Girlfriend Weekends

Photography by Paige Pruitt-Haase

Some of my best memories include getaways with my close friends. Two times a year we head to the coast for a weekend. September we stay at Seaside and February is Bella Beach.

The past three years, I have enjoyed going to Bella Beach purely because it means an overnighter at my friend Midge's, in Salem. She always makes me laugh, she and her mother May are great hostesses.

Midge & I worked together in Portland for about 5 years. We would spend breaks talking about life. I could count on her to have great advice to help me through anything and with a positive attitude. Christmastime was a hoot in the office with Midge. She decorated over the top, so you couldn't help but have the Spirit of Christmas in your heart. So you could only imagine how wonderful it was for me to spend that one extra night in her home before we headed to the coast.

Buffi is another dear friend. I think of her as my sister. We go back to the land of Atlanta, Georgia days! She lives in Bend. We always end up as roomates on these trips. The first time was because we hadn't seen each other in a few years and we wanted to stay up all night, every night, to talk. After that, it became mandatory that the two of us remain roomates because we WOULD stay up talking and giggling ALL night. By the end of the weekends our sides were so sore from giggling it hurt to drive home!

These two women bring so much joy to my life, along with the crazy antics and funny movie recitals from Jana, homemade meals and cookies from Starr, and of course the laugh till you cry stories and great music from Patti, make perfect weekends I will never forget.

So, when you talk to your best friends and say that you should plan a weekend away, do it. We all need the time away from the ordinary. A time to recharge, but more importantly, a time to feel like yourself again.

Where we spoke....

Photography by Paige Pruitt-Haase
Sometimes we just have to take some time and breath. During a difficult time, I found myself in this window, staring out into the ocean and praying. I prayed for peace and comfort, I prayed for joy and happiness to be found.

My life had just taken a profound turn down a rather bumpy road. Well, bumpy is really not the best term. The road was reaked with deep potholes, gravel causing me to slide, and steep cliffs off to the side. My brother had passed away. No one could ever try to describe that kind of pain to me, not in a lifetime.

When I look back at that day, I cry. Not only because it was a deeply sad day, but I was also given the joy I sought when I stared out at the ocean. I looked down and saw a perfectly shapen cross in the small pine, reaching up in the wind. I sensed that my dear Lord was responding as I felt the grip of my brothers hand. We spoke.