Friends, indeed!

                                                                         

FRIEND...the dictionary says, "...one attached to another by affection or esteem..."  but those are just words.  I believe that friendship is comprised of actions, experiences and yes... love. A friend is someone you can count on to have your back, and in turn, should they ever need you, you will be there for them.  In good times they will share your joy and laughter...in bad times they share your burden and dry your tears.  Friends can be as close as next door or as far away as across the country, or even in another country! A friend can be someone you see every day or someone with whom you have had no contact in ages.  Friendship is a connection of the heart!  Sometimes frindship is close and intimate and sometimes it can just start on social media, when a kindred soul pops up and you click...often, that's all it takes. You just know intrinsically that regardless of the situation, friends support, encourage, laugh or cry with you, no matter what!

We meet friends in so many different ways...in school... at a party...at work...in the neighborhood...at events...through another friend...through like interests...on social media...I could go on and on.  When people "click" a friendship is born.

And this is how I met Irene...

It was probably June, fifty years ago because I remember that it was very hot and humid.  I had just completed my final term teaching Special Ed in New York and was now busily fixing up our new apartment and readying it for a tiny new tenant that was due to arrive in December (or so we thought!).  I am a New York girl and moving to New Jersey to be near my husband's work was a wrench for me.  It was lonely being away from my friends and family.  Now we had moved to this new building, and while I was still learning how to get around in strange surroundings, my husband had already made a friend.  He traveled to work by bus and a young man who lived in our building and coincidentally worked for the same company traveled with him. They hit it off immediately.

One morning I gathered the laundry and headed down to the laundry room in the basement.  As I loaded the clothes into the washing machine another tenant arrived with her laundry.  She was young...she was smiling at me...and she was pregnant too!!  And there it was...that C L I C K.  As soon as we struck up a conversation we were instant friends.  We were both from New York, both just left our jobs, and both expecting babies around the same time.  From that day on we spent lots of time together.  We shopped, shared recipes, talked on the phone and went for long walks exploring our new neighborhood.

One day my husband suggested that we invite the friend that he traveled to work with and his wife, for dessert that Friday evening.  Great idea!  Let's make it a party and I would ask my new friend Irene and her husband. I called immediately, but unfortunately they were unable to come.

Now, Friday rolls around.  Dessert was baked, coffee made, table set and I was listening to my husband "selling " me his new buddy...I remember words like, "really great guy"..."warm and friendly"..."great sense of humor"...this was a bromance if I ever saw one!  I was really bummed not to be able to introduce my husband to my new friend, too.   

And then the doorbell rang...I opened it to see my husband's friend Arthur and right next to him...holding his hand...his wife...IRENE...my Irene!  We simply had no idea! 

And here we are...50 years later...six children...twelve grandchildren...much laughter...many tears... sickness...health...we have shared it all.  And that, my friends, is FRIENDSHIP!

  






I remember the dessert I baked that night...a fabulous apple tart that I still make, to the delight of all who taste it!
                                                             
                                                                  

MOST INCREDIBLE APPLE TART

Ingredients:

Topping:

3 1/2 cups Graham cracker crumbs         4 tbsp butter

4 tbsp. sugar     1 tbsp. cinnamon

Blend with fingers and line 8 or 10 quart spring form pan with 2 1/2 cups of the mixture.  Reserve 1 cup.

tart ingredients:

7 large apples (Rome or Granny Smith are good) peeled, cored and cut in 1/6ths.

3 tbsp. butter     3 tbsp. sugar

1 pint sour cream           6 eggs

1 cup sugar

Simmer apples, 3 tbsp butter and 3 tbsp. sugar until apples are tender.

While apples simmer light oven to 350 degrees.

Blend sour cream, eggs and 1 cup sugar and mix well.

Turn off flame under apples but leave on burner, slowly add sour cream mixture, constantly stirring .  Light very low flame as mixture can curdle.  Leave on no longer than 2 minutes and remove from stove.

Pour into prepared crust and bake for 45 minutes.

... serve chilled with whipped cream...