Women and their best friends

women and their best friends

Happy Friday!  It has been an amazing birthday week, and I am excited to end the week in celebration of women and their best friends!

Leigh Ann has become a best friend and partner on this blog…she took me out for a birthday celebration on Monday.

women and their best friends

Then my BFF, Gail, came into town and we went out for my birthday on Tuesday.

Most women and their best friends are like great novels….they know each other’s past chapters really well and an evening with them is like picking up the book and continuing the read.

Gail is like that for me…I miss our daily conversations and cannot soak up enough when she comes in for a visit.

We get far too distracted when we are talking.

Years ago, we were going into a restaurants and talking.  I did not see a tree root and pushed up a section of sidewalk…tripped on it and fell bad enough to break a rib.

This week, we were leaving a restaurant and talking on, and Gail tripped and feel down.  Fortunately, she appears to be fine.

Like I said, the conversation is great!

BOOK REVIEW: WOMEN AND THEIR BEST FRIENDS

Women and their best friends

Meet Jan Pierce.  She is a retired teacher and a writer. She writes for regional parenting magazines and for www.askgranny.com. Jan lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband of 55 years and is a mother and grandmother.

Jan has written a fun book dedicated to women and their best friend called The Exploits of Edna & Gertie.

Women and their best friends

 

Here is what Jan wrote for you….

Time to Laugh with Edna and Gertie

 What did we love about Lucy and Ethel back in the day? Why do we embrace the Golden Girls in all their escapades? Why do we laugh out loud at Janet Evanovich’s Grandma Mazur?

Their antics made us laugh. There are countless quotations about the benefits of laughter and they’re all true—laughter lifts our spirits and chases away our troubles.

From The Exploits of Edna and Gertie: “Hot dang, the whole trip, free to seniors. What’s not to like? Trust me, you won’t miss your Hallmark movies. “We’re going to Vegas, Baby.”

And just like that Edna drags Gertie on another adventure.

Edna and Gertie are two “women of a certain age,” who have been long-time friends. Edna is brash and over-the-top, cruising ahead in life with little concern for minor catastrophes, while Gertie is reserved, a bit shy and always on guard when Edna has a new plan.

The girls go from one misadventure to another, Edna aiming to “stay in the game” and Gertie putting on the brakes to protect her sanity. Edna loves rock and roll; Gertie enjoys the symphony. Edna likes the Friday night dances at the Elks Club while Gertie enjoys her garden club meetings.

But as different as the girls may be, they have a friendship that goes back decades. Edna was the brave champion who kept Gertie from being bullied by mean girls back in their high school days, and Gertie has never forgotten that kindness. While they may disagree on nearly every aspect of life, they rely on one another and have a rock-solid friendship.

Edna has had two marriages: the first a nice, long steady one to Fred, and the second a disaster in which Sam left her for a young, blonde floozy. “He left me like yesterday’s leftovers.” Edna hasn’t fully recovered from that nasty surprise. And Gertie had her steady, boring Donald for over forty years, but he’s recently passed away. Edna is determined to add some pizzazz to Gertie’s dull, ordinary life.

I met Edna and Gertie at a writer’s conference in Oregon. The workshop prompt asked me to create two characters who meet for the first time. And, wonder of wonders, out jumped Edna and Gertie. They practically authored their own stories at first and now, after spending quite a lot of time with them, I know most of their ins and outs. I think you’ll enjoy getting to know them, too.

And they remind all of us about the importance of solid friendships in our latter years. We need people we can trust with our truths, our disappointments and our joys. We need to share our thoughts, hopes, dreams and fears, while being available to listen to the other person’s stories as well.

In The Exploits of Edna and Gertie the girls “Do Vegas,” go on a Senior’s Cruise to Nowhere, and finally, visit a Dude Ranch where some unlikely events take place. Who knows where they may travel in the future?

 

Jan is the author of Homegrown Readers and Homegrown Family Fun. 

Click these links to go to Amazon

Women and their best friends are powerful relationships and it is fun to think about the possibilities for fun.

Would anyone like to share any of your exploits with a best friend?  We would love to hear…..

It’s been a great week…thank you for being here…tomorrow is Would You Wear It and the winner of the Summer Box Giveaway will be announced.  

KEEP SMILING!!

By Pamela Lutrell

Other readers are using this link…..Nordstrom Anniversary Sale!!

And these links for savings at Best Buy, and Macy’s. Here are links for LLBeanBombas Land’s End, and Sundance!

I appreciate your support of this blog by shopping with my SHOPPING LINKS, and if you don’t see the retailer you need for anything, just send me an email and I will see if I have a link or if there is a sale you are looking for!

Email is over50feeling40@gmail.com.  

A special thank you to everyone who does this to offer your support of the blog!!

Check out my new video on YOUTUBE and please consider a subscription to my channel….Pamela Lutrell’s Channel.

13 Comments

  1. What a blessing our friends are! My very best friend was my cousin who passed away over 20 years ago. We always lived thousands of miles apart, but I would visit when I could (she had muscular dystrophy and couldn’t easily travel) and we never missed a beat. We wrote several letters every week for so many years and knew everything about each other. I have been blessed with other friends, of course, and one, like Edna and Gertie is my opposite personality-wise, but we have a long history, know the hot topics to avoid, and enjoy the common interests we do have. My sister and I met three sisters when we were camping 56 years ago, and we have a sisters weekend each year and honestly, it’s like we’re together all the time and like no time is lost. Thank you for the reminder to pause and be thankful for these special women. I can’t wait to see my cousin Debbie again!

  2. What beautiful memories, Karen! Thank you for sharing Debbie’s story with us. It will be a party some day when you see her again!

  3. I’ve said many times that my relationships with a group of like-minded friends have kept me sane throughout the past few years. As long as I was working, teaching, and raising children, I had little time for close friends….and I regret that. I envy Edna and Gertie, and look forward to reading of their adventures. BTW, this book of their exploits is available for free on the Kindle Unlimited program.

  4. Yes good friends are like gold! One of mine ( a cousin) grew up right next door so was more like a sister. We played together from toddler age to pre high school. She just passed away unexpectedly at age 75, though outwardly youthful and energetic ( was still working part time). Embrace your friends! Women need women!

  5. Thank you for sharing, Celia! Of course when you are able and purchase with the links on the blog it supports me and keeps me able to do this for income.
    Thanks so much

  6. So sorry to hear that, Paulette. We should reach out to our friends often…no matter where they are. Thank you for sharing.

  7. This touches my heart today, as last weekend was the fourth anniversary of my oldest and dearest friend Ann’s passing. We enjoyed just over forty years as besties, taking summer trips together and sharing our ups and downs through life. God has blessed me with other glorious friends throughout life, and several stepped up to ease the pain of losing her. While Ann uniquely knew me with the intimacy of a sister, I can only give thanks that she lives on in my memories and as a guide for embracing the friendships I am lucky to hold so dear.

  8. I just met with my best friend just last week. We have been friends since our children were young and our friendship has endured long distances because she moved away to Africa to do missionary work. Now she is back in the states and we meet when we can ( she lives in Dallas and I live in Wisconsin). Whenever we meet we just take up where we left off in a comfortable conversation.
    Yes girlfriends are important even if they are living far away.

  9. Thank you for sharing this sweet remembrance Connie. I know it helps the rest of us value each and every day the time we have with our friends.

  10. I have a best friend, that I met while working at a local high school just down the road from where I live. She was a bus driver and I the Librarian. This was years back and we still meet every Saturday morning for coffee and breakfast at my house with my lovely husband making the breakfast. We are total opposites but still enjoy great times together. I consider her one of my sisters. (I have three sisters and no brothers).

  11. I love that your husband cooks breakfast for you both…what a lovely tradition. Thanks for sharing, Merrie!

  12. I agree with all the above comments. Good and faithful friends make life much richer and soooo much more fun. Hope all of you enjoy reading The Exploits of Edna and Gertie and remember them long after.

    Jan Pierce

Comments are closed.