Well, first of all, I went for my regular checkup at the dermatologist on Monday and, while I was there, she spotted the steamer burn. You'll be relieved to know that she informed me that, as long as I don't expose it to the sun, South Carolina should fade with time. I assured her that it had been 27+ years since the area between my bosom and my hips had seen the sunlight, so I didn't see that being a problem. I knew this must have been weighing heavy on your minds and I just wanted to put you all at ease. My underwear modeling career will not be affected by this unfortunate incident.

This past weekend, a couple of friends and I went to beautiful Newnan, Georgia to visit our friend, Jan, who moved away about 3 years ago. I think I've talked about the women's Bible study I belonged to for so long. Over a decade. We called ourselves the Bad Girls. Long story, but I'm sure I've mentioned this. Well, Jan was in that group and we just needed to see her as we all became so close during those many years and she was such a big part of us.

Jan has always been one of my favorite people. If I had to describe her in just a few words, I'd say she's a very warm and gracious southern lady. And she hosted us as such. Such a lovely time with her and her hubby, Dicky. Their daughter, Cara Lea, lives next door to them and, as a teenager, she and her friends would come to our house to visit my little kids when I was just a young mother. Now, I got to see her as a wife and young mother of 3 beautiful children and, yeah, there's nothing like being slapped in the face by your age like that.
All the way home, we just kept talking about our visit and how good is was to see them. Sometimes, you just don't fully realize how much you miss someone until you see them after a long time and your heart is suddenly reminded of what it's been missing. There's nothing quite so beautiful as the face of a friend who's been gone for a while.

Come to think of it, I guess I'm just going to have that kind of week. On Monday, I had lunch with my Michelle, while I was in her city seeing the dermatologist. Well, you already know how far she and I go back and she's about to be a grandmother, next month. Her same child, who was two years old at my wedding, is about to have his own child. We've gone all the way from playing store to picking out grandmother names.

On Thursday, I'm having dinner with a couple of friends from high school. Our kids are grown and, between the three of us, I'm the only one with a bird still in the nest....and he's got one leg hanging over the side, so I'm not sure he really counts. We decided to get together, once a month, since we seem to have a little extra time on our hands now. It's all new and none of us are really sure how we feel about this nest emptying thing just yet.

And, on Friday, an old hometown friend is stopping through with his children on his way home to Atlanta. We were good buddies in high school and college and I don't get to see him much. I'm looking forward to meeting his kids when he comes to show them around the town where he grew up and reminisce a little.

There's nothing sweeter than an old friend. To look into the face of someone who's been around your life for a while is good for the soul. Maybe, you're not near them much, but, when you are, it's still there....the warm familiarity of shared history with someone. No matter how many months or how many miles stand between friends, nothing can take away the sweet investments you made in each other. Some people will just always be part of who you are.

It's going to be a good week with old friends.

It already has been.


Happy Wednesday to y'all!