title explained

Onward and upward! something that you say in order to encourage someone to forget an unpleasant experience or failure and to think about the future instead and move forward.

My e-mail: jjmiller6213@comcast.net

Sunday, March 30, 2014

Through The Years--A Pictorial

We started out finding each other in Kindergarten/First grade.  

Arlene, Beth, Judy B. me, Sally



First grade: Here we are in our Dutch costumes--I don't remember why the whole class dressed like Dutch Dancers, but we did.


By the fifth grade, we were the typical girls--some cute, some pretty, some just...whatever.

              Arlene has such a sweet face                                                        and Sally is already beautiful


You will notice in all of our pictures--we are always touching each other in some way.

Here we are in the 10th grade.  Emma had joined us by now.
Emma, Judy B. Sally, Arlene


Of course we went to Proms and the Winter Formal Dances
Arlene made her formal--beautiful

..and the last month of our Senior year, we went on a trip to D.C. and Virginia
Taking the long journey in a school bus
Sally, Arlene, Emma, Me, Beth

...and we were goofy
Me, Emma, Arlene, Judy B.

...and we all graduated--some with higher GPA's than others
(actually, theirs were all higher than mine)


...and we got married
Arlene was my maid of honor


We played together when we were little, and when we were big

Arlene and I did a whole lot of this
Then, she went to work and
Emma and I did a whole lot of this
(I taught them both how to play and 
they both ended up much better golfer's than me.)



We had class reunions along the way.
This is our 30th--1987-Judy B. is missing
We are still looking good


On December 9, 1995, Emma had an aortic aneurysm and passed away. That kind of shook us up because we were still young--56 years


Our 47th class reunion, at Bethie's house
Sally, Beth, Arlene--two Judy's in the back






We spent a weekend at Arlene's cottage,'
every summer for 3 years.







Then--we had our 50th class reunion--back to the original five
that started school together

August 2007

Shortly after our 50th reunion, October 2007,Judy B. went into the hospital to have hernia surgery and...she never woke up.  Shook us up really bad.  So unexpected.

Then, in 2008, I got a phone call from Arlene and she told me she had Ovarian Cancer.  She said she was too upset to call the others and asked if I would send "the girls" an e-mail telling them.  That really shook us up. 

You'd never know there was a thing wrong with Arlene, except for the hair and weight loss.  She kept coming to the luncheons--always cracking a joke, always smiling.  Her lifetime motto, "If I can't put my two hands around it (a problem) and fix it, I'm not going to worry myself sick about it."



March 2012
The last time Bethie and I saw Arlene.
She was in Hospice Care at the hospital
We talked and laughed and hugged and kissed her
goodbye with a "See you later".
but we all knew.........
Arlene died a few days later--March 28, 2012
...and I will never get over it.





 ...now, there is just Bethie, Sally and me.

Sure, we still have classmates that we get together for lunch every month, but I sure feel the absence of Arlene, Judy B. and Emma.  They would still be cracking jokes and keeping the luncheon jumping.  Bethie, Sally and I try, but....it's just not the same.















7 comments:

  1. Oh, Judy...this brings back so many memories for me. I had a group of friends that still get together once a year or so. Then later on, when I moved away....we had a group of women who got together each month for lunch and crafting. Slowly these women are leaving us. I can hardly realize that our group has dwindled to so few. Women's friendships are the best. Lucky you...keeping track of your gals with these precious pictures.
    Balisha

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  2. You were so blessed to have so many good girl pals for most of your life. I envy you your many memories. My best friend through out school I still have contact with but she has lived in Washington D.C. since after college and never comes back to MI anymore. So it's not the same. After her, Don was my best friend and you know how that turned out.

    You were very pretty when you were young and not bad now for an old woman...I can call you that since we're the same age. LOL

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  3. How fortunate you were, with friendship knit together for so long and so sad their lives were cut short. Any chance their families will see this beautiful commemoration and know how special these women were to you? I'm a teensy bit envious, too, and hope that I build that kind of circle you have, for I don't have one now. Onward and upward, ever forward!

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  4. A beautiful testament through the years, and the beautiful friendships. Sometimes, I can hardly believe, the time has gone by so swiftly it seems. I'm so glad you have photo's of your friends, and can document those days. Love ya, girl. :)
    xoxo

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  5. Your friendship with these woman throughout your lives is just amazing. You truly are blessed!

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  6. another
    amazing
    my childhood so different
    moving to another state
    raised in a big cold city
    then finally after marraige
    returned home.
    the one I was so close to when working at 17
    tried and tried to locate her.
    I still miss her
    and could not find her :(

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  7. These pics are fantastic. I love the 30th reunion photo especially. Look at those long legs. I envy your long relationship with these women. I've lost contact with my childhood friends. :( It's so easy to lose contact. You guys should be proud. Very nice.

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