Jo Ann's Friends

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Lori Was the "Coolest Boss" Ever and Is Also the "Coolest" Friend!

As I have been writing about some of my friends in this JO ANN's Friends blog, I have realized that some of the friends that I now consider lifelong friends were once my bosses, so I am writing some blog posts that are dedicated to those wonderful people who hold a very special place in my heart since they had a part in shaping my life. We met because of work, but as the years passed, when we no longer worked together, we connected again and discovered that we were friends for life. How COOL is that!

In this blog post, I am writing about Lori who I consider the "coolest boss" and the "coolest friend" ever! Enjoy the story of our friendship which is below.

Lori, JO ANN, and Dan - September 1989

My husband Dan and I moved from Long Beach, California to San Francisco in April of 1988. We lived right in "The City" until almost the end of 1991. I took a brief break from teaching skating when we moved to San Francisco, and for a time, both Dan and I worked for a religious organization that had an office in the Haight-Ashbury district. (Our office was very near the corner of Haight and Ashbury!)

Lori was our supervisor, but also became our friend. Dan tells me he liked working for Lori so much that when she decided to leave the organization, that he knew he could not work under anyone else, so that prompted our decision to also leave at the end of 1991.

Let me tell you a little about Lori then and Lori now:

First of all, Lori was the greatest boss ever! She never got mad and made all of us who worked under her want to go to work and do a good job. She came up with the idea of having staff meetings every Monday morning at our different homes. We shared a breakfast together and laughed together as we talked about our work and made plans for the coming week. Starting the week off with a breakfast meeting in a home just didn't seem like work and that was because Lori made the work we did, which was not always pleasant, almost fun.

The Lori of "then" had this way of making people want to hang out with her. She played the guitar and mandolin and also the drums. I also remember she could do quite a good rap and was a good actress.

Lori was always willing to talk when someone needed to talk. She just had a way of making every person she interacted with feel important. Every person that was around Lori felt like Lori was his or her close friend, and she made time for every person who needed her.

Lori rented this very large flat in San Francisco's Sunset District that was furnished with furniture to show that she was our boss. I'm not sure she liked the furniture or not, but she was told that garage sale furniture would not do, so she complied. I also recall she bought some fancy business like clothes to go with her supervisor status, but I always had the feeling she wanted to just wear jeans.

One Thanksgiving a bunch of us had a potluck dinner at Lori's large flat. I remember there were very few cooking utensils in the apartment, but we all enjoyed the time at Lori's very much. Lori made all of us, who were away from family, feel like a family in San Francisco.

Dan and I had a 10 year renewal of our wedding vows in 1989 and Lori did all the work that went into that wonderful celebration!

Once, we all went out to eat to celebrate Lori's 30th birthday. I recall she wore black to celebrate the occasion! Then, one by one, each one of us took photos with Lori in her black attire! (Note: I will scan some of those photos soon and add them to this blog post.)

Just before the three of us left San Francisco and the religious organization at the end of 1991, I remember going out for Japanese food with Lori. She was very impressed when Dan and I both ate sushi for the first time and liked it. Lori always had a way of noticing little things like that!

After Dan and I moved to Colorado at the end of 1991, we may have lost touch with Lori for a few years, but somehow, through the internet in the late 1990s-early 2000s, we got back in touch and began exchanging frequent email letters. As we exchanged emails we discovered that we had so much in common in our thoughts about religion and politics and life. Exchanging emails was just "plain fun" and I remember Lori said that sometimes she'd run to her computer in the morning before she went to work to read our email letters. Dan and I did the same thing!

Through those emails, we learned that Lori was working for the Red Cross in Long Beach, California and living in Los Angeles. Then, in 2002, we took a trip from Colorado to Long Beach to see family. Just before we began the long drive back to Colorado, we stopped at the Red Cross offices in Long Beach and got to see Lori. That was the highlight of that trip for both me and Dan. During that short visit at the Red Cross offices, Lori was so excited to meet our then little kids, Joel, Rebekah, and Annabelle. I remember she said she knew we were great parents since she remembered how we played with puppets back in our San Francisco days.

Time passed. We continued exchanging emails and then Facebook came along so we were able to be in contact more frequently. We learned that Lori moved to North Carolina and was working on a Ph.D. It took her awhile to complete her doctorate degree, but she now holds the title of Assistant Professor at St. Louis University and her students address her with the distinguished Dr. title. I've heard that she is one of the most popular professors ever!

Even though we are not physically around Lori these days, we know that Lori still makes time for anyone who needs her. In October of 2015, my then 19-year old daughter Rebekah needed someone to talk to (besides me, her mom) and Lori spent several hours on the phone with Rebekah. Lori helped Rebekah get through something at the time that seemed like a crisis and I'm so grateful for the time she spent on the phone with Rebekah. She helped Rebekah so much.

Music is still a big part of Lori's life. She is in a band in North Carolina called The Beauty Operators. Someday I hope to see the group perform. From what I see on Facebook, being part of that band makes Lori so happy.

Dinner Out in St. Louis With Lori - December 12, 2017

In December of 2017, my daughter Annabelle and my dad and I went to St. Louis for something skating related. One of the highlights of that trip was getting to see Lori! We got to light Chanukah candles together on the first night of Chanukah and then we out to the greatest Asian restaurant ever. The evening went too fast! Annabelle really enjoyed meeting Lori and tells me now she knows that not all my friends are "weird." (Typical teenage reaction to Mom's friends:) Lori told Annabelle about how she knew way back then that Dan and I were great parents and told Annabelle about how her parents played with puppets!

Yes, Lori was the "coolest boss" ever and is the "coolest friend." We have a lifelong friendship that I do treasure. Thank you Lori for your friendship! And...hugs!

JO ANN and Lori - 1990

Dan, JO ANN, and Lori - 1990

Friday, February 16, 2018

I May Have Never Taught Skating If It Hadn't Been for Sandy

As I have been writing about some of my friends in this JO ANN's Friends blog, I realized that some of the friends that I now consider lifelong friends were once my bosses, so I am writing some blog posts that are dedicated to those wonderful people who hold a very special place in my heart since they had a part in shaping my life. We met because of work, but as the years passed, when we no longer worked together, we connected again and discovered that we were friends for life. How COOL is that!

In this blog post, I am writing about Sandy, who was the first Skating School Director to hire me to teach skating. Enjoy the story of our friendship which is below.

Ice Capades Chalet Brea Coaching Staff 1983 - (I'm in front and Sandy is the pretty blonde)

On March 1, 1983, I began my career as an ice skating coach. If I hadn't been hired by Sandy, I may have never taught skating. I am so thankful to Sandy for giving me that chance. If Sandy had not hired me, I may have perhaps done something else. Who knows, I may have never taught skating and who would have known more than 35 years later, that Sandy and I would still be in touch? What is even more special is that our daughters, Annabelle and Kelly, are the same age and are also friends.

When Sandy and I get together, the two of us can talk for hours and hours. We remember the past, but we talk about what's going on in our lives and with our families. Sometimes we don't talk about skating; but, at other times, skating may come up. We've established a life-long connection that we both treasure.

Sandy hired me to teach at the southern California Brea Ice Capades Chalet, but later, she also was the Skating School Director at Ice Capades Chalet in Costa Mesa. I taught under her at both rinks and when I left the Ice Capades Chalet company, Sandy wished me well. I still remember her telling me that I would always be welcomed back and how much she appreciated the hard work I put in during the years I worked under her. I was very grateful then, since, although I was a very accomplished figure skater, I knew nothing about teaching skating when Sandy first hired me. She taught me how to teach classes and how to conduct myself as a private lesson coach. She even gave me the title of ISIA Director and taught me how to run ISI competitions. When I made mistakes, she gently helped me improve at my job.

After leaving the Costa Mesa Ice Capades Chalet, I went on with my life and coaching career, but every year after that it seemed, I received beautiful holiday cards from Sandy. Those cards kept us up to date on one another's lives. I learned about Sandy and her husband Mitch's life through those cards. I rejoiced when I heard about the birth of her first child Jeff and then the birth of the twins Kelly and Tyler. The twins were born just a little before my third child Annabelle was born. Little did I know at the time our babies were born that our girls would become friends as teens. I hope their friendship will continue into adulthood.

As time passed, we continued to exchange holiday cards and then Facebook came along and the world began to shrink it seemed. Sandy and I connected on Facebook, but we also connected because of my job as About.com's Figure Skating Guide-Expert. I went skating on a vacation to California at one of the rinks owned by the MIghty Ducks where Sandy was then the Marketing Director. I wanted to write about The Rinks, so we talked briefly on the phone about The Rinks.

Later, when I began writing my skating autobiography, MY SKATING LIFE, I got in touch with Sandy and together we remembered the two ice skating rinks where I began my coaching career. Sandy was the focus of those two chapters in the book. Just remembering how great a Skating School Director she was became so fun. It was like the two of us went back in time. During the time I wrote the chapters that included Sandy, she began finding photos and memories from those days. We both found that we could talk for hours about how wonderful the Ice Capades Chalets really were and about how hard all that worked for the company worked.

Sandy and JO ANN - Book Signing 2015

Finally, when my book was published in late 2014, I wanted to give Sandy a signed copy, so when I was in California on vacation in January of 2015, we arranged to meet at a Starbucks with my lifelong friend Marion (who also taught skating at Ice Capades Costa Mesa under Sandy). That book signing/reunion was the beginning of an almost new and very special friendship since Sandy and I just wanted to keep talking about our lives and children and skating!

At that Starbucks reunion, the two of us came up with the idea that our daughters could perhaps be Pen-Pals, but we also thought it might be nice for the girls to meet face to face, so we arranged for the girls to skate together at Lakewood Ice. At that ice rink, our girls did "hit it off" and got together again. Annabelle and Kelly just had so much in common and even liked the same kinds of foods!

Sandy's Daughter Kelly and My Daughter Annabelle

Also, I mentioned to Sandy that my figure skating boots and blades (which I bought way back in 1983 from skating coach Harland Parker who taught at the Brea Ice Capades Chalet) were so broken down that I needed a new pair of skates. Sandy gave me a pair of skates that she no longer could wear and I've been wearing Sandy's skates ever since!

One of the fun things my daughter Annabelle and I have done with Sandy's family was when we got to spend an afternoon on her family's boat. Sandy's son Jeff is really good at wake-boarding and Annabelle got a chance to give it a try that day.

Annabelle and Kelly have gone to Disneyland together and Annabelle got to join Kelly and Sandy's family for a New Year's celebration at their family's mountain cabin. Kelly even flew out to Colorado Springs to join in at Annabelle's 16th sleep-over birthday party at the Broadmoor Hotel! The girls have skated together and Kelly came to watch Annabelle pass her Senior Free Skate test! We rejoiced with Sandy and Kelly when Kelly became a double gold medalist when she passed the Senior Solo Free Dance test.

Yes...it is almost mind-boggling to think that such a special friendship evolved from a job interview in 1983!

To Sandy: Thank you so much for giving me the chance to teach skating. Thank you for believing in me and thank you for teaching me so much during my early coaching days. And...thank you for this wonderful friendship we have!

Thursday, February 1, 2018

Rosie's Life and Past Should Be Made Into a Television Movie

My Parents' Orphans: The Rosie George Finocchi - Purchase Rosie's Autobiography
Figure Skating Helped Rosie Finocchi Deal With Horror

Rosie and I reconnected face to face in July of 2016. She and I knew one another casually when I taught skating in the 1980s in southern California. Rosie was one of the pioneers of adult figure skating and competed in many adult skating competitions at the time. She competed in the very first US Figure Skating Association Adult National Open Championships.

I last saw Rosie in 1987 when I ran a huge ISI recreational skating competition at Iceland in Paramount, California. I remember she entered almost every possible event an adult skater could enter. She won many of the competitions she entered since she was a very strong skater.

Rosie Won at the First Ever Adult Nationals!

What I didn't know about Rosie then was that when she was 19 years old, her mother died and Rosie, at 19, ended up raising her four younger siblings. Her story is a bit like one of those Hallmark Channel television movies, but what is even more amazing is that despite almost being homeless at such a young age, that Rosie went on to become a stockbroker, an ABA Trial Paralegal and tax consultant, and recently earned a Master's Degree!

I am proud to call Rosie my friend since she is one of the most loving and generous people I know.

Here's some of Rosie's story:

Rosie grew up in southern California and skated recreationally as a child and teen at the old Glacier Falls Ice Arena in Anaheim, California. Her father died when she was 13 years old and at his deathbed, he asked Rosie to promise to take care of her mother and siblings which included three younger brothers and a baby sister.

Before her father's death, the family moved to New York state. Rosie's mother was very ill, so Rosie pretty much was like a mother to her baby sister and her brothers. She dropped out of school in 10th grade to take care of her four siblings when her mother was diagnosed with cancer.

Rosie's Youngest Siblings Michael and Lisa Before Their Mother's Death

Rosie and Her Three Brothers in 1972

After her mother died when Rosie was 19, the court sent Rosie's then five year old sister away (which was very traumatic for Rosie and her siblings), and sent Rosie and her brothers (ages 15, 14, and 10) to California to live with an uncle.

When the four orphan children got off the plane, the uncle announced to her that since she was "of age" at 19 years old, that she was on her own and departed with her brothers. Rosie stood on the streets of California all alone and frightened and wanted to cry, but instead, decided to not give up. She was completely homeless and broke with only a 9th grade education.

A scribbled piece of paper had been given to Rosie with a phone number of someone who could help her in California if needed, so in shock, Rosie called that number and a wonderful woman took her in. That woman was Gretchen Purves. Gretchen and her husband, Miciah were total strangers, but gave Rosie shelter, food, and a place to sleep. Rosie slept on the couch in their baby's room. Not long after that, a couple from the Purves's church (Chuck Smith's Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa), Tom and Teri Phipps, gave her shelter and a home and loved her as if she was their own daughter. (Rosie says the Phipps still love her like family.)

A short time later, what only could happen in a fictional book occurred:

One Sunday, after church, Rosie found her three younger brothers standing in front of the church with paper bags filled with all their belongings. Her uncle was with the boys and said, "You wanted them...I don't want them...they are now yours!" He then promptly drove away.

It turned out her uncle wasn't getting enough money from the foster care system. His brothers told her that the uncle told them that he wanted them to live with their sister. Rosie says she is grateful to that uncle for bringing her family to California and keeping the siblings together even though she expected her uncle to actually take care of her and her brothers which did not happen.

Rosie raised those three younger brothers all on her own. She found an apartment for her family, worked all the time, and sacrificed everything for her brothers. She told me that she fed the boys a lot of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese and made sure they got to school and she did all that a parent was supposed to do. Eventually she and her brothers were reunited with their sister.

Skating became a way that Rosie could do something for herself and that is when I met her. I always admired her drive, but I had no idea that she had done so much for her family.

Today, Rosie's siblings are grown and some have their own children. I've met two of Rosie's brothers and a nephew.

Rosie Now Enjoys Being an Aunt!

JO ANN and Luke

In addition, I have met one of Rosie's former neighbors named Luke. Luke is an amazing young man that I'm proud to call a friend. Luke plays hockey and I've helped him with some of his hockey skating skills.

Life is a journey and Rosie has proved that her life's journey is certainly a remarkable one! She was homeless, uneducated, and broke at a very young age and went on to raise four siblings on her own when she was really still a child. And...she skated and won competitions! Rosie, it is an honor to be your friend. 💗

Monday, January 1, 2018

Susan and JO ANN: "Sisters for Life" Because of Gamma Phi Beta

Susan and JO ANN reunioning at Honnen Ice Rink at Colorado College - October 15, 2017

When I was 18 years old and a freshman at Colorado College, I decided to go through Sorority Rush even though my parents advised me that because I was Jewish that I probably would not be accepted into a sorority. In my "parents' day," Jewish students were never accepted into sororities or fraternities, but I thought times might have changed in the 1970s, so I decided to give it a try.

There were four sororities at CC, Colorado College: Gamma Phi Beta, Delta Gamma, Kappa Alpha Theta, and Kappa Kappa Gamma. (Sadly, Gamma Phi Beta is no longer a sorority at Colorado College.)

The sorority houses at CC were just lodges which meant that a house mom lived in the house, but there were no dorm rooms in the houses. The houses were just used for entertaining and meetings. We could hang out at the house anytime we wanted to though; it was common to go over to the house to make a home cooked meal, watch TV, or bake cookies. Sometimes I would just go over to the house between classes to use the phone or to talk to "Mom Hand" and later "Mom Helen" who were thehouse moms at the Gamma Phi Beta house during my four years at Colorado College.

I decided to join Gamma Phi Beta instead of one of the other sorority houses for two reasons:

There were two girls in 1974 who were members who were Jewish in the Gamma Phi house.
No one else I met during Sorority Rush wanted to join the Gamma Phi house. (I figured if no one else wanted to join Gamma Phi Beta that I'd get more attention!)

The "Thetas" didn't want me, but I did get invites from the Kappas and the DGs. The Thetas and Kappas I recall were the popular "Susie Sorority" types, but the DGs were more like Gamma Phi's, but seemed to attract more pledges.

Well, I was right....only seven girls pledged Gamma Phi Beta at Colorado College in the fall of 1974. That meant I got plenty of attention and felt so welcome.

Gamma Phi Beta was just what I needed since my figure skating training and ice dancing schedule made it impossible for me to make any friends at all. I trained from 11 pm at night until 4 am in the morning six nights a week at the Broadmoor World Arena which meant I had class Monday through Friday from 9 am to 12 pm, studied from 12:30 to 5 pm, slept from 5 pm to 10 pm, skated from 11 pm to 4 am, and slept from 5 am to 7:00 am. I spent Sunday, which was a non-skating day, catching up on my sleep. It was a ridiculous schedule.

When I joined Gamma Phi Beta, I went without sleep on Monday nights since our weekly meetings were from 7 to 9 pm, but going without sleep that one night a week was worth it because of the friendships I made.

The senior students seemed so grown up to me, but they treated me like one of their sisters from the moment I joined the Gamma Phi Beta sorority. In fact, the girls in the sororities are told we were sisters and we would be sisters for life. That meant a lot to me since my own sister and I were not all that close, and all of a sudden I had several sisters!

One of the seniors in the Gamma Phi House who graduated in 1975 was Susan, but we called her Sue Knock. After Susan graduated from CC, I never saw her again, but due to Facebook, we reconnected over 40 years later! Susan contacted me through Facebook Messenger before the Colorado College 1977 class's 40th Reunion in October of 2017 and asked if we could meet at the college's Honnen Ice Rink and skate together during the reunion weekend.

Susan and JO ANN - Honnen Ice Rink at Colorado College October 2017

Well, Susan and I did just that. During that day of skating together, I learned that Susan had been a competitive and test skater. While growing up in Calgary, Canada, She earned her Gold Dance test and 7th Figure test which are very impressive achievements, but when she was a student at CC, she really did not skate much, so I had no idea when I was a busy freshman skating in the middle of the night while at CC that she was what we in the figure skating world call a "Real Skater."

At that reunion at the ice rink on campus, I also learned that Susan is now Dr. Knock. She earned a PHD and taught at a university in Texas. I learned that she and her husband, Chuck, were now retired and live in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, so I asked Susan if I could visit someday and that's exactly what I did!

During the holiday break in December of 2017, my daughter Rebekah and I drove from Colorado Springs to Pagosa Springs and stayed at Susan and Chuck's mountain cabin next to the national forest in Pagosa. We went downhill and nordic skiing, and did some snow scootering in Wolf Creek, skated at the new outdoor ice rink in Pagosa Springs, and toured downtown Pagosa Springs and had a wonderful time visiting with Susan and Chuck and their husky dogs and cat.

Chuck, Susan, and JO ANN in Pagosa Springs, Colorado - December 29, 2017

I truly believe now that when we were told we were "sisters for life" when we became members of Gamma Phi Beta that what we were told is true. Susan and I are family and connecting again helped us remember how special our days together in college were.

We Gamma Phi's sang a song at the end of every school year that helps me remember Gamma Phi Beta. It is below. Yes, memories of Gamma Phi Beta are "truly with" me and Susan!

Remember Gamma Phi Beta
Remember when you're away
Remember the friends you made here
And don't forget to come back someday

Remember the pink carnation
The crescent in the sky
And keep truly ever with you
The memory of Gamma Phi

We'll remember you...

Below is a photo of the Gamma Phi Beta members in 1974-75:

It's easy to find me in this photo since I'm holding Sunny, the pomeranian dog I took everywhere...even to skating competitions such as Nationals! The big stuffed character next to me is the Big Blue Warm Fuzzy that we passed around our sorority house. Whenever someone was down, a sister would share the fuzzy with that person to cheer them up. This photo was taken in the spring of 1975. Most of the girls in this photo I've lost touch with. They were really a special group!

Further Reading:

Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Alice - A Former Boss and Friend

As I have been writing about some of my friends in this JO ANN's Friends blog, I realized that some of the friends that I now consider lifelong friends were once my bosses, so now, I"m going to write some blog posts that are dedicated to those wonderful people who hold a very special place in my heart. We met because of work, but as the years passed, when we no longer worked together, we connected again and realized that we were friends. I think that is SO COOL!

--------------------------------------------------

The first boss I'm going to write about is Alice who was my boss when I worked at the University Student Union at California State University at Long Beach from 1980 to 1982.

JO ANN and Alice - Reunited in 2013 at an ice skating rink .....Alice didn't know until that reunion day that I was a skater!

When I did graduate work at California State University Long Beach in 1980, I realized that I had the time to take on a part-time job, so when I saw an advertisement at the University Student Union for a job at the Information Desk, I applied. I have a memory of filling out a simple application and having a short interview with Alice, who managed many of the University Student Union offices including the Information Desk and the Candy Counter. Her title was "Services Supervisor."

It was a fun interview and it seemed like Alice wanted to hire me the moment she met me. I had worked as a cashier at Fotomat before beginning graduate studies at Long Beach State and had the experience of working alone that Alice was looking for. I began my work the next day and discovered very quickly that I loved the job! I gave information about the campus to students, but also sold newspapers and took film orders. I worked right next to the disabled student services office, and got to know many of the students with special needs. I got to know a blind student and also a graduate student who was paralyzed from the neck down after a tragic accident.

Newspapers sold for 25 cents, and I never handed a newspaper to a student customer until I had that 25 cents in my hands. One day, a student grabbed my hand and pulled it back and forth and said he would not give me the money unless I gave him the newspaper first. He began pulling my hand back and forth and then he noticed my wedding ring and exclaimed, "You're married!" He then quickly gave me the quarter and took his newspaper and disappeared.

What was wonderful about my student job was that every semester, the hours I worked were scheduled around my class schedule and when the Information Desk was quiet, I was allowed to study. Once in awhile, I got entire class projects done while I was at work.

Every semester I looked forward to working for Alice and one summer, I asked Alice about working a summer job, and worked at the Candy Counter five days a week from 10 am to 4 pm. Alice taught me how to make popcorn in the huge commercial popcorn maker at the Candy Counter. I still remember her realizing I was too short to reach the popcorn machine, but she found me a step stool so I could do my job of making popcorn and also cleaning the popcorn machine at the end of the day.

That summer was a hot one and one day when one student asked for a scoop of trail mix, the scariest thing happened! Bugs flew out of the trail mix! Alice told me later that all the trail mixes had to be thrown away. Apparently the heat caused the trail mixes to go bad. Every time I see trail mixes, I think about those bugs flying towards me! I remember students also wanting tiny bits of Jelly Belly candies and having to measure and weigh small amounts of that candy. As soon as the summer ended, I was very glad to be back working at the Information Desk.

Once a student tried to short change me when I worked at the Information Desk. Alice was so patient and didn't blame me for losing the $10 that the student did steal.

(Another time, when I was working an early evening shift, a male student approached me and handed me a love poem! He had seen me eating dinner on my break in the student union's cafeteria and told me he knew I was married, but wanted me to have the poem he wrote anyway. I told my husband about the incident and never did see that student again, but was so very flattered.)

Alice was one of the most patient bosses ever. All her employees were CSULB students, so she dealt with many young people and chose employees she could trust and rely on. I worked for Alice and the Student Union for about two and a half years, from 1980 to the end of 1982.

I remember she invited those who worked under her to her home for a holiday gathering. We got to know her husband Brent and became excited when we learned she was expecting a baby.

I remember a story of how the game machines were stolen right from the employees at the Student Union. One evening, when Alice had left for the day, some men drove up in a van and looked official and said they had come to take the game machines for repairs and the Student Union evening employees even helped the crooks load the machines into the getaway van! I remember that was one of the more upsetting ordeals that happened to Alice. (I'm not sure the game machines were ever recovered.)

After I completed my California Teaching Credential at CSULB, I could no longer work on campus since my part-time job was just for students, but I kept in touch with Alice. She was so diligent about sending holiday cards and every year I looked forward to reading about her life and her family. I saw her two children, Jennifer and Curtis, grow up through those cards. Now, Alice is a grandmother! She also has been very successful in real estate.

One memory of the news that came from Alice that really stands out in my mind was when Alice and Brent ended up winning a car on Let's Make a Deal! They notified us somehow to tune into the show so we could see them win the car! Her daughter, Jenny, was able to find the video of her parents winning that car thirty years later. Click on the link below to see Alice and Brent winning that car:

Click Here to Watch a Video of Alice and Brent Winning a Car on Let's Make a Deal

Alice did not know that I was a skater when I worked for her, but ironically, we hooked up after about 30 years at an ice rink! Alice and Brent were in Colorado Springs on vacation and when she wrote on Facebook that she was at Garden of the Gods, I realized she was in town and contacted her. She was visiting friends in Colorado Springs and those friends were going to a high school hockey game at Sertich Ice Center, so we paid admission and watched the game just so I could see Alice!

The Schneider-Farris Family Smiles With Alice at Sertich Ice Center in 2013

In December of 2015, Alice and Brent took their grandchildren to Disney On Ice Frozen in Long Beach and they got to meet my son Joel after the show. Who would have thought when I met and worked with Alice around 37 years ago, that she would link up with my son Joel who is in Frozen's cast at the Long Beach Sports Arena? Alice was so thankful too and Joel was really delighted to meet her family. How wonderful!

Alice smiles with her husband Brent and their grandchildren with my son Joel at Disney On Ice in December of 2015

Alice and Brent now have a growing family and have a very active life. I am so glad that Facebook keeps us in touch and up to date on what we are all doing and I hope to see Alice again face to face when I"m in southern California. Thank you Alice!

Brent and Alice and Family

Further Reading:

Monday, December 25, 2017

June and JO ANN - Celebrating Forty Years of Friendship 1977 to 2017

When I met my friend June in the fall of 1977 in an art class at Colorado College, little did I know that at the end of 2017, we would still be connected. What is special about our connection is that we can pick up where we left off every time we do see one another face to face. In addition, June has touched the lives of some of my immediate family members and some of my other friends.

June knows a lot about me, and sometimes does not agree with everything I do or how I think, but no matter what, I know she is my friend.

Below is a summary of what truly is a lifelong friendship:

My senior year at Colorado College was a unique one. You see, most Colorado College students lived on campus for their Freshman, Sophomore, and Junior years and then moved off-campus for their Senior year, but I did the opposite. Because I was a competitive skater, I had lived off-campus for my first three years of college, but since I stopped competing in the middle of my Junior year, I really wanted to experience life in a dorm as a Senior. Living on campus was an amazing adventure for me and during the one year I had left in college, I decided to make the most of it and I just loved making new friends.

I met June in a senior studio art class in Packard Hall at Colorado College. The school's bright blue art building was like a piece of art in itself and had circular stairs leading up to student art studios on the top floor. The windows from the studios and classrooms gave those who used them a view of the beautiful Colorado mountains and Pikes Peak. During our three-hour class's 15 min break, I recall slipping on the building's stairs. Most of the students were in too much of a hurry to help me when I fell, but June and her friend Sharon stopped to see if I was alright.

June and Sharon's attitude really touched me.and I wanted to get to know them better. Shortly afterward, June and I got together. I learned that she was a young single mother of a four year old son named Slade. I also learned she was from Colorado Springs and had transferred from Pikes Peak Community College to CC. She also had earned a full-scholarship to CC, Colorado College.

I began taking walks off campus to visit her basement apartment that was about two blocks from campus. She'd make me tea and I would play with her cute little son Slade. Her apartment was decorated in a way that showed off her artistic talent and was very comfortable and cozy.

June also visited my college dorm room located in Ticknor Hall, a historic building that was over a hundred years old. Ticknor was for female students only. Little four-year old Slade sometimes would run around the dorm and delighted most of Ticknor's residents. Also, June and Slade joined me for lunch in the Rastall Center cafeteria at least a couple of times.

When I became interested in God during the fall semester of 1977, June invited me to church one day. I am Jewish and had never ever been inside a church, but took up her offer.

The most significant thing I remember about that church visit was that in the church bulletin something called "The Lord's Supper" was going to be served that morning. I was really concerned because I wasn't a bit hungry at 10 am on a Sunday morning and also wondered what in the world "The Lord's Supper" was. When little tiny cups of grape juice and small wafers were passed around, I had no desire to drink the grape juice, so I put it in the holder in the pew in front of me, but I ate the little wafer. June told me I had to drink the grape juice since I ate the wafer. I always think that memory is very amusing!

June is a great cook and loved making homemade pizza for friends. On Saturday night, the campus did not serve dinner, so it was common on Saturday nights for me to arrange a small dinner gathering at June's basement apartment. All who came loved eating June's homemade pizza and June was so proud of her culinary talents. She was very happy we liked her pizza. She gave her special recipe for the pizza out to friends and my friend Marion still has that pizza recipe!

When June and Bill became engaged in 1978 during the spring semester, I was one of the first to find out and I made the mistake of telling others about their engagement before June and Bill had a chance to announce the engagement to their friends. (I remember some of the students at the Taylor Dining Hall did not believe my news of their engagement.)

About a month after I graduated from CC, Colorado College, June and Bill got married. I was very excited to be able to attend their wedding. I still remember the beautiful and tasty cake that I ate at the reception and meeting June's family.

I think a day or so after June and Bill's wedding I boarded a plane for California to begin my post college life. June and I really missed one another, so the two of us exchanged letters on a regular basis. Her letters were long and very detailed and mine were short, but those letters kept us up to date on what each other were doing.

Dan and I spent our honeymoon in Colorado Springs during April of 1979, so we got together with June and Bill. Dan got to know them during that visit.

My parents also met June and Bill on one of our trips to Colorado Springs and my dad offered Bill a job working at his laboratory at the Veterans Adminstration in North Chicago. Bill and June took up my dad's offer and June, Bill, and Slade moved to Illinois.

I began visiting my parents in Illinois about once a year or every two years and during those visits, I would always see June at least a few times. We'd go to the mall or take the train to the Chicago Art Museum. Sometimes we'd go to a huge indoor pool in Zion and I'd swim laps. When June had another child named Hannah, I would spend time with June and her sweet daughter. I remember going to Great America together. During my Illinois visits we'd talk together on the phone for hours every night.

Bill, June, JO ANN - 1981 in Illinois

Another memory I have is going to a church in Illinois with June. I remember the pastor said he "felt that someone present suffered from stomach aches." June looked at me and told me that that person must be me and that I should go forward. I remember feeling kind of out of place, but did obey June's advice. I stood in front with my eyes closed and felt the pastor's oily hands pushing on my forehead and wondered when all the praying would end. It seemed to go on and on. Finally, all the praying ended and I opened my eyes and it seemed like about 20 to 30 people were lying down on the floor around me! I guess I was supposed to fall down so that the service would end, but I didn't know I was supposed to do that! I do remember a lady coming forward who told me she would pray for me.

My Grandma Fannie moved to Illinois and lived with my parents in 1992. My parents hired June to "babysit" my grandma while they were at work. June's long letters kept coming and I welcomed news about my grandma's health and my parents.

As time passed, I had less and less time available to visit Illinois, but June's letters just kept coming. Once in awhile we'd talk on the phone too.

During the fall of 1990, June came out to San Francisco to visit me for two weeks while my husband Dan was in Israel. There are a lot of fun things I remember doing with June on that trip: We went to Fisherman's Wharf, Golden Gate Park, went to the movies, visited our friend Sharon in Santa Rosa, and ate authentic Chinese food in the city.

In 2001, I learned that June's son Slade was in the Twin Towers in New York City on 9-11. Fortunately, Slade was able to get out of the building and was safe. He called June at about 9:30 am on September 11, 2001 and told her he was safe. June is a late sleeper so she was not yet informed on what had happened, but was so glad to hear her son was okay.

When Dan and I moved to Colorado, June and Bill would always see us during their trips to see their families in Colorado Springs. When my husband Dan was severely injured in 2005, June came to our house to see Dan and got to know my children and Dan's brother Mike. Ironically, June's father was in the hospital at the same time Dan was, so I had a chance to visit with June's father at the hospital.

At the end of 2010, my mother became very, very ill and was in hospice care in Lake Forest, Illinois. June came to the hospital when I was visiting my mom a day before Christmas and then June and Bill came to my dad's house on Christmas Day evening to visit. Seeing them meant so much to me and my dad during such a hard time in our family's life. During that trip, I helped June set up a Facebook page.

When my daughter Rebekah had an ice dance partner tryout with a boy from Chicago in 2013, June and Bill came to our hotel in Skokie to see me. Also, when June's father was ill and in convalescent care in Colorado Springs, my son Joel and I visited her father when June was in the Springs to see her dad.

June and Bill in 2013

In 2015, after my dad retired, June and Bill did a major cleaning and repair of my dad's house to get it ready to sell. They did everything from pulling the old carpet out to show off the hardwood floors, polishing the floors, cleaning out the refrigerator, cleaning the bathrooms, you name it! We decided to surprise my dad with all they did when my dad and I visited Illinois when my dad returned to the area to march in the graduation festivities at the Chicago Medical School. My dad loved and appreciated all the hard work Bill and June put in.

Bill, June, and my dad in his cleaned up Chicago house

About a year later, the house suddenly sold, and June did all the packing and getting rid of things we did not need. Bill and June worked so hard; they only had about three weeks to get everything packed and removed from the house. My parents lived in that house for 40 years, but some of the things June and Bill found were much older since my parents were married for 60 years. My family's cherished belongings arrived safely in Colorado and were packed with so much loving care!

My dad and I made one more trip to Chicago to clean out my dad's safe deposit box. We stayed in a Homewood Suites in Lincolnshire and every day during that visit, June and Bill came to our hotel to visit. She and Bill got to know our dear friends Lyman and Mary, and we had a great time together at the Chicago Botanical Gardens. June joined us all for a picnic one day too. And..she also joined me in riding a scooter!

June visited me in Colorado twice. My dad was so impressed with her hard work on his house that he suggested that June come to my house to help me redecorate. During that trip, she and Bill cleaned out a storage locker that included her father's belongings. In that locker was some very nice furniture that belonged to her mother, and June gave the furniture to us!

Me and my dad smile together in the cleaned up Chicago house

June gave us the chairs, table, and pillow

In June of 2017, June came to Colorado to see her brother for a family reunion, but came early to stay with us. We went on two wonderful hikes together and enjoyed being in our family's mountain Colorado house. She went to see my daughter Rebekah perform in the musical "The Music Man."

On the anniversary of 40 years of friendship, I wonder what the future years will be like for us. We continue sharing our lives with one another via Facebook and once in awhile, have long talks on the phone. One thing I do know for sure is that no matter what June is a loyal friend.

JO ANN and June - December, 2010

Here are just a few things I know about my friend June:

She likes plain food and plain iceberg lettuce with Italian dressing.
She has very small feet.
She loves her cats.
She likes to cook.
She loves to read.
She stays up late every night and likes to sleep late.
In her younger days she was quite a hiker and climber.
She thinks it is great that I hike, bike, scooter, ski, kayak, and swim laps!
She doesn't like to swim in a cold pool.

Further Reading:

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Further Reading:

Friday, February 16, 2018

FURTHER READING:

Thursday, February 1, 2018

Further Reading:

Monday, January 1, 2018

Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Monday, December 25, 2017