Girlfriends

Today during my mani appointment, Tina asked me if I had any girlfriends, people that I liked to have fun with or go to lunch with. 

That struck me as an odd question to begin with, but I did have a quick answer. 

 Me: Actually yes!  Yesterday a friend from where I used to live who also lives here now by the State Police Post..."

Tina:  By Battleground? 

Me:  Yes!  She and I went to visit another friend who lives near Attica...

Tina:  I know where that is!

Me:  and it was so much fun because we knew the same people and the same places without having to explain anything..

Tina:  That sounds fun.

Me:  It was!  and then we went out for lunch too.  It was just a good day

That was something Debbie mentioned yesterday.  It was good to get together with friends who knew the same people, who had lived in the same areas, so that conversation can just flow easily without extra explanations to make the story clearer.

Debbie and I weren't close friends when we lived outside of Pulaski and she lived a few miles east of Francesville.  I had her two children in school, and her daughter Heather was one of my favorite Student Council members.  I had had her brother and two sisters in school also.  Since she was in the same class as Gary's sister Sandy, they had graduated two years before I started at WC.  But now we live a little further apart, 12 miles instead of the five miles when we lived in Pulaski County, but we have seen each other more than we did in the last few years that we lived in our previous homes.

Yesterday we drove to a farm southwest of Attica near Newtown.  Wally and Janet Hooker live there.  He is from Francesville, graduated with Debbie and Sandy, and married Janet after they met at Purdue.  Her grandparents' farm is where they now live.  At one time Wally and Janet and their two children lived outside of Francesville and while he was working at the funeral home, she subbed at the school which is where I got to know her.

The purpose for our trip?  Indian corn.  Wally and Janet have been growing Indian corn for several years, and I always think we need to drive over to their place and pick up some for our fall decor.  That hasn't happened.  However, the other night Debbie sent a text asking for their address so she could send a sympathy card to them (Wally's father died two weeks ago), and in our conversation we decided to make the trip over and pick up some corn while delivering the card.  And...make a day of it and enjoy lunch on the drive back!

It was fun just to sit and visit in Janet's kitchen. She had brewed fresh coffee for her and Debbie while I sipped on ice water.  As Debbie said later, just being able to talk and reminisce about people we ALL knew and about places that were familiar to ALL of us was just refreshing!

After we selected the Indian corn to take home with us, we drove through the country.  The plan was to enjoy lunch at Bossaer Farms Bakery which was not too far from Janet's house and on the way to where Hilary and Blaine lived on Substation Road. However...it was closed on Mondays.  Plan B.  Go into Lafayette to eat.  We did encounter some tree work on the back road to Attica (which is what I always called it), but after a quick detour we drove past their old house, then into West Point, and on to Shadeland and Lafayette. 

Lunch at Walt's Other Pub was fun, and we spent a lot of time talking while the waitress kept our drink glasses full.  As we were driving back to Debbie's house, Debbie mentioned again how much fun it was just to be out and about with friends...old friends.  Catching up.  Lots of conversation.  A good lunch.  No plans really.

We agreed that another excursion is needed.  Next time might be a drive to Peru to the Down on the Farm store and then to Rochester to Green Oak.   I am sure we would be able to enjoy lunch at Jerrity's or The Streamliner or even Harvey Hinklemeiers!

Sounds like a plan!