Somewhere along the way, the girls and I created a tradition of needing 24 hours to celebrate a birthday. Heck, we can barely talk, laugh, and cry our way through a week of life together in less than three hours. That means to truly honor 52 weeks would require, let’s see, 52 times three…. hmmm. Yeah, we don’t push it further than 24. But why should the birthday sleepover end just because we’ve lived more than two decades??
Anyway, Heather gave us the latest excuse for a bday retreat, so I skipped work early on Friday (didn’t everyone??) to jump in a car with my two favorite junkers and head to one of our most consistently to-die-for destinations: Second Hand Rose in Buffalo, Minnesota. (I am in denial that Rose is leaving in December…)
The first few steps inside the door of that place always take us about 15 minutes or more, as we rave and crave and moan over the perfectness of every square inch. Who am I kidding. That’s true of every step we take in that place. We don’t move quickly. And we make a bit of a ruckus.
This time, we started the production even before we got inside—sitting Heather down on an iron bench and making her open a present or two. A couple memorable quotes from those moments:
Heather: “Oh my gosh, I feel weepy…!”
Emily: “Well that green cloth right there is a hanky with your initial on it—go ahead and use it!”
All Three: Cracking ourselves up
Unknown Stranger: “Wow, you girls are LOUD!”
Wait. That’s not an Unknown Stranger. That’s our cool friend from the Cities, who happened upon our impromptu party and, lucky us, joined in!
I swear every time I see this girl she’s rocking a different pair of amazing (thrift store or clearance) boots. So we all talked boots for a bit.
After as much catching up as we could squeeze in before she had to leave, we were all left with bigger smiles on our faces.
In case I’ve never said it before, I just need to say. If there’s one thing we girls love more than hanging out, getting real, and doing life together, it’s hanging out, getting real, and doing life together with others.
Especially when those others are amazing, both/and people.
Sometimes this blog thing seems a little strange—am I allowed to say that? Here we are in the photos, and there you are behind the screen. Odd. Yet still… is there the potential for something… more? I guess we’ll see. For now, I just wanted to say welcome, and thanks for tagging along on these random adventures. I, for one, am so very honored to do this little piece of life with you. I hope we can connect in meaningful ways here and there, because I learn and grow so much from the people I rub up against along the way.
Here’s to friendship of every shape and size.
by julie rybarczyk
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