Girlfriend

"I've got to get away," my girlhood friend Lyn Hooker told me on the phone.  She lives in San Leandro, CA with her hubby Jimmy, in a small condo.  The condo presently is made even smaller by the need to empty her balcony for repairs.  All was emptied into their living room, making for very little order or peace as the workers noised their way through extended days doing balcony repairs.  So we made plans for her visit.  She wavered over flying or driving and decided on the cheaper option of driving.  That should have been a 10 and one half hour drive, according to Google.  When she decided to take the driving option, traveling here alone, I knew she was very anxious to make the trip.  But I was pretty sure it would take her longer than the 10 and a half hours mentioned.  And it did.  She did fine for most of the trip, but struggled through the long and lonely drive through Oregon and got completely lost once she entered Idaho.  We drove out to find her and guide her home.  "Never again," she said.  "I'll never drive out here again."


                       Here's a selfie of Lyn and me, after enjoying lunch at Fred Meyer's.

She probably won't.  But having her here is a nice experience and I believe she is getting the rest and relaxation she needs.  Lyn and I met when we were in high school and, at the age of 15, we were both baptized into the Church together.  We went through college together and have remained friends through the years.  Our lives have been quite different, but here we are, still friends and still active in the Church.  It is interesting to listen to her thoughts and tune in to her ideas and feelings about life and plans for the future.  There is something that reaches deeper into me than normal when I spend time with a friend who knows me over such a long period of time.  Friendships here are so new; it is different and good to spend time with someone who knows my history.  I suppose I like the idea of lasting relationships; that history can be very nourishing.

Lyn came here for a little peace and quiet, away from the chaos of home improvements.  Its a bit funny then to mention that we are in the midst of some of our own home improvements.  The sale of our condo gave us a little extra money, so we are redoing some of our kitchen.  The counters presently are a combination of laminate and granite which has always seemed a bit odd to me.  So we are replacing the laminate with more granite and putting in a new sink and faucet.  The demolition began soon after Lyn's arrival.  The mess will be cleared up this Friday, a few days after she leaves.  Still, after the noise of the demolition, it is rather peaceful.  Messy, but peaceful.

This is the granite/laminate combination I mentioned.  The laminate will be replaced with granite that contrasts with what is already there.

Here's the old sink and faucet.  The new one will be an under mount stainless sink and faucet, surrounded by the new granite.

I've spent most of the week working on the house, cleaning and organizing things in preparation for the many guests that are due to arrive the end of this month and extending through July.  It promises to be a very busy time, filled with children and family.  I'm hoping to get things arranged to offer an enjoyable time for all.  Lynn leaves for home on Tuesday.  We'll have the rest of the week to get everything in shape.  Then, a wild but fun ride promises to emerge.