Dinner with Debbie

Lovely early birthday presents from my friend!

August 26, 2016

Toward the end of every summer, my sweet friend Debbie insists on taking me out to a birthday lunch before she returns to her home in the Valley for the winter. And she never fails to bring me a thoughtful gift, often made with her own two hands.

Last night we met at Native Grill for dinner--fish and chips for me and a burger for her, all yummy--and I was able to convince her to let me turn the tables for once, allowing me to pay for her dinner since I'm not nearly as good a friend as Debbie is! Her birthday is just four weeks after mine, but by the end of September I'm so caught up in the stress of work and planning for our annual first-week-of-October family vacation that I usually miss her birthday altogether or just send a card, since she's already returned to the Valley by then.

So, this year, she brought me a big bag of beautiful gifts and I treated her to dinner as a very-early birthday gift! I hope she knows how precious she is and how much her friendship means to me!

One of the handmade table runners Debbie gave me for my birthday last year

adorns the top of the tall dresser in my bedroom, a perfect match for my bear quilt!

Debbie is a master quilter, a hobby to which she gives much love and time. One of her gifts was a quilted throw-pillow in our high school's colors, purple and gold. It just so happens that Debbie and I met at Blue Ridge High when I came here as a first-year teacher in 1990 and she was an established instructional aide; a few years later she had earned her own teaching degree and moved with her husband, George, to the Valley where she taught at Mesa High until she retired a few years ago.

I love the pillow! It will be a bright spot in a dark living room filled with the very brown furniture picked out by my second husband (which was delivered just three days after we split up, leaving me stuck paying for the stuff he just had to have...but I'm not bitter...ha!). Debbie also gave me a rose candle that actually smells like real roses! And the glittery card (I love glitter) is adorable.

Thank you, Debbie! (I know you're reading this!) You are an amazing woman, a wonderful friend, and a talented seamstress. I look forward to many more years of long heartfelt talks, tasty meals shared, and meaningful friendship. Love you!