party for her--I am the gloomy one on the right (I don't know what that was about). Anyway we had a wonderful childhood. There was a canyon by her house with lots of tall growth. We would play "Nyoka of the Jungle." She had a terrific imagination and I loved to follow her lead. We also would put on our rubber boots and crossed from the creek to an island on the river and searched for treasure (agates). We called it Poco Moco Loco Island as I recall. One day her brother followed us and that was the end of that. We were evidently walking through raw sewage. We would hike out to the badlands and Sugarloaf (a magical clay mound perfect for climbing up to and sitting in and eating lunch). Just don't be there when it rains--slippery, slippery. In high school we were the first Freshman to get our big D--attained through all kinds of athletic feats like biking 75 miles, 200 sit ups, 10 push ups, etc. We would have my brother drive us out of town so we knew how many miles it was and then bike back. With her imagination she would also make up stories to submit to magazines like "Confessions" or "True Love" or something and enthrall us with her articles.

In high school, our boyfriends were best buds so we double dated. One of the most funny to me was chasing a pig through town. I drove while the boys chased and I followed them down alleys and such. We had a lot of fun, needless to say. As I have said before, we had a magical childhood and teenage years. Oh yes, Carla was also a star in all the high school plays. As I say, she could do it all. I was a terrific audience but what else, I am not sure, a better driver I think. She would scare me to death as she would turn and talk to us in the back seat as she drove. As children, we even donned our best and attended the Community Concerts together. I used to have the autographs of famous violinists and pianists I had never heard of.

After her Broadway and TV years she was a music teacher at a private school and then a stockbroker on Wall Street and I was a school teacher, then a homemaker and then a mortgage broker in San Diego. She had her doctorate and did very well in the financial business. A regular whiz kid in anything she tried.

Now we are both old and she is in the city of New York or vacationing in Hilton Head and I live the simple life in the mountains. Amazing how two such different individuals can be best friends. But that is how life should be, isn't it?

Some Friends in My Life, 2007

Friends are such an important part of our lives.  This trip I saw my friend Nadine, who has been cutting my hair since the 60's. After my husband died we spent many an early morning biking around Mission Bay.   We each bought a beach bike and I loved that until I moved to the mountains.  And I always look forward to getting a good "Nadine-doo" haircut whenever I return to San Diego.

Connie--who was my Assistant at Choice Mortgage for 12 years! She was a High School Secretary and would come in late afternoon and work till late.  She was so good,  I could not have made it without her. She was also very wise and a good confidant during those turbulent years. We would often makeup scenarios about our loan clients to giggle over.  You can tell alot about people by the way they spend their money and their assets--it would keep us from getting bored or too tired from the work.

This is the wall of my friend Sharon's home. She is very creative and clever and has such an interesting home. These are doilies her grandmother made and she has made them a treasure forever. I also met Sharon in the 60's. Even though I was older, we had children about the same ages and we did the beach, the bay, Disneyland, museums, Pioneer Day, etc.--all kinds of things together. One Pioneer Day we left my Maria with her Donna at Cabrillo Park and didn't notice until we were almost in Pacific Beach! She had extra children that day so we had a van full. This was in the days before seat belts...Motherhood is so much easier and more fun with a good friend. This trip she showed me how to finish off a sweater I had started for my son James 34 years ago. I am going to give it to his Jimmy, age 6--even though the yarn is a little faded. Good beach sweater... 

Another friend I see often now is Myrna. She lets me stay in Manhattan Beach on my way coming and going from Lake Almanor. We have been friends since 2nd grade, so we have all our Montana friends to talk about.  She is an interesting talker and remembers so much I have forgotten... Girl friends keep us sane...In the picture below from Camp with the Methodist Church Group in Junior High she is in the middle.  Lorraine is on the left and Eddie, a school mate is on my left.  myrna and I lost track of each other over the years but since we are both widows now and she lives where I can stop by and see her on my trips back and forth from San Diego we have renewed a great friendship.  When I get lonely at night, she is a great one to call and chat with.   I must find an updated picture!

TIME OUT for Women

Saturday we spent at the Convention Center in Reno at Time Out for Women. Michael McLean and Cherie Call were the singers with their stories to tell and I have several CDs of Michael McClean but Cherie was new to me. I felt extravagant as I bought her CDs to add to my 225 (e) collection but this morning as I listened to her I thought what a great way to start the day. She writes meaningful stories with terrific lyrics. What insight for such a young woman. Maria with the pretty curly hair brought her friend Connie with the pretty straight hair and Marjorie came with me. It was a lovely day with good speakers, good food, and good talk.

We stayed at a new Hampton Inn and used some of my Hilton points mostly earned when I stayed at a Hampton in Beaumont, Texas during Hurricane Rita.