So on to the subject for the day.
I used to have a neighbor named Carla, and she had a daughter named Anna. They moved away. BooHoo!
Carla put herself through Cal State Sacramento with student loans, grants, and working part time; and all the time raising a child. She now has a masters degree and is teaching and counseling. It's been about two and a half years since we've seen each other.
Carla also got cancer and lost part of three ribs and part of her sternum. This happened at the time she was beginning to make headway in her career that had cost her so much time and money. She is now in remission THANK G-D!!!
Anyway, she and Anna arrived Thursday afternoon, spent the overnight, then left Friday (but not as early as she had planned, thanks to my machinations). Anna and Rena (my granddaughter) used to play together, along with another girl who used to live upstairs from me. They were quite a threesome. In age, Rena was the eldest, then Kassie, then Anna. But Anna was The Boss. Occasionally, there might be a little squabble, but generally things went the way Anna said.
I asked Carla if Anna was still the boss of her group, and she said that Anna was learning to let others have a turn at leading. I don't imagine that lasts very long, though, because Anna is a natural leader, has loads of imagination, and has no problem whatsoever being the boss. But she's nice about it.
Anyway, Friday morning Carla took the girls to Borders to buy them some goodies. I stayed home so Rena could have Carla and Anna to herself for awhile, but it was understood that when they came back Carla was MINE! It was so wonderful having her back in my living room, albeit for too short a time.
I don't know how much sleep the girls got, but they did get partly caught up on two and a half years of separation.
In spite of all the hardship Carla has had in the last few years, she still has her marvelous sense of humor. When something amuses her, she doesn't just chuckle; she throws her head back and lets out a belly-laugh. She has dimples when she smiles. Oh, I love that girl! Even almost dying, even getting a strep infection from the surgery, even with all the bills piled up, she still thinks life is wonderful and lives it to the fullest.
What a woman!
I'm looking for winter vacation when they'll be back for several more days.
Shalom