Interesting? Meaningful?

I wonder if I'm writing anything that's meaningful or if I'm still hiding behind the words? I have a lot of things I'm very passionate about and lots of opinions on things but I just usually let them roll around in my head. I always think that no one wants to hear them. But, I am witty so maybe I can do something witty instead of something meaningful.

Friends

I wonder what would happen if we had no friends? I really think we would begin to invent imaginary friends because without someone else, outside of the marriage, to bounce things off of, learn from, support and be supported, how could we manage to get through life? We have some wonderful friends like these people, the George's on the left, and the Harper's on the right, whom we have known for 20 years. The words "for better for worse, etc. etc." apply to friendship as much as marriage. Our kids are the same ages, our marriages are about the same age, we are about the same age, we share similar faith and value system, we like to be together and have laughed and cried together over the years. We've also tag-team parented and watched our rascally little ones grow up into rascally bigger ones and then responsible adults. I look at these pictures and my heart is full. I love these people and they are a permanent part of our lives now. I don't think we could even divorce them if we wanted to. (Can you divorce friends?) Knowing there is someone you can call if you need them is worth so much. Even if I never had to call them, I would know they were there for me. But, I have had to call them and have been called by them and we do whatever we can for each other, no questions asked. That's worth more money than I'll ever see in this lifetime or the next.

Thirty-six years together

August 4 was our 36th anniversary. We were only 10 years old when we were married, that's why we look so young. =) Anyway, it's been quite a journey from 1973 to 2009. We've been through a lot. Have had a lot of good days and a lot of days we'd just as soon forget. I anticipated those days when I was young, but didn't anticipate how hard it would be to plow through. I thought if things got tough I could always bail out and go my own way. But a funny thing happened. I didn't want to leave. I decided to stay married to this great guy and work through the things that married couples have to work through in order to hammer out a life together. It's been worth it. We're so bonded together that I can't imagine going through life without him. I'm totally and completely loved and cared for by my hubby and I know he would do anything for me. I know he feels that I would do the same for him. In the whole realm of things, nothing is as important as that kind of relationship. We can and have accomplished anything we needed or wanted to do. I know that our mutual love for God has been the glue that has kept us together. Whatever we do and say, we both know that we are accountable to God first and each other next. It's good to have the same values. It was a good foundation for our relationship that began in September of 1971 in Hillsboro, Kansas. You don't really know what will happen when you share your life with someone. It's a very complex series of events and sometimes it seems to have a life of its own. We're going to be together another 36 years so we will keep learning and keep loving each other 'til death...

Eddie Van Halen Friesen

Isn't he adorable? This is the best picture I could get because he doesn't sit still unless he's on someone's lap. He's wearing his new tank top ($1 at Target--his mom's a good shopper). On my birthday-August 22- we went to the SPCA branch shelter close to our house "just to look" and this one looked at us with his big brown eyes and said, "It's about time you guys got here. I've been waiting for you." Eddie's big sister Abbey Road Harriet Friesen is in the background in her pink cupcake tank top. She's 6 months older and 3 pounds heavier. They're both a pain in the derrier, but when you're in love with a four legged furry creature, you go a little nuts.

Project #2

Well, here is my next project. The blocks are all sewn together and if I may say so myself, many of them are nicely placed nose to nose. I know there's a quilting term for that but I think I get the point across. The colors are a little off on this picture but they are all batik prints of dark blue, bright orange, purple, forest green and light blue. I finished it at about 11:00 last night and slept under it to get the feel of my first human sized quilt. Next stop: borders and batting. Stay tuned

I Can't Believe I'm Quilting

Who knew at the beginning of this summer that I'd become one of "them"? I have heretofore been a very minor member of a big quilting posse. Out of self-defense, I decided that I had to quilt or get off my horse. I was afraid I'd be left behind at the OK Corral in a pile of material scraps. So (sew) I jumped in. I mentioned my "minor" status. That came about when, with the expert and patient help of Susan and Maggie, I made a few blocks for various quilts we made for our friends who needed to be 'covered' in prayer. So, this summer I decided to "go commando" and try it myself. This little nine block wall hanging/table top/shoulder warmer (I'll explain that in a minute) is what I produced. I loved doing it, especially the hand quilting. So, I'm hooked (or needled). The reason it is also a shoulder warmer is that this weekend we went to the Second Space Theater with some friends to see "Lost in Yonkers" (which was superb!) and it was freezing in there. I had taken my quilt projects along to show our friends so Dave ended up draped in this, plus a piece from my latest attempt. We were sitting right in the front row, practically on the set and decided that it was a sign of getting older that we didn't care what we looked like as long as we were comfortable. Too bad I didn't get a picture. He did look adorable.