Room mate reunion

My 25th for College is this year. I have some friends that went to our 20th. They were not going to the 25th, having been there and done that already at the 20th. We all arranged to meet at the coast instead for a fun weekend of catching up. The drive wasn't nearly as long as it would have been if we drove back to the college campus.





One of my old room mates has just purchased a beach house. I mean "just". They bought it last summer and it still smells new and looks new. They had it built. A lovely two bedroom walking distance to the beach. There were four of us, just the right number for the cabin. No spouses and no children this trip.





They all brought knitting and sewing projects to work on. Not an idle hand in the group other than me. I brought home improvement magazines to read to plan for my next project. I am on hold until I can control my spending or get a job to support my renovation habits.





My girlfriends are what you might call master knitters. The projects are professional with fancy stitching and beautiful yarns. Socks, scarves, mittens, sweaters and bags in lovely patterns and colors. One friend tells of her sell out craft booth at a recent bazaar. Having seen the finished products, I can believe it. If only she could make these beautiful items in volume she could open a successful store. They compare stitches and opinions on colors while I watch in wonder, their hands flash as the needles flicker and the rows grow. Talking and knitting at the same time without missing a stitch.





Meanwhile I plan the move of my laundry room and price out the plumber and electrician. I do get to saw a branch off a tree that has fallen over on the property, but that is the extent of any house projects. The deer pass by while we drink our morning coffees. Tame enough to come close to the windows, while we watch just feet away.





The weather on Saturday was lovely, cool but sunny. We all are able to walk the beach. One friend looks for agates. A gentleman comes up to me to ask if we had seen any refuse from the Japanese Tsunami. Supposedly the tides have been dropping debris on the beaches. I hadn't noticed. There was a pile of garbage in the dunes, perhaps gathered off the beaches by clean up crews.





I get out a comfortable beach chair our hostess has found while thrift store shopping earlier in the day, and settle in for a good magazine read while the more ambitious of our group continue to walk further down the beach. I am not a beach walker so much as a beach sitter. I love to snuggle down in a warm coat and watch the surf, listen, and read. It is funny how the sight of the water makes me want to go to the bathroom. Walking only exacerbates the feeling. Sitting is much more comfortable.





We are all on frugal budgets. The world has not been that kind to our generation. All our husbands have been in and out of work over the past 10 years. We ourselves have been in and out of work the past 10 years. Refinancing mortgages, buying cars, supporting children, nursing sick parents, none of us has escaped from some tragedy or stress.

One friend's father is in the midst of stage four cancer and not expected to be around by the end of summer. The other three of us have already lost one parent each. We empathize with that painful trauma she is experiencing, wishing for her pain to be gone, yet hoping for a better outcome than what we all know will be coming, loss and tears. I am glad at least for the moment this weekend provides for her, with friends letting her escape and enjoy. We all understand having been there in that struggle to support and love a sick and dear parent.





The budget for the weekend is tight. We eat in most meals. We have pizza the first night at a restaurant. Enjoying being out without family. The next night we toss together what ever everyone brought to create delightful food for our pallets. Home made soup for the first course and pasta with brots and stewed tomatoes for the second. One friend makes a cake to celebrate a belated birthday. The event is effortless for everyone. No catering to the needs of others.

My phone rings several times during the weekend as either Tom or my children check in on me wondering if I know where something is in the house or if a friend can come play. I am miles away but still have the answers to problems at home. My friends laugh at the number of times my family calls me.

We have such a fun time. Not once is the TV turned on or music played. No one has an I phone or the latest gadget or game. I wish the weekend could have lasted longer. Relaxed and sated we head home to reality of children, husbands, and work.

When I get home. The family is hungry. We had laughed at the beach when one of us had received a text asking what she wanted for dinner when she got home. At my house I had to go out and grocery shop for dinner after my drive home. Everyone was waiting for me. Tom had cooked up fajitas, but he needed fresh tomatoes. He had also been doing one of his cleaning projects. The kitchen counter sparkled, but the floor still needed mopping. I buy a mop while I am grocery shopping. I usually do the mopping by hand because you can get into the crevices and scrub the kick plate under the counters. Tom likes a mop. He doesn't crawl on the floor.

The boys had tried to go bowling on Saturday, but they couldn't get a lane at the local alley as the place was booked up. When I got home Trev called his friends and arranged for me to take them since they hadn't been able to go the day before. While they bowled I got the shopping done. I was tired by the end of the day. It had been a full and busy schedule.

I am sad the weekend is over. It barely was long enough to see everyone and catch up. They all live reasonably close to one another so they can see each other more often. For me, the weekend barely scratched the surface of time. I can't wait to get together again. I miss that college time, just hanging out, puttering with good friends. Life seems to be both fast and slow at the same moment.