There is something to be said for friends who have been with you for fifty years of your life – especially when that friend is also your sister-in-law…or as I like to say “sister-in-love”.

Her brother was my husband for 39 years and the father of my three wonderful children.  Sadly, he died of a massive coronary in April 2006.  Mike, Penny’s sweet husband, has been with us for most of those 50 years and is like a brother to me.

We have been together through the lean times, the good times, the hard times, the sad and happy times.  There has been a whole lot of laughter, some tears along the way and a bank of wonderful memories.

They left yesterday morning for the ten+ hour drive back home to Memphis after spending a sweet week with me.  The thing about having been together for so long is that we are family…we pick up right where we left off.  They’re at home here and that makes me glad.

They are always an incredible help.  Each time they come, Mike fixes something or makes something right here in this condo.  This time, he put together a kitchen island that I ordered which has been sitting in the box for at least two months.  I had proudly put together two bookcases “all by myself” but this island/cabinet was way beyond my expertise.  It looks great and gives me much needed storage.

Penny took things out of the tiny pantry and organized my new cabinet and it looks great!  There are two drawers in the cabinet where I can now store my silverware instead of having to keep it in a silverware tray in the tiny pantry!  It all looks so much better and I’m thrilled with it!

Mike also hung up a rack for my broom, dustmop and mop!  No more falling behind the dryer!  😉  Such a simple thing, right?  But a nuisance when you don’t have one.  It doesn’t take a whole lot to make me happy and this simple rack makes me happy!

Probably the biggest challenge of all was my storage room on the lower floor here in the condo building.  I had tried cleaning it out one snowy winter day but it was so overwhelming, I wound up in tears and packed it all back in!  We ended up taking a box of things to Goodwill and the rest is now so neatly organized.  There is no way I could have done it without them!  I kept saying they were going to have to go home to get a rest but they insisted they enjoyed helping.  Thank you so very much for the immense help!!!

Two of the days they were here, they drove up to the Mall of America and thoroughly enjoyed it.  I had a dentist appointment this time but definitely plan on going with them on their next trip.  We also enjoyed delicious dinners at my daughter’s home three evenings plus a drive out to tour their new farm!  That was a lot of fun.  My grandchildren love Aunt Penny & Uncle Mike!

There was also a mystery that Penny solved and Mike fixed!  Over the past almost two years, I have been getting “holes” in my shirts & tops – just about at the waistline.  On some of them, there is a series of small holes.  My favorite tops that I wear more often have larger holes!  Slowly, but surely, my clothes were getting worn out and torn up!  Was it the washing machine?  No.  Did I have moths in the closet?  No.  Penny figured it out!

The granite counter top in the kitchen is made of granite floor tiles (definitely not a good idea!) and the edge all along the kitchen work surface area was sharp and rough…and consequently ruining my clothes!!!  We bought narrow, clear corner edging for the rough edges and wah-lah!  Now, it is smooth and the clear edging doesn’t really show.  I am also going to get into the habit of wearing an apron…since I had to buy several new things to replace the ones with holes!  Way to go, Penny & Mike!

I was sad to see them go but look forward to seeing them during my two week visit home to the South in October!

 Love these pics of them.  

Top pic:  Winter, mid 90’s in Terre Haute, Indiana.  

I appliqued the snowman sweatshirt she is wearing and she loved it.  

Below:  At my younger son’s wedding.