Saying Goodbye to an Old Friend

We have a woman in our congregation that has lived in our town for most, if not all her life. She is over 80 and is one of the kindest women I have ever met. She would always bring over newspaper article of my kids when they were in the paper. 

She would write the missionaries at least monthly but usually more. She would always donate to whatever the kids were doing for their missions and graduations and always dropped off a card and money. She is like a grandmother to them as they don't have one in town. 

She has given us veggies and she reminds me of Princess Two a bit as they both love to write and read the current news. Another way they are similar is their humor. This woman ALWAYS has a joke to share and can make anyone smile. Another thing they have in common. They actually enjoyed visiting with one another as well as sending notes back and forth.
 
Recently, my friend has had some health issues and living alone is getting difficult so with her having only one child and him living many states away, she is moving. 

We are all so sad to see her go. She has always been involved in politics and every time I would go to vote, she would be sitting at the table checking off names. I will always think of her when I vote as for the past 20 years, she has always been there. 

When I heard she was moving, I couldn't not do something so I talked to the women in the congregation and we are going to have a going away luncheon next week. 

Pondering on what to get her as a gift took some thought as she is moving from a home to an apartment and doesn't need "things."

A friend suggested a frame and I told her I had a new one that is glass with real flowers in it but when I went to pull it out, I had a cool thought. I figured we could take a picture at our women monthly meeting this week and put it in the frame and when I saw this frame, I had for a wedding gift, I thought I could take a picture of her home and one of the town sign and put them in the other slots. 

I rushed around to get them taken and printed and I am late getting my blog written as Princess Five got off to her teen conference this morning and Princess Four was in the dentist chair for 3 hours getting four cavities filled since she has a hard time getting back to town on week days and the dentist only works one Friday a month and is booked many months out on Fridays.

Three of the four cavities were surface and "iffy" but since she will be turning 18 soon, I wanted anything that may be an issue taken care of so if she gets dropped off the family plan insurance, everything will have already been dealt with. She also had to, once again, go and pick out glasses frames as we have been having a fiasco with the insurance companies and the stores that have contracts with them. It has been going on since February and the girls still don't have glasses or contacts but I think I will post about that later as I am late getting this done. 

I will be sad to say "Goodbye" to my dear friend but know she will enjoy being closer to her son but we will all miss her greatly.