Staying Connected with 62 Old Friends

Staying Connected With 62 Old Friends
July 9, 2017-July 8, 2018

In 1962, I met Kathy Flatley.  We were in 2nd grade.  I had just moved to a new neighborhood and knew no one. One of us had a pretzel and offered the other a piece. "OK", the other responded, "Want to be my friend?"  And so a friendship was formed.  Kathy and I went to grade school, high school and college together.  We were college roommates. I was in her wedding. Our parents and siblings were friends.  We have grieved together as we lost family members. Our families are neighbors at the cemetery. We are only three plots away form each other.  So we will rest as friends forever.

I've made other good friends in my lifetime. But regretfully, I've lost 4 friends in the last two years to cancer.  That's a lot of loss.  I have to make more effort to focus on those who are still here with me.  So, this year, my 62nd year, I am going to make an effort to connect with old friends.

• Colleen France- July 11- a quick dinner at a restaurant and then hanging on the beach until she had to go home. (1)
• Sue Descano, Tom Descano and Ruth Snyder- July 13- dinner in West Chester- (2,3,4)
• Dinner with Jaye and Dom Pedante- It was a week after my birthday but Jaye asked me to come over to celebrate.  Andrea was also there. (5.6.7)
• Dinner with Joann and Dominic Travalina- July 18- dinner at BBQ station and then ice cream at Kilby's- ((8, 9))
• Deb Green's brother died and we went to his memorial service at a national cemetery in Harrisburg, PA: Deb, Lisa, Chris Lyons and Katie Lyons. (10, 11, 12, 13)
• Leslie, Marianna and Helen.- July 19-A Night at the movies to see Maudie @ the Bryn Mawr Film Institute (14, 15, 16)
• KT and Vicki- July 23- Boulder Triathlon, Vicki came in 1st in her age group.- (17, 18)
• Helen Dougherty and Gene Brown- July 25- dinner with them and KT (19, 20)
• Dinner with Betty and John Ulrich (21, 22)
• Dinner at Woody's with Tilman Buntz and Kevin Williams- August 16 (23,24)
• I sat shiva with Lynn and Nadiv Shapira- August 19- (25, 26)
• Drinks at the Irish Pub in Elkton with Amanda Butler- August 22- (27)
• Dinner with Kathy Flatley- August 23 (28)
• Drinks and conversation with Shelia and Michelle Santoro- August 29- (29,30)
• Dinner with Jill and Mark Dougherty- September 4-(31, 32)
• Investment Club Meeting with Janice Lion- September 14- (33)
• Sateya joined Joan, Dom and me for drinks.  The next day we went kayaking (34)
• We went to a Dave Bromberg concert- Sue, Jim and Elias Frantz- September 22- (35, 36, 37)
• Dinner at the Moushulu in Philly with Leslie and Rosina (38)
• Bar hopping with Sue Descano and Bill McRae. It was the first day of his retirement.- September 5 (39)
• Kathy Lewis stopped by to attend a photo class with me- October 5 (40)
• Investment Club with Christine Farr- October 13- (41)
• Drinks with the Springfield faculty (Bill and Kathy Atwell, Fonda Akins and Karen Carty)@ Miller's Ale House- October 13- (42, 42, 44, 45)
• Spent the afternoon on the beach with John and Jane Bamback- October 14- (46, 47)
• Ran in to Beth Fellona on Long Beach Island. We sat at her house for the evening and just caught up on each other's lives.  She has cancer and is in a race for time.- October 15- (48)
• The Germans are back in town- Kirsten and Angelina- October 16- (49, 50)
• Dinner at McGillian's Old Ale House with Celeste Duke- October 25- (51)
• Ran in to Dave and Michelle J at Sue Descano's house- October 28- (52, 53)
• Although I wasn't going to include relatives, I am including this one as I so rarely see my cousins on my mother's side.  It was 17 years since I saw Cindy and James Fields- October 29- (54, 55).
• It's been two years since I saw Wyatt and Vivian Wallace and it was great to have dinner with them. -November 6- (56, 57)
• I haven't seen Nancy Gansky is seven years.  Her grand daughter died suddenly last month and I made contact with her.  She was anxious to connect and talk about Teara. (58)
• As we usually do when we get together, Jen Hogan and I went brewery hopping. (59)- Feb. 22.
• After several years, Sally Doan called me and we spent the afternoon, drinking in West Chester- March 2- (60).
• Yesterday was Michelle Mehan's funeral- March 9- several of us from high school made the trip to Stone Harbor, NJ to attend her funeral- Kathy Bandos, Carol Shea, Mary Ann Dreuding, Peggy Griffith and Donna Romano (61, 62, 63, 64).
• Goal Met
• I went to George Trout's father's funeral (3/16) and saw lots of old friends: George Trout, Marty Preston, Bob Preston, Dave Ash, Christine Belton and Matt Owens. (65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70)
• Lucinda Taber (71)-and I went to see the movie, A Wrinkle in Time- March 23
• Judy Hardly, Michelle DeFidelto, Rosemary Origiilo, Loir Tiers, Michelle Fuller, Marrie Hadfield and others join me at our 45th high school reunion- May
• Fonda Akins had a birthday party. Walt Hartshorn, Diane Simon, Cindy Dannaker, and Denise Mroz were there- June
• Kris Mooney and Libby Lianteit in TN- Oct

RIP

Michelle Meehan Patterson- my high school friend- February 18, 2018