Happy Birthday, Best Friend J

Happy Birthday to my Best Friend J. I wont give away her secret as to how old she is, but "J, whoever thought we'd make it!"
So this is a photo of my favourite camellia for you. We have had some lovely rain, & the flower is still wearing the drops.


And the next pic, is the Wild Blue Yonder.. haha, a destination we set out for, all those years ago, perhaps. I took this pic about 15 minutes ago. After all the rain, & leaden skies, this is the evening look, at 5pm, our time, which is Eastern Standard Time in Australia. I dont know that that fact is very interesting, but there it is.




And here is a rather blurred pic of a little miniature rose, which is really a very pretty colour. I just cant seem to get a clear pic of it, no matter how hard I try. It is growing in a pot, & survives in spite of me. I have a gorgeous perfumed, little yellow one too, but it will not photograph for me, using my little camera. As you can see, the rain has kissed this plant too.

We are currently having the house painted. As it is brick & tile, there is not a lot of painting to be done. It was a dingy brown, with dull cream trim, or vice versa! We have chosen a deep green, to replace the brown, with a rich cream & it is looking nice. Our ugly old front door looks quite transformed! I was a bit shocked, after 9 years of brown! We will be getting new rich cream railing for the balcony, so it will look much better than whitish rust!!

Then, all we have to do is try to reach some agreement over the back garden. The painter declared it 'very nice'. It is not really, but there are some Birds Nest Ferns, which are loving the rain, & some flourishing bromeliads. But...the lovely green effect is mostly achieved by weeds, haha! And, though it is Autumn, there are some confused bulbs, planted long ago, when I first thought I would surround myself with beloved daffodils, & jonquils, which have come up, & one is about to flower. It is either a daffodil, or a narcissus, poor little thing.

We went to a Fete this morning, a fund raiser for the 'poor countries' organised by some church. Who have Missionaries. I gave, & felt a hypocrite, since I dont, & wouldnt, support their religious cause. Leave them alone I say, -but, I do approve of the 'missioners' or whatever they call themselves, providing houses & clothing, & education, so perhaps, not such a hypocrite.

There was really nothing to excite me in the wares for sale. I did buy some fabric, a book to read, & CD of Classical Piano -Chopin. The last one I bought at a charity affair had no actual disc inside! This one does, but I have not had the chance to listen to the soothing tones yet.

I was reminded, recently, of how difficult it can be, sometimes to make friends. BFJ & I met, when our 'chips were down' as they say. We forged a life long friendship which has stood the test of time, with many ups & downs.

It is like putting on a lovely old pair of comfortable slippers, to spend time with BFJ. ( A nicer analogy would probably be to say it feels like lying in a hammock, in the shade, with gentle breezes, & warm air all about.) I feel so comfortable, & can show warts, inappropriate hairs, wrinkles, zits- in our youth!- you name it. It is very rare to find someone who is so comforting & comfortable. To be able to say one or two words, & have your friend know exactly what you are on about. To glance at each other & laugh, & both know what the laughter is about. As a person who doesnt make 'close friends' easily, I have valued our friendship, above, & beyond all price.

When Gom & I lived in the Hotel in Australia, I was a 'fish out of water'. It was not my way, to go & drink in the bars. It was not my way, to sit & drink an evening away. The smoke bothered me, the noisy band deafened me, the drunken behaviour did not suit me. It bored me. But, if I did go down for a drink now & then, I was a 'condescending bitch'. If I didnt ever go down, I was a 'snobbish bitch'. I couldnt win, & realised it quite early, so preferred to keep my own counsel, & occasionally appear ...but mostly stay away.

But we did make some friends, & I found a friend who didnt drink, & we spent evenings, & weekends out with her, & her husband, who was GOM's friend. We went to other places to spend weekends, & I was comfortable in her company.

Then the world turned, our lives became other lives, & the friendship petered out.

But BFJ will always be my friend, & I will always be there for her.