Popfriend Pindel

Today was my friend Mrs. Pindel's birthday. We have been friends for many-a -year. We met when her youngest daughter was in an infant seat. My earliest memories of her are two-fold...people kept referring to her as "the really pretty girl, you've met her, right?" and our passing in the hall trying to get our babies into the church nursery and get to the service on Sunday mornings. Those baby girls are now in college...both home now for the summer working summer jobs until they return to their campuses in the fall. Whew, Mrs. Pindel, where did all those years go? I'll tell you where they went...play dates, Vacation Bible School, preschool, costume parties in your backyard, Sunday School Christmas parties in your den, painting shirts with puff paint (!), teaching Sunday School classes from adult ladies to elementary school, six houses and 3 zip codes between the two of us (TT, WS, R, T, A, ST. I)( can you figure out those street names poppindel?), friends who moved, got mad, divorced, returned, or stuck around, trips to Warrenton, shared recipes, family Christmas cards, driveway jack-o-lantern carving parties complete with yummy soup served in pumpkins, basketball playing husbands, bookgroup, lean times, joyful times, decorating, five kids, five dogs, countless vacations, gallons of coffee, hot tub confabs late at night, four parents, then in '02...three, bike rides, hairdos, mani/pedi dates, lunch dates, long hair, short hair, blonde hair, dark hair, vans, sports cars, pools, sprinkler systems, landscaping, magazine reading.....that's where they went all right. And here we both are now still friends living just blocks away with all of these precious shared memories..we are a lucky pair of ladies. Furthermore, Mrs. Pindel is the world's best I mean the world's best hostess. I'm talking about the art of entertaining people in her home. She can out cook Paula Dean (her cooking hero whose restaurant she recently visited) (yes, you sure can) and out decorate Martha Stewart. No one can make people feel as comfortable, pampered, and welcome as she can. She has the gift of hospitality to say the least. In January when we were running a half marathon side by side, we were both lost in our music and silent(except for my gasping for air) when all of a sudden her arm reaches out to me and she says, "Care for a mint?" !!! I cracked up and said "only you are the hostess with the mostess during a marathon!" Hospitality comes so naturally to her nevermind the fact that she's busy sprinting 13 miles and high fiving every roadside spectator! Go figure will ya??? So today was her turn. Some of us who love her dearly celebrated with her over lunch, iced tea, and chocolate birthday cake. We attempted to show her the same graciousness that she so willingly showers on us. Happy Birthday dear Popfriend Pindel, Popcorn loves you. xxoo