Golden Friends

Five of us septuagenarians celebrated the birthdays of two of us yesterday at Cappy's. Reflecting on the decades we've been friends, I thought of the Girl Scout song: "Make new friends, but keep the old; Some are silver and the others gold."  These four are among my Golden Oldies! 

Top photo: 

I met Freda in the late 90s, so she's the "youngest" in terms of longevity of friendship, but only because she waited that long to  move here from Maryland.  Freda is an avid swimmer and music lover--and Luci's walking partner.  Luci does a happy dance every time I mention Freda's name.  

I met Joy when her not-yet-husband Frank and my then-husband were colleagues at S.A.C.  They recently celebrated their 40th anniversary and we were at the wedding!  We celebrated holidays together and parties on our motorcycle track and their Medina Lake house. In all these years, I rarely see Joy without a bouquet in her hands.  Yesterday's was a sunflower she grew in her garden, vibrant and beautiful like Joy. 

Middle photo:

Mary Locke and I met in 1974 when we were members of Manor Baptist Church. A few years later, we  decided to go to graduate school at U.T.S.A.--just "something fun to do." That's where we met Bonnie, our favorite professor.  One night after class, we decided we wanted Bonnie to be our friend--and it worked.  She said yes! 

Bonnie retired from teaching at U.T.S.A a few years ago and now teaches a lively writing class for seniors.  Her students love her class so much that they have compiled their own writings and made a book--and will be doing a group reading on July 30th.  Then Bonnie's off to Vermont for two months of cool mountain air and liberal politics.  

Bottom photo: Bonnie and me. 

As Bonnie always says, when someone ( among the outsiders who think Texans are all gun-toting conservatives) asks her why she "still" lives in Texas, she says, "My friends!"  

A nearby Cappy's table of younger women might see us as "old ladies," but we prefer "wonderful old women"--to borrow the title of Bonnie's book.  Except on birthdays, we see each other not as women of a certain age, but as lively ageless creative friends.  We knew each other "when...."

And that's golden!