Remembering Good Times

I found this in a box of old letters. It is an essay my best friend, from childhood, wrote while she was in school - dated 1993. It tells of so many good memories we had growing up. Don't kill me, Cin, for posting this. I LOVE it!!! Thanks for sending it to me after you wrote it - I love reflecting back on our times together.

A Place of Good Times Remembered

Even though my best friends moved to a different state, two years ago, I remember their house where I would spend most of the time during the summer.
My best friend, Tara, and her older sister Amy, whom I've known since I was about 4 years old, have moved to many places. They used to live across the street from me, then they moved to Feeding Hills, New York, Vermont, East Otis, Blandford and a few times in Tennessee. Of all places, I like Blandford the best.

I always thought Blandford was a peaceful place. There is forest all around you and the houses are far apart. Tara and Amy's parents owned a small restaurant, which was in front of the house. On weekends, and during the summer, I'd wash dishes.

During the summer, I'd go over there for about three days, come home for a bout a day, then go back there. We didn't do much, though. During the day we'd walk, or ride out bikes to Otis where we would go to a store and buy frozen yogurt, then we'd go back home and go in Amy's room and listen to our favorite band (we all loved the same rock band). Or we'd watch their videos. Sometimes, we would go outside and play soccer, Frisbee, or badminton, or we'd go swimming. They used to live right on the lake, but they moved. At night their parents would go to a bar in Otis. Sometimes they'd take us with them. Here, we would have lots of fun. We'd dance and talk with everyone, play our favorite songs from the jukebox. We would get free soda's because we knew the bartenders and on Saturday nights there would always be a different band, which we would always stay and listen to.

After about two hours, their father would bring us back home. He'd just drop us off and go back. We were always scared because there was wolves and bears around their house. When we got inside, we'd change into our PJ's then go into the restaurant and make chocolate milks and salads, then watch TV or sit around the restaurant and just talk.

They owned two horses which the three of us had to feed every morning. We didn't enjoy doing it. We also didn't enjoy bringing wood in from outside for the wood stove in the winters.

One night we all slept in Amy's room and stayed up all night talking about all things we remember from the time we met to the present. I went over their house so many times each time they moved that their parents called me their adopted child.

In about 1991 they moved to Tennessee. I cried so much because I knew I'd never be able to go to Blandford or see them again. I don't go to Blandford that much anymore, but when I do, we drive by the restaurant and I think about all the good times Tara, Amy,and I had and how much I miss them.

Cin, I miss our nights of staying up the whole night talking about memories. I can't wait for you to visit us again so we can do that. You've been my best friend for so many years - I love you.