Thursday, April 2, 2009

A Facebook reward

It's getting so my mornings are filled now with reading. Well, they always were--back before I entered this cyber-world with my concrete clodhoppers I read my trusty newspaper in the morning, but now, sitting down at the computer, catching up with Facebook, reading the blogs, all yours and the ones on Peace Corps Worldwide, and giving them thought and commenting where I will, is taking up a couple of hours a day. I feel I have to do it all at once so I can the get on with my resposnbilities in the F&B world, which indeed do call. Today's an overcast day and wettish day so far, but there are a couple of things with my name on them that I must get to. As to the poor old Washington Post, wraith-like as it now is, I'll get to it sometime today....

Speaking of Facebook, it's done me a huge favor by putting me in touch with one of my best friends from high school. We met for lunch yesterday after not having seen each other in over 30 years. Jane was a year behind me, and seeing her, sharing memories and comparing updates about mutual friends reminded me that I actually had more friends in her class than I did in my own. She has put me in touch with two more of my favorite people from those years, and in May, assuming we are still in this house, I hope to have a little get-together for them, maybe a brunch.

Yesterday's reunion was the perfect kind, where you slip into conversations and attitudes as if no time had passed at all. If I tell you Jane is a Hospice nurse, I think that's the most description you could need to know what kind of person she is. She's both a talker and a listener, bubbly but not sugary, naturally upbeat. Delightful. She and her husband Eddie have been married 40 years, have two kids and are starting on grandkids. And yet they're both still the "kids" I remember from 1964.

What fun!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm sure that was a fun day. I have to comment that I have no idea where Hospice finds these angels. Ann's 96 year old Mom lives with us and she was signed up in Hospice three years ago. We have met the nicest, friendliest, kind hearted, individuals on earth. It's a pleasure to see them weekly as they come by to help Helen. Cookie comes today to bathe her and Cookie is an absolute doll. Always cheer full and all of them include you as family in their lives. I can't say enough for Hospice care givers.

Mim said...

Nothing sweeter than connecting with a good friend from the past, especially when it feels like just yesterday when we last saw them.
I agree with you.. I can do the same thing if/when I get on the computer and stay on far too long.
I enjoy reading so many things that time goes so fast.
I was going to comment on Tues post but didn't re: the excessive middle age adolscent style drinking.
Sounds like you may be the cooking guys instead of the drinking guys.
Hope its not too rainy to get that porch finished.
We are actually at a friends house in Kill Devil Hills this wk.. cold, and rainy here too.
No beach walking so far.
Thinking of you as your house goes on the market in a few days.

Ralph said...

Mim, I envy you being in KDH! Cold and rainy, but it's still the beach.

Don't get me wrong--I still enjoy the occasional wine--I just can't drink the way I used to. We'll see how it goes...

Ralph said...

Z&M, I've had no experience with Hospice but I certainly know and admire its reputation. From what I understand of it, Jane is perfect for the job.

Lonely Rivers said...

Most of my everyday in my life friends are on facebook, but I have avoided it because my job is pretty public AND I am learning that I too could spend many many more hours internetting. Saving some of that for my upcoming but currently postponed retirement. Haven't scrubbed a floor hands and knees style in years...but I have (now) fond memories of being mad as hell and scrubbing the anger out on my kitchen floor at least once a year.

Ralph said...

LR, if my Facebook use patern is any indication, the initial frenzy abated in about a week, after I'd fund everybody there was to find. I just check it a couple of times a day now.

It had been also been years here since I or Steve had given the kitchen floor a good scrubbing--that, alas, is why it was so dirty, especially the high-use areas in front of the sink and the cooktop. Looks like new now, ready for a few more years of abuse...