March 17, 2016: Let's Apply a Filter...

The final picture...filter applied

Tonight I am finally getting together with my friend, Angelique. It's been way too long.

With a close friendship and our birthdays just short of a month apart, we find ourselves celebrating many of life's milestones together. Although we have know each other since our youngest children were in kindergarten, the closeness of our friendship began shortly after our 40th celebrations.

Like our birthdays, our divorces coincided in time as well.

Now with 48 years under our belts, about eight of those years as single parents, we have experienced many highs and lows of life together. Our memories are full of our adjusting to single-motherhood. Together.

Stories from our joint family vacations are reminisced by our young adult children with great laughter. Mother's Days have included family golf outings and brunch. Our kids have a close kinship with each other, just like their moms. I have no doubt that collectively we will always have each other's backs.

Our last joint celebration was back on December 23, 2015 (Day 16 of my 90 days off), Angelique and I had an exceptional time toasting the holiday together with friends and family.

It was my intent to post a blog with our pictures (below) and accompanying dialogue. But Day 17 came and went with fury. And it is now months later, with me instead enjoying a new season and celebration, St. Paddy's Day. But I have also decided that it is never too late to share a good story.

The setting of my story is Angelique's home and our company included my partner-in-crime, Larry, (otherwise known as my father-in-law) and Angelique's mom, Janie. Kids were home for the holidays and some friends joined us as well. Sharing life and Moscow mules, Angelique and I asked her daughter to take our picture.

Greta gladly agreed. Taking a good phone photo would not be this sorority girl's first rodeo.

"Smile" the brunette beauty kept telling us as she continued to take pictures, not completely satisfied with the ones previously taken. So we kept smiling (kind of) and she kept trying to get a good picture...

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Finally Greta stopped, examining her last 'take' on her phone.

Angelique: "Is that one good?'

Greta (smiling sweetly): "That's cute!"

<pause>

And then under her breath, Greta looked down again and declared, "Let's apply a filter."

<Angelique and Sandy, photo-take flunkies, roar in laughter>

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After composing ourselves, we reviewed our 'portfolio' of photos; all bearing wrinkles, face veins, under-eye circles, and awkward smiles. Even the filtered photo couldn't hide our lack of photogenic glam that night.

I personally blamed my issues on slaving in the kitchen with my father-in-law making holiday moonshine all afternoon. Some fresh make-up and hair wash might have helped (maybe, then again, probably not).

Then I composed my own composite photo, declaring the caption of this photo to be 'Friendship...Flaws Included'

We'll keep our wrinkles and messiness. The corresponding smiles and laughs go hand in hand.

'Friendship...Flaws Included'