April 16

Historically-speaking, this was not a good day for Texas City. In 1947, a ship exploded and burned, taking out the Monsanto Chemical Company and another ship and killing at least 526 people, including the entire fire department.

Of course, much earlier in American history, Charlie Chaplin was born, thus ensuring the pleasure of countless multitudes.

And in 1942 my dearest childhood friend came into the world. I wasn't present, since I was born a month later, but her presence has enriched my life for many years. We first met in third grade, when I was transferred to another school by the event of my local school district centralizing with one 9 miles away. While it was somewhat traumatic for me, coming from a two-room school to a combined 1-12 school, I made many life-long friends there. Of course, the whole process of riding on a big school bus--as opposed to Benny's station wagon--was also stressful.
But this is about Judy, not about me. We were in the same grade; we attended similar churches; we both were close to the top of the class in grades. I'm sure she was the one who made the first outreach. She's a very friendly person.
She also is very crafty, learning early to cook and sew and do grown-up things. I remember her coming to school with a new blouse or skirt that she had made and thinking how clever she was. Only years later did she tell me that she had made these things from feed bags used on her father's farm. Apparently they were even
more dirt-poor than the rest of us, but she made it into something to be proud of.
She was married at the end of our high school career and went off with her Army husband. I felt bereft, but I went off to college and did all the collegiate things.
She had a couple babies and finally settled back near our childhood homes. If she hadn't reached out to me again, we probably would have been living within 100 miles of each other and not communicating. But she did. She showed up at my wedding with another school friend and served at the reception. She's done so many other selfless things.
The blue in this post represents the color of her eyes. Thank you, Judy!