Back to Blue Ridge-Sharing My Mind

There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24 (NIV) 

This morning, we woke up to rain and wind.  I believe that yesterday was truly the peak of the leaf season.   Today was also a day of transitions as the second portion of my vacation began.  After spending the morning with Vicki making a bag while she felted a scarf, we headed to downtown Asheville for some shopping and lunch and to meet my college roommate, Julie.  Julie and I have been friends since 1976 when we were assigned to be roommates our freshman year of college.  Whoever worked in the section of the housing department of our university did a great job of matching us.  I know many roommate pairings did not work out, but ours was an instant friendship.  We were both vocalists and theater participants in High School, raised in the church and even drove the same cars.  While we had some differences, she was raised in North Carolina and didn’t believe in wearing white shoes after Labor Day, and I was raised in Florida where anything goes fashion wise, even Hawaiian shirts and sandals on dates, Julie and I bonded and developed a friendship that is still strong thirty four years later.   During collge, we survived homesickness, fire drills, foreigh study, boyfriends, illness, exams, recitals, and decisions over graduate school.   Over the years, we have celebrated many milestones together.  Graduate school graduations, weddings, the births of our children and the adoption of two of Julie’s and the “big” birthdays. We have agonized over things as serious as career choices, children’s behavior, parent’s health and things as simple as recipes, crafts and vacation plans.  This weekend was to be our thirty year college reunion, but as we made plans to attend, Julie and I realized that the only people we really wanted to see was each other.   For our 50th birthdays, we attended the class that started us both on the hobby of glass fusing so it made sense to us to ditch the class reunion and take a glass class.  That’s how, after a weekend at Vicki’s with felting and fiber, I am off with Julie to fuse glass.   After a melancholy good bye to Vicki, Julie and I headed for a cabin in Otto, North Carolina near the Fire and Light glass studio where we will take classes starting tomorrow.  On the trip, Julie and I talked and laughed like no time at all had passed since that first day that we moved into the dorm together.  We shared our hearts like you can with only true friends who care deeply about you.  Of all the things we appreciate about this week, it is the opportunity to spend time together without feeling the tick of the clock or the tug of children on our hands.  I am a blessed woman to have friends both old and new to share experiences and encouragement.   But, there is a friend even closer than the earthly ones I have.  If you don’t know Him, I’d like to introduce you