Friday into Saturday...

(This photo is one I titled "What happens in Luray, stays in Luray." The unintended theme of this trip was the incessantly asked question, "Is Anna Nicole still dead?" Her death was announced upon our return home from visiting Luray Caverns, so we wondered that question aloud for the remainder of the weekend. And we didn't even feel one bit badly about it!)
It has been a couple of days since I have posted and I didn't want folks to start worrying. Things are basically the same with Frieda. She is stable and comfortable. During the day she sleeps a lot and in talking to folks at the hospital, that is a good thing. When she's resting, her body is working on healing itself.
Of course, Friday's seem to roll around quickly anymore...and I still am not fond of them. I met a lady today at the newspaper office who plays twilight golf with Frieda and Wayne. It made me a little sad because they both enjoyed "their outing" so much each Friday. I always liked it a lot because I had some time on my own, I didn't have to cook and when they came home, we set about enjoying the rest of the evening! Frieda and Wayne, in turn, were able to play golf, have each other all to themselves and get a great dinner on top of that, so they were happy campers. When Wayne's accident occurred, I remember Frieda being bummed and giving Wayne guff for ditching out on her as her golf partner. However, the lady I met today told me that Frieda had played with her family when Wayne went out of commission.
Frieda never makes a fuss over birthdays. I had asked her earlier in the summer "what she wanted to do for her birthday" so that we could start some big plans. It was totally out of character for her because she usually shrugs off those types of questions. This time, however, she was ready with an answer. She wanted to go to Pinehurst and play the Tobacco Road golf course. I told her it was a done deal. We'd line it all up and that would be her birthday present from us. We daydreamed about what the course would be like, etc. A friend of ours in Raleigh has played it and says it's awesome, so Wayne was pretty excited as well. (He was excited to get the benefits of Frieda's birthday!) Given the circumstances of his injury, we still planned to go and if he wasn't able to actually play, we could ride a cart and get a partner for Frieda. As I understand it, it sounds like part golf course and part amusement park...only a VERY difficult and expensive amusement park! I was even looking forward to it. I have always enjoyed golf, but get just as much pleasure from a bucket of balls and/or putting. It's the middle game I don't get all excited about! Although I must admit, since I bought my Wii (no, I'm not a "gamer" but my GOSH those Wii's are some kind of fun!) I have found that my living room golf game has gotten to be quite good.
When I bought the Wii off a broke college student (and no I don't feel guilty! I'm sure he has another, having gotten his trust payment by now!), Frieda and I bowled, played tennis, golf, FISHED...you name it, we played it...all within the comforts of my humble home. WHAT A TRIP! You're actually going through the motions, so I'm sure if an outsider peeked into the door, they'd have thought we were nuts! But we have had great times with the Wii! Not to be "gamers," we were hooked!
I guess by now, you've figured that Friday nights are kind of reflective blogs. It's "sort of" Saturday by now, but since I haven't ended my day, it's still Friday night to me.
Weekends are the most difficult times with things as they are now. It's kind of a no man's land....sort of a feeling of limbo.
It's also a good thing though because I reflect on good times, laughter, crazy things we've gotten into and remembering those things makes me smile. As I think these wonderful thoughts, I direct them right to Frieda. This helps tremendously when I start to feel down or just plain lonesome. I hope the positive energy of great thoughts are reaching her loud and clear.
Lots of our porch talks include politics, computer stuff, what the animals were doing or what they shouldn't be doing! We talked about plans we were making, what places we wanted to go. Tangier Island, Virginia was one place. Visiting our friends Joan and George was another. Frieda always commented how many years it has been since she had taken ANY vacation time until we started trying to get in some weekend jaunts. She went with us to all my performances and that always made the trip a lot more fun. Anywhere we could find good calamari always makes for something to look forward to on any trip!
One funny memory was our return trip home from Luray, Virginia. We saw a flea market and of course, we all squealed like piggies and turned around to go back! After all it was TWO WHOLE BUILDINGS OF NOTHING BUT JUNK!!! Who could pass that up!? Well, we go inside building one and started our trek. All the nice folks were talking to each other, but about half way through the first building, Frieda made the comment that they were all staring at us. I guess we had that "you're not from around here, are ya" look. We walked a while more and found SHARPIE PENS IN ALL COLORS...about 12 per pack! FOR A DOLLAR!!! Oh yeah! We scooped those up. (Later we laughed when we realized about half of them were dried out!). Anyway, as we're shopping and snooping along, and noticing the folks were still staring at us, (Anne, Frieda and Wayne giggling), FRIEDA announces that we were at "THE HILLS HAVE EYES FLEA MARKET!" We howled with laughter and then those people were REALLY looking at us. We had to leave and go to the next building. I think we only spent a couple of dollars. Nowadays, that trip home memory wouldn't be complete without telling every detail of THE HILLS HAVE EYES flea market. Nobody loves a yard sale or a flea market better than Frieda..or me..or Wayne. We call them "rag pullin's! Each time we see one on the side of the road, you could bet your last dime, SOMEONE in the car bellows loudly RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAG PULLIN'! Even if we don't stop, it just has to be yelled.
Those are good memories and as I type tonight, I am sending those thoughts of happier times to my dear Frieda. With all my heart, I want to take her to Tobacco Road, another yard sale, another flea market and many other things. Books-A-Million reading/coffee trips, movie night, Wayne's cooking just for us, and all those trips we haven't gotten to yet will wait for us. I just have to get through these doggoned weekends without her for now.
I miss you my friend Frieda. Without that wonderful laugh and genuine smile, things just aren't the same. But I'm a patient woman and I'll be waiting for the good times to come and in the mean time working my butt off to get you better.
I've said this before and I find it odd. Frieda has been in the hospital all this time...yet, even now, I get so much strength and courage to face all the things in my own life, just by knowing that I have a true and honest friend in Frieda Hudson.
Keep moving ahead Frieda. We have so much to do yet...so, so many wonderful things are waiting for us to do. Or, we'll just sit on the porch and do nothing, my friend. To quote our precious friend Jodie Devera, "It's all good." And it is.

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