My parents used to tell me that you could count your true friends on the fingers of one hand. True friends not only are fun, but they are there for you when needed.
I’ve talked about friendship before somewhere in this blog… ah, found it! …. Lost My Phone when I enlisted the help of a dear friend to go searching under cars in a public car park!
And I still get a real buzz when a friend steps out and goes beyond to give me something I was not expecting.
A couple of weeks ago, I happened to tell a friend of mine that I really should go and buy an edge trimmer to tidy up all the messy edges I have around my garden.
She told me to hold off for a moment as they had one, but now they have no edges to trim; my friend wasn’t sure if it had been given away or not – she would ask hubby.
A few days later, I was talking to her and asked about the said machine. Sadly, no, it was no longer in their possession. Never mind, I thought, I’ll get one when the stores re-open after lockdown.
Then one sunny, but windy day while I was happily creating a new recipe in the kitchen, I looked up to see the hubby, as mentioned above, arrive at the door.
By the look of his attire, I guessed this was not a social call as he was in old clothes and was carrying a leaf-blower of all things. A very quick hello, and he told me he had a fellow ‘gardener’ with an edge trimmer, and they were going to sort out my tangled mess of grass and weeds.
Machines roared, and before I had finished my epic cooking creation, both the front and back yards were in pristine condition.
A quick ‘cheerio’ from the lads, and they were gone leaving me quite emotional and forever grateful for generous friends who took time out of their day to make a person extremely happy.
A girls’ weekend has to be the best bonding time ever created.
You probably already know that I’m in an Improv group (which I’ll tell you more about on another day). This troupe is an almost equal mix of both men and women and one that I feel genuinely grateful for having the comradery of exceptional people.
It shouldn’t come as any great surprise then that the women of the group decided to have a weekend away to have some quality time away from the comedy. Let me point out here that these women range in age from late 30s through to me, who is the oldest at 68. There are more than 10 years between myself and the next one down. Now, I’m no sociologist, but I believe that these women keep me young, keep me being open to new adventures, and certainly keep me looking forward rather than back.
The first sojourn was in 2020, if my memory serves me correctly, just before lockdown. Not everyone was in attendance, and those absent were missed, but the gals who did go enjoyed a rain-filled, odd house weekend. Due to the weather, the only activities involved hot pools and massage. Well, it was Rotorua (also known as Rotovegas for my international readers), after all. Aren’t hot pools mandatory?
The latest weekend, held recently, was definitely a step-up. It was again in Rotorua simply because there’s always lots to do there, and it’s very close. The bonus was that the entire female Honest Liars Improv contingent were there.
It began with Frenzied Friday, relaxed into a Slower Saturday and ended with Stimulating Sunday. Well, these were the chapter headings I thought summed up the weekend!
The AirB&B home was primo. Not only was it a beautiful house, but it also offered a big enough spa pool and a fire pit on the deck which overlooked a calm vista of rolling hills.
As I said – it was a Frenzied Friday. That’s because everyone arrives, cars unloaded, snacks laid out and drinks started. With seven women, you can imagine how many delicious snacks there were, so much so that dinner type food was never even given a thought.
It was serious work firing up the fire pit, especially not finding the fire starters until well after the flames leapt into life the old fashioned way.
By the time the deck was smoked out, it soon became obvious the best thing to do was to get into the hot tub.
As more slipped into the warm bubbling water to escape the smoke, the deep talking really began. Naturally, I’m going to add here that the famous line by Colson Whitehead from the movie The Noble Hustle.
“What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas”
So, no, you’re not going to get any of the juicy details. Needless to say, it wasn’t just in the pool; there were funny, lively, detailed conversations going on throughout the evening and subsequent days.
Saturday saw a much quieter day, although it was full, beginning with a bit of mini-golf with bunnies. That’s right. Flemish Rabbits hopped around the course to the enjoyment of all. The bunny golf was followed by a delicious lunch at the Atticus Finch restaurant which catered for everyone, including the two vegans!
A gentle walk by the lake, then it was off for the mandatory massage. Everyone was too tired to go out clubbing or any other thing that involved strenuous activity, and so it was back to the house, and finally, Friday’s meal was laid out on the counter for all to partake.
No better way to end the evening than to sit around and watch a girly movie. And the one of choice could have been made just for us. ‘Wine Country’, a story about a group of friends who have a weekend away to celebrate a birthday. Set in Napa Valley, the perfectly planned weekend turns into a wine-soaked event that changes the women forever. Although we were perhaps not quite as rambunctious, and we certainly didn’t have a ‘Devon’ who came with their house, we all laughed at some of the similarities we saw.
And so onto Sunday. Everyone had clear heads by then, and a walk through the Redwoods after breakfast invigorated us all. We could each return to our ‘normal’ lives refreshed, revitalised and revelling in the beautiful bonding that had only deepened our friendship.
Oh, I must mentioned that not only was the house beautiful, the weather was stunning also. A far cry from the previous girls’ weekend. But where both did hit the mark was with the fun we had. Do you have time out with your tribe? Please let me know in the comments.
Thanks for dropping by, my name is Fee O’Shea. I’m a mother and grandma, an author and an Improver. I’ve got a resource website to help peeps go plant-based, I’ve scribbled six bookscentred around veganism, and have helped others write and publish their own stories. But this blog is for my thoughts, my rants, raves, reviews and things that have grabbed my attention. From politics to social media to beauty, health and the environment. Fee’s Ramblings Over Coffee is written to bring you a smile or get you thinking. Enjoy.
Categories
DROP ME A LINE
A Trusted Site
Just so you know:
Links on this website may give me a small commission,
but there’s no extra cost to you!
I’ve talked about friendship before somewhere in this blog… ah, found it! …. Lost My Phone when I enlisted the help of a dear friend to go searching under cars in a public car park!
