Traveling Friends: Shorthand for Old, Dear Friends with Whom I Occasionally Travel

What would I do without my friends? My many and varied good friends, undeserved* as they are, bolster me with their interest, understanding, compassion, laughter, memories, acceptance, and ease; it is easy to be with them, and their presence makes me light.

Saturday I drove to Brenham for bluebonnets, Blue Bell, and buddies, as my traveling friends had decided that it was time for us to get together and that I needed their support. We four, friends from college and, in one case, high school, have traveled together to NYC, San Francisco and Napa Valley, Savannah, and Cape Cod, and three of us have done London and New Mexico. We comprise a group muy simpatico, and hope to continue our tradition for many more trips and years.

Tom is anxious for me to continue my life, and I am doing so. I couldn't bring myself to spend the night - as I told him, I could not totally relax doing so yet, so it was better for me to come on home. Home, by the way, is still the rent house, but we will be moving into Gerrilynn's pool house next Tuesday. Woo-hoo!

Judy, Doris, Blue Bell Girl, Sally, Johanna

Johanna Gives it a Try

Cute in our Caps

Photos from Past Trips

Judy and Doris Sampling in Napa

In Nantucket: Planning our Next Trip

Judy and Sally in Taos

Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah: Johnny Mercer's Tomb

We have been to some great places.

*"undeserved": I use this word, not because I think little of myself (I think pretty highly of myself, as a matter of fact), but because I am aware of how little I give. I have come to see myself as tending toward my father's propensity of being a hermit; I like very much being by myself. Also like him, I like being with others, but not all the time - I want my friends when I want them - otherwise, leave me alone, please. I know that I bring a lot to the party, which, I suppose, is why my friends stick with me. Selfish? Arrogant? Yes. Yet delightfully self-aware, don't you think? (Repeat: arrogant!)