Friends = Relatives

My friend Daphnee go way back to the point where we just refer to each other as sister and brother. We first met in a Comparative Religions class when I first decided to return to college for my BA degree. It was a summer course and my partner at the time had gone to FL to visit a friend. This was 1976 and we have been close ever since. Daphnee has always been there for me regardless of the distance between us; I have been there for her when she has opened up and let me know she needed me. We spoke on Sunday about Ron's returning to the States and making his way to NJ to do something with our storage at dad's house, so the house can be sold. I have been looking into a moving POD, where they bring the storage unit to you, you fill it, and then they take it away to the storage place. This seems ideal for Ron. They can place it in the backyard and he can fill it as energy allows. Daphnee had a better idea. She contacted and plans to pay her college-aged grandson to be Ron's driver and mover helper. Neither of us have a driver's license, so renting a car is out of the question. Her other idea is to check out flights; if there is a reasonable one, she will fly back and meet Ron to help him. My great concern was that he will not transportation and will be stuck at my father's house without a computer or Internet access even if he had one. Her generousity over the years has been amazing, but I cannot pass this over without saying that her partner Ellie is just as supportive with finances. Ellie has been just as generous with coming to our rescue when needed without a moment of hesitation. This is a prime example of where friends become family.

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Just What I Did Not Need

Ron has been planning his annual State side vacation when I made it clear he was going to have to come to terms with sorting through our goodies in storage at my dad's in NJ. He added that leg to his itinerary. Since he is using frequent flier miles, it was basically a cheap option; surprisingly the deals of one way airfares were at bargain levels with United. Cedar Rapids, Iowa to Newark, NJ was only $137.00 with taxes and other trumped charges airlines have conjured up in the past few years. His concern about taking on this project was making decisions about what to keep and what to shed. When we packed up, we thought we were going to be gone for a year, not eight. Nestled in packing materials are appliances to fit a gourmet kitchen. It seemed logical that a year of sitting around would energize them when called to duty yet again; however, has eight years made them lazy to the point of not wanting to serve their purposes at all? Regardless, it is pointless to ship them to Hungary with different prongs, different currents, and more basically cheaper to replace than post. On the other hand, secreted away in boxes, tubes, trunks, and cartons is an assembly of our living history that filled the first eight years of our life together. Beyond a hand mixer, there are antique Chinese brass horse stirrups we found on a side trip when my aunt and uncle came from Michigan to visit; there are hand blown glass pomegranates we collected in Greece as a New Year's omen, buying out the store and never finding them again on subsequent visits; there is a porcelain stature of an African woman that I continually admired in a shop, which Ron has surprise me with as an anniversary present. These are not just boxes, these are personal archeological treasures waiting to be unearthed again, displayed, loved, and have renewed memories poured upon. With this much attachment, is it no wonder Ron was feeling the responsibility at hand a no win situation? Yea, though I walk through the valley of death, I shall fear no evil, except Ryan's wrath. AMEN to that brother!!

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