The Girlfriends are Coming!!!!

I must say, the dust bunnies are on the run these days. With Christmas boxed and returned to storage, Winterpast is sufficiently ready for company. Heck, I’ve even dusted which is something I loathe. The thought of having someone come and clean for me isn’t in my DNA at this point in life. Each day, I’ve cleaned a little something. All those little somethings have added up to a house that is crying out for a party.

Making new girlfriends is risky business. Hoping for the best, I’ve invited four lovely women to share snacks and laughter at Winterpast on Friday afternoon! All friends from church, two of them took me to lunch on my birthday. They made an otherwise dreadful day wonderful. Sitting in the restaurant for hours, we talked and laughed until the lunch crowd was gone and the candles were being lit for dinner. It was divine.

With the entire week ahead, I plan to to continue polishing and preparing for their arrival. I wish Miss Firecracker was here to help ignite this party. She always knew the most adorable ways to make any occasion festive. I’ll need to call her for suggestions. These days, she hard to catch as she rolls around town in her brand new shiny black Cadillac. Hopefully I can ask her for suggestions on just the right snacks for a group of five ladies.

CC and Da Girl would be great additions, too. They’re just too far away, both having families and duties tethering them in California. That’s the downside to moving late in life. While I had VST, we were a feral couple who made new acquaintances easily. Lifelong friendships take a lifetime of days to form. Sadly, so do lifetime love affairs. Starting from the beginning is tricky.

Last night at Bible Study, prayer requests flooded in. Many told of a family member or friend in need of a miracle. Personal stories were shared for collective prayer. We’re a family of our choosing. Just like in any family, intimate details of tragedy and sadness are discussed. It isn’t just any church that works like ours. So many Mega Churches hold hundreds for Sunday Morning service. Ours runs around 50 people. Fifty people that know each other well and cherish the times we spend together.

A sweet friend entered the building yesterday her face told she was distraught. A brain injury troubles her life and every day is an exhausting challenge. She was at the end of her rope yesterday.

“Joy, it’s a dog eat dog world and my heart is made of Milk-Bones these days.”

Giving her a quiet hug, I thanked God that my brain isn’t suffering. How unusual it is to find a safe place where others are aware of personal pain when a friend enters the room. Truly comforting and wonderful. My church family is my life line, too.

I wish all the women from the church were coming to visit, but for now, I’ll start with four. Looking on Pinterest for some ideas on luncheon icebreakers, we’ll embark on this journey of deeper friendship.

Oliver had better be on his best behavior. Just like any child, I’ll get him something to distract his little brain while we humans visit. A new bone or toy should do it. Being a 25 pound sausage, he is just a bundle of energy when company shows up. I can’t risk a broken hip because he decides to jump on someone.

Speaking of the little guy, today, his Puppy Camp Extravaganza is over.

Over the desert and through the plains,

To Oliver’s kennel I go.

The Jeep knows the way, today is the day

Hallelujah!

There’s no snow!

Happy to have made it through my 2nd New Year’s Eve alone, it’s time that things get back to normal around here. 2022 has some wonderful things in store for me. Starting this week, my dance card is filling up with activities for me and me alone. Stay tuned. More tomorrow.