Finished Pillow, Final Draft & Reunion of Friends

Here is the finished pillow. I used some exquisite, deep-purple satin for the backing, to pick up the purple in the design. I trimmed it with decorative stitching (my sewing machine has this capability) and made a long flap so that the backing folds into the inside of the pillowcase like an envelope. It is closed with velcro dots, out of sight on the inside.

Yesterday was a busy day. I started by taking the final draft of my book to the printers. I had 5 copies made for a small group of readers to review. It still needs work on bibliography, permissions, and the occasional improvement to phrasing. After the comments come back, I will format it for the University Book Store's Espresso Book Machine, and plan to have it printed there.

I feel as if I just had a baby.

After my stop at the printer, I drove to the ferry dock and met David in the terminal. He was on his way to work, and I rode over with him, on my way to meet two friends from high school. Jody, Sally and I were one of those female "threesomes" in high school that worked. They were a couple of years ahead of me in school, but we attended the same church, were part of the same youth group, went to the same summer camp. In addition, one of Jody's brothers was dating my sister; Jody even dated my brother. Our paths were interwoven for a few years, until the two couples broke up...and then, things got a bit too messy for our youthful frame of reference. We went our separate ways for college, and allowed our "threesome" to drift apart.

I reconnected with Jody last year, and it was lovely. She has the same sweetness, intelligence, humor, beauty and positive energy that I remember, just burnished and deepened over the years. It was good to meet her husband, and to have her meet Gregg. We enjoyed a delicious dinner together in the warmth of their hospitality.

I hadn't seen Sally since high school, but she and Jody have stayed in touch with each other. It was lovely to see Sally again. She is just as I remember her: intelligent, whimsical, creative and kind. The three of us talked non-stop the entire time we were together; about 30 years has passed since we were in close contact, and I'd say we made a fair start at catching up!

The interesting thing, to me, was how quickly trust and rapport were re-established. It's a gift to find that all of the qualities which we recognized and loved in one another so many years ago are still there, still sparkling and still beautiful. Though life has thrown all three of us some serious curve-balls, that goodness is still percolating, alive and well.

facebook made this reunion possible - it is one of the blessings of that addictive social medium.