Wonderful friendship with 92 year old friend of our family

I just got a wonderful email from the daughter of friends of my parents. She is the one who dated Bill Ayers in high school, as she was a Norwegian beauty. Her mother retired to Tucson, and her parents were very good with my mother after she was widowed to include her in social functions. She was so active in her retirement as she played volleyball with a senior group who won nationals for her age group. When she was an eight year old, her uncle lived within a mile of our islands and she would spend her summer vacation clamming with him during the depression. We have sent her photos of the islands and the old bridge which she remembers. I told her in my return email, that my then seven year old granddaughter found a fresh water pearl in a clam. My mother's friend told stories how the meat from the clams was sold to farmers for hog feed, the shells which had mother of pearl were sold to a button factory in Iowa, and they made their spending money on the once in awhile pearls which they kept in a jar. This 92 year old lights up talking about her memories as an eight year old girl clamming. She is doing well, and it makes me so happy, because I told my wife at 25 she reminded me of my mother's friend by the way she kept busy and probably was going to be a hot old lady.

Oh, and this woman was a multi millionaire. Her husband was a very successful business man who developed patents on his heat treating business. They live in a manufactured home on the side of a hill in Tuscon, and you would NEVER guess how successful her husband and her were. He was a hunting buddy of my dad and his parents were Norwegian, and my father's parents were German, and they hit it off at teenagers and kept the friendship until my father passed. He died about eight years ago at 90, and was still golfing. They both set a standard for me as a child as I could see what a class act they were and I dreamed to conduct myself with the generosity and class they had lived. I remember my first fishing experience with their two girls and my brother and I enjoying nature......those things which are instilled in you as a child set your lifestyle, which in my case my wife and I are happiest when our life is simple. These projects all relate to beautiful natural places, and as an eagle scout you begin to look at those friends of your parents who had a positive influence in your life. I remember when my brother was brought home from the hospital, and she was talking with my mother about a toy box my mom had built, and my mother, and grandmother were all talking about what a beautiful baby my brother was.....my first memory at 2.5 years of age and I remember her and the conversations as if it was yesterday.......I am thankful for the email and the daughter taking the time to contact us as we sometimes get lost in the pace of life.

That is awesome Seaoat.

Good stuff.