While I was exploring articles about friendship and visiting so many friends this last month, this statement by “Unknown” really hit home:
“Time and good friends are two things that become more valuable the older you get.”
This explains a lot about my established friendships on the other side of the pond in the USA and why I’ve tried to keep them up. I’m older and have less time. They just “get me”!
Well, as funny as it may seem, I’ve listened to the advice of a Boxer and a Bear regarding friendships. Muhammad Ali said:
“Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It’s not something you learn in school. But if you haven’t learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven’t learned anything.”
It’s ironic how this month’s post focuses on friendship. Each experience this last month has been with close friends, new acquaintances, and friends from afar. But first, a little info that has given me some challenges attempting to meet old and new friends. Yes, my eyes! If you can’t see, you can’t really accept friends’ invitations to exercise, walk, bike, and join a book club!
Yes, as I told you all last month, this was the season for doctor appointments and annual checkups. But having cataract surgery was not supposed to be like this. Everyone who has had it raved about the recovery and the new view they had. No one shared about what happens when it takes so long to recover. After much pain and complaining, I received eye drops! We will see. I’m still here but typing with huge sunglasses over my reading glasses so I can see what the heck I am doing. I found relaxing in the jacuzzi helpful!
Besides fearing losing my eyesight, this last month was pretty rewarding. We took some walks and rides while the weather was nice (of course, with my new darker-than-dark sunglasses)…
Hit up the Wolfach’s open market on a sunny day!
I love the organic booths and picked up some freshly picked apples and veggies!
While Lutz hit up his favorite booth, the butcher!
This booth always reminds me of the Fuller Brush Man. He would come to our house and sell brushes of every kind. I still remember my mother’s horsehair hairbrush!
Meeting up with my friend Doris, Lutz’s sister, made my day to see her up about. She has become a very dear friend and someone I respect, and I always want to know how she is doing. I’m looking forward to more fun times!
It’s always a “hoot” when our dear friends, Gaby and Erich, come for a weekend. We made chicken enchiladas and homemade pork carnitas with all the fixings.
Gaby made the best purple cabbage salad. Once again, I was so impressed with our German guest. They ate their tacos with their hands, not a knife and fork!
We even topped it off with dairy-free flan!
Rejuvenating an old friendship in Germany was part of my traveling last month. I have an adopted German Daughter and granddaughter here in Germany (my poor eyes, ugg). We connect by FaceTime, but there is nothing like a good sleepover to reconnect. I’ve known Marilou since she was 20 years old,
And now, 20 years later, she has a beautiful daughter, Aliyah, and is still one of my best friends on this side of the pond.
A weekend in Bad Viebel was necessary since it has been a year since we last met face-to-face and shared hugs. We went out for dinner to a cool Italian restaurant in Frankfurt. I got to meet one of Marilou’s friends, Ulrike, and spend time catching up with Aliyah’s boyfriend, Finn. It’s amazing how close one can get when you really WANT to hear about their life.
We spent the next day cooking, reminiscing, watching movies, and hearing about Aliyah’s four months in Budapest for school. We made the best nachos…sorry Aliyah, that you had your wisdom teeth pulled and couldn’t join us. They were delicious!
And guacamole! We saved you some for your breakfast omelet, Aliyah.
We even experimented and made avocado fudge. Yes, it was delicious, and the recipe will be out for the holidays!
We connected with a group of our boating friends at our harbor restaurant. We reminisced about our last season and made some plans for next year.
So, I have taken the advice of a boxer, Mohammad Ali, and am actively learning the meaning of friendship. With the help of a bear, Winnie the Pooh, I made another big step.
“You can’t stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.” —Winnie-the-Pooh.
I’ve stepped out of the woods and taken some lessons in meeting friends and maintaining old friendships. Thanks to Doris, I’ve joined an exercise class for 65 and over (most people are over 75-85 years old, and I can’t keep up)! I’m getting out and about now that I can almost see the instructor with my new lens. Closing my eyes and following the directions has helped with balance. LOL. I don’t think I have ever met a more active group of ladies.
The best part is that after class, we go to a local restaurant and chat away. They really want to know about me and are filled with information. This new group of ladies has opened a lot of doors for me. Not only do I get to make a point to develop friendships, but they are so great in helping me with my German. I can almost understand all their jokes. Cheers, ladies!
That’s about it for this last month. I want to thank you for coming along for the ride. Next month, I will be going to the USA to hook up with “old friends” from fifty years ago! I’m practicing being ambitious. It should be a REAL trip!
I’ve posted some new recipes for you, so check out my site for more. This recipe is so delicious and easy to make. Chicken steaks with creamy lemon sauce! I wanted to get this in your hands today.
Chicken and Lemon Cream Sauce:
I stumbled over a gem of an article by Rainesford Stauffer entitled,We Should Be Ambitious About Our Friendships. She makes some interesting parallels between being ambitious about your work and being ambitious about your friends. It’s a Great read!
We Should Be Ambitious About Our Friendships
I'm Melinda Stevens and living the life of a beach bum was inevitable since my father was a lifeguard for the city of Los Angeles. My memories of growing up on John Street in Manhattan Beach, California were filled with joy, excitement and adventures; until my world, as I knew it, fell apart when we moved to Del Mar, California. My father was offered the position as Captain of the lifeguards and we started the slow migration to the small deserted stretch of beach in 1963. At twelve years old, this seemed like the end of my life. Remember, I’m writing with clear hindsight now, ok somewhat clearer… Little did I know this would be the beginning of a new journey and give a bit more clarity to many of the events that led me to this new cooking adventure.
Food and friends! thats the life. Loved this post 🙂 very thoughtful and precious. Thank you!!!
Thank you Jarrod for the kind words. I am still trying to figure out why I am not receiving notices when someone comments on my post. Sorry this is late!