Best Friends Forever and a walk down memory lane

Left Salem, OR @ 8:50 am so excited that we only had an hour drive to Hillsboro, OR and the place I called home for 12 years. But mostly because this beautiful woman waited at the end of the road for me! Sandra has been my friend through great times and devastating hardships for 36 years. We met one day walking our 3 and 4 month olds. (Allison was 3 mos. old and her Matt was 4 mos. old. It was a drizzly November day, and I felt so depressed with my then husband at work all day and me home alone in a city far from my big, loving family. "Poor, poor pitiful me" should have been my theme song as I strolled a fussy baby in front of my house. I looked up and saw another baby carriage being pushed across the street and there was Sandra. I must have scared her to death as I ran up beside her yelling, "Another mother, your another mother!" And without catching my breath or letting Sandra get a word in, I went on, " Where do you live? How old is your baby? Are you home during the day?" I finally paused long enough to find out she lived across from me and her name was Sandra. But she looked frightened to death of me and my over excitement. She couldn't get away fast enough! 

I was so sad waiting to hear from her again, realizing later that she must have thought I was a nut! I finally saw her while waiting to vote the next week. I told myself to play it cool so I went up to her and said, "Remember me? I'm that crazy woman who tried to accost you. I'm so sorry. I just got so excited to see another mom when I was feeling so alone." We laughed, exchanged addresses and the rest is history. We were in this together from now on! 

Joe put up with us all afternoon and was a good sport on my trip down memory lane to see the old neighborhood. First stop was our old house down Brogden and 32nd.

All the trees and shrubs we'd planted are gone and the brown has changed to this color. When we firstmoved in we'd bought a live Christmas tree so it could grow along with our one year old.  For 9 years it grew and grew, but it is gone, too.

Next we drove to downtown Hillsboro to eat and reminisce. Sandra took us to the old Hillsboro Theater which has now been turned into The Venetian Restaurant with a tiny outdoor patio. Good food and good company as we people watched in downtown Hillsboro.

I went and had my hair colored after and these two went to Costco.

After making Anna chocolate chip cookies, we got in the car and headed for Nonna Emilia's to experience pizza and wine with my bestie and her husband Steve!

Love their pizza! This was such a great day that got even better when I beat everyone out of their quarters in 31. Thanks for the memories...and your quarters!!!