March 25, 2021. Madison, Mississippi. Lisa & Lunch.

I am always interested with the question of how you select friends. I have lived part time since 2009 and I had met Lisa at family gatherings but I did not say anything to her except to say hello or to wave across the room. But one day a few years ago Ken and I were invited to the Sutherland home for Thanksgiving dinner. The whole family was there with the adults at a table for 20 and the children at other tables in the dining room. I had the good fortunae to be seated beside Lisa. We talked and talked and have been fast friends since that time. We get together every few weeks for coffee or lunch. And we have a good time. Wednesday was the first time I had seen her since my return. I had been busy with appointments. Lisa met me at Amerigo for lunch. I always have fun with Lisa. Our times together are never boring. She is a reader so we always exchange our recent readings. She always asks me for recommendations as well. As I am almost twice her age, I have read more books than she, so I dredge up past books that she might have missed such as Angle of Repose. And I am always interested in her children. Her second child, Henry, has just been accepted into the Honor Studies program at the U. of Mississippi, which pleased her. Their eldest is at the same U. studying engineering. Her youngest will be in the 9th grade so one of the things we discuss is what she will do when the children are all on their own. She has home schooled the children, obviously effectively but soon it will be over. I have no idea how we hit it off the first time we got to talk but we did. Lunch with Lisa is always a delight and I feel fortunate to have such a good friend.