December 8, 2019

Everything Old is New Again

But you got to have friends, the feeling’s oh so strong.
You got to have friends to make the day last long.

Standing at the end of the world boys
Waiting for my new friends to come.
I don’t care if I’m hungry or poor,
I’m gonna get some of them.

‘Cause you got to have friends.

                        Bette Midler, 1972

We had a lovely afternoon visit from our dear (young-bitch@50!) friend from Ben Lomond today.  Beth and Thomas have been our friends for decades now, Thomas since 1977 which Beth, to our eternal “delight”, pointed out made her 4 years old at the time. (Why do we like her again?) We lived in the Santa Cruz Mountains near them for many years and watched their kids come into this world; they are almost in college now, enough said!

Beth and five of her long-time girlfriends planned a long weekend in Palm Springs as many from the northern, rainy, climes do.  Of course, it rained here this weekend.  Not enough to really matter except to us locals who want any rain we can get and revel in a fuzzy-slipper, fire and blanket, book day.   Gathering six women, on holiday, to do anything requires a herculean effort so, after many texts, they opted on a stop at Sherman’s Deli for to-go sandwiches which we ate on the Lido Deck and got caught up.

After lunch, I showed the ladies to the trail up the Wash behind the property and set them off on a misty excursion to the headwaters of Cathedral Canyon, our city’s namesake geographical feature.  Named in 1850 by U.S. Army Colonel Henry Washington after deciding a rock formation of the canyon looked reminiscent of a gothic cathedral, the ensuing years saw the settlement grow into the city we have today.

Damp but undaunted, they returned to the waiting fire, a few open bottles of wine, and two very happy cats who could not decide which creature comfort they needed more, the fire or the 12 hands available for pats; the hands won.  After a tour of the property and the house, I posed them by the sculpture “Seven” for the formal shot.

Evidence of a really wonderful visit, old friend and new friends, all.  Back to Bette:

You got to have friends to make the day last long

My day and my life are long, and my friends are there as proof.