Monday, November 05, 2012

A voice from the past

One of the wonders of Facebook is that you reconnect with old friends, some from a really long time ago. A few weeks ago a woman sent a friend request. I responded by asking if she was the Ellen I  remembered from years (forty or so) ago. She was. And she liked my mysteries. Better yet, she posted about how much she liked them. I remembered her and her husband, had two tags in mind--photography and dogs. I finally met them when I spoke to Rotary South in Fort Worth but we had no time to visit. Today, she and I caught up over lunch.
She remembered more than I did. We met in 1969 when she and her husband, still in their early twenties, moved to Fort Worth and bought a Cairn terrier from us--we were raising them at the time. We were, she said, their first friends in Fort Worth. I do remember tht we saw a lot of them for a while but then drifted  apart. She had new perspective on my ex-husband,  reminding me that Fort Worth was then still a small town, and she told me things people said. Nothing surprised me, except that it was such general knowledge--like, "Don't go into business with him. You'll lose your shirt."
But beyond that she's had an interesting life and she recounted stories of her trips to Scotland and Norway, apparently the lands of her heritage--well, Orkney to be exact. We shared stories of adoption--she was adopted but did not have the happy experience my children and I have had. We talked about writing and research and wannabe writers who get it wrong. And, oh yes, in this day of limbo, we talked about politics (she actually cheered me with her surness that the President will be re-elected). The whole lunch and reacquainting was lovely.
Tonight a friend came for leftovers, and we visited much longer than either of us meant to, but it was good and fun. And the leftovers were even better today.
No work done, but I've finished the draft of the novel and this afternoon I wrapped Christmas gifts. I can goof off with a clear conscience.

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