The Three Amigos

I missed blogging about Cinco De Mayo this year - even missed celebrating with a margarita! So to make up for that and stay with the Mexican theme......

I'll post today about The Three Amigos. Ellen (on the right, above) and I have been friends since the first week of high school in 1957 - almost 56 years ago. Coming from one-room country schools, neither one of us knew too many of our classmates. She and I had every single class together, so we just naturally gravitated toward one another.

It wasn't too long after Ellen and I formed our friendship that we both became friends with Donna (in the middle). If I remember correctly, that came about because we were all in home-ec class together. The three of us were 'teamed' for one of the kitchens during the cooking segment. Donna was so friendly and outgoing you couldn't help but like her, even if she was one of the townies. 

As friends, we've had our ups and downs, spats and make-ups. After graduation, I stayed in Corning, Ellen went to Omaha and Donna to Des Moines. Ellen came back to Corning, I went to Cedar Rapids and then Des Moines, Donna went to Kansas City. I moved back to Corning (twice) and then to Creston. We generally all get together once a year in May when Donna comes up to decorate the graves of her parents and grandparents at Lincoln Center which is where this picture was taken last May. (Thanks to Ellen for sending me a copy.) We all made it to our 50th class reunion in September of 2011.

When I look at us, I don't think we've changed all that much. I see two friends with whom I can pick up right where we left off even though months and years might separate us....the three amigos.

This photo has nothing to do with Cinco de Mayo or the three amigos. It just happens to be my Dad's birthday. He was born 96 years ago today. This photo was taken in the fall of 1962 and is so representative of the way I picture my Dad - coveralls, cap tipped back and tilted to one side. He has his first grandson (my son, Douglas) propped against his leg, making him laugh. Doug's dad, Kenny is looking on, proudly.

Another picture of Dad and Doug. Doug was 5 and Dad was 50. He died eleven years later. Any time I think about my own mortality, as I did when I had a stroke, I think of my Mom as the one I'll be seeing again 'on the other side'.
Someone is watching over me or I wouldn't have recovered as well as I have. I will always think of it being Mom, but maybe it is my father, too. Happy Birthday, Dad. Happy belated Cinco de Mayo, mi amigos.