Howdy Neighbor!
Somewhere in the late 70s, we found ourselves with a new set of neighbors. George had been transferred to the Milwaukee area for work, and his very southern wife, Carolyn was not a happy camper to be headed up north.
They would move into the house diagonal to ours on Cambridge Avenue.
And while Carolyn was not shy about sharing her annoyance with Wisconsin winters ( who can blame her- that's a lot of snow we would get back in the day)
She and George would indeed end up becoming true gems in the family friend department!
In 2011, George passed away unexpectedly following a tragic accident. I wrote about it in my personal blog at the time- and I think instead of writing a new chapter for this blog- I want to return to those words I crafted soon after learning about his death.
It is impossible to say one name without the other
Really, they were THAT kind of couple. One minute, they were bickering and fussing at each other (I'm hearing his southern drawl, as he calls out her name, almost always starting with the phrase Sh*t, Carolyn, and a sigh and an eye roll....)....the next moment, there was that carefree flirting that comes from a couple truly in love with each other.
We were neighbors for only a couple years, but somehow they always managed to stay in touch, making time to see my parents.
They flew out to take a joint vacation with my folks...where they rented an RV and drove to Canada.
It would be the last time my mom was healthy enough to enjoy such a road trip.
When my college graduation rolled around, they flew out to share in the celebrations
And when I was pregnant with Thing Two, again, they found a reason to come and visit.
These kind of family friends come along only a few times in our lives....
how lucky we were to call them friends.
Rest in peace, Papa George....
Our paths would cross one more time- when Carolyn drove up from Ft. Wayne Indiana to help celebrate Richard's 80th birthday. (July 2013). It was a great opportunity to catch up with her- and I can say with 100% certainty- she hadn't changed one bit!
Until next time- plan the party
and celebrate the milestone moments when they present themselves..
This concludes my series of Friendship Gems. Obviously- these are not the only family friends my parents would make in their life journey. But it is these friends that form the core of at least my childhood memories of "friends of the family"
I want to wrap up this series with some words of gratitude. As an adult, when I look back at these assorted pictures, through my grown up lens- I am so grateful that my parents were blessed with three wonderful couples and Connie- friends to celebrate life's events- be it big or small. And through these friendships, my parents showed Laura and I just how important those friends that you meet along the way will be in your life story!
Stay tuned- as we pack our bags and head west- meeting the 3 Amigos in the next installment series.
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