Connie and Donna 2004
Connie….Dear BFF,
You truly ARE my best friend forever. You have been on my mind so much lately, and
as I have been thinking about you and reminiscing about all that you mean to me
it has made me want to write down how much I hold our friendship in my
heart.
The other day for example I desired some cinnamon toast. I hadn’t had it in a while months actually...
and everytime I do have it… I think about you.
I can remember our little studio apartment my parents had gotten us
right around the corner from the UN building and near the “carry bus” to the
Airport. What a great location my
parents picked for us don’t you think? They considered you family and I remember having fun times at their Country Club and with their friends at parties at their home.
At Mom and Dad's Country Club with Tom & Gwen
I
loved the doorman in our building in NY who I believe sincerely liked us and kind of looked out for
us, wearing his white gloves and hat and coat with brass buttons and
epaulettes. We barely ever had any food
in our refrigerator because we were gone so much and when we were home we
mostly ate out. However, there was
bread, butter and cinnamon for toast and you being a morning person would wake
up with your gorgeous translucent skin.. No kidding I was always amazed that it
was so delicate I could literally see your blue veins... so clear and pink and
stunning. I used to think you looked
like Aurora in the Disney Movie when you were sleeping. .. Anyway, you would wake up all bright eyed
and bushy tailed singing and making coffee and you would come in to wake me so
happily and I was like “NO ONE can be this happy this early”!!! You would chirp to me “Do you want some
coffee, a little cinnamon toast”?!!!!!
It was SO YOU! And, then you
would make it and bring it to me and sit on the edge of my bed and proceed to
tell me the plans for the day!!!
In California with Connie
But, I am getting ahead of myself… I remember the first time
I saw you in United. You and some other
girls used to come into my room as I was the only East Coast girl in training...
and a bunch of the Mid West and West Coast girls would come into my room to
hear me “talk” with my accent!!! I
remember you sitting on the chair at the desk and when you laughed it sounded
to me like little gentle magical wind chimes in a light breeze. I had never heard such a sweet laugh
before. We all had such fun times and we
all banned together during the grueling training sessions. So much to learn. And, you and I were the
youngest in the class so United wanted to keep the “babies” at home base
Chicago after graduation for the first six months.
Donna and Connie at Tommy's Christening Dad & Mom's
I remember we were learning how to bend our knees to pick up
something and we had just gotten our uniforms... it was just about graduation
time... and I thought to myself as I saw you bend that you looked so
graceful. Everything was so neat and in
place!
My United Airline Wings
After graduation we both had apartments at what they called “stew
zoo”. The first few months were a blur
to me... I was so overtired with the crazy nonstop schedule and I was joint
renter with about six other stews in an apartment... not even a bed as you
slept in whatever was available... couch, bed .. reclining chair … depending on
who was home from their flights. Most of
the time I was alone… and with it being my first time away from home in NY...
it was scary for me. At that time there
was a “peeping Tom” who was tormenting the complex we both lived in. One night after this had been going on for
quite some time, I came home late after a flight and all I wanted to do was go
and get some sleep. As I was putting my
suitcases in one of the rooms and was getting undressed, I heard a rustling sound. I peeked through the window in my dark room
and could see a creepy guy outside trying to peer into my bedroom window. I just about freaked. I went directly across the hallway to an
apartment to a pilot friend of mine and he stayed on the couch that night to
keep me safe. I decided the next day
that I would resign and go back to New York.
I was not going to get murdered for some job... even if I did love
it. But, fate would have it another
way. As I was on my way to the Airport
to hand in my resignation, I met you and relayed my story. You said, “don’t quit, come live at my
apartment, there is plenty of room, and we can fly together and be safe”. And, so I took your advice and the rest is
history.
In front of our apartment 42 & 2nd NYC
Oh what fun we had shopping together. We must have been such a site together on the
streets of NY... the petite blond and the tall brunette!!! And we were real girly girls weren’t
we? On picture in particular stands out
in my mind... one day we went shopping uptown and we somehow both hit it that
day with things we loved... I remember we tried on a zillion items as usual and
we walked home down the streets of NY with our treasures on our arms weighing
us down, but happy as clams. I think we
went to Thursday’s that night... The one and only time I ever remember getting
really drunk while drinking those strawberry whipped cream thingy’s in those
huge marguerita like glasses. Oh what stories we could tell huh??!!
Remember the gay guys next door who had such fashion sense and we would go over to their place and show them our new finds at times, and would all clap in glee? What about the high priced call girls down the hall that I could never figure out how they were home all the time and had so much money to buy top notch wardrobes… You had to tell me they were call girls!!!! Hahahaha …Remember going to Greenwich Village for jewelry and accessories and that little coffee house... I think you and I were some of the first customers at Fridays .. and oh their awesome hamburgers on huge English muffins. Mr. Laff’s and Phil who was crazy nuts about you. Bobby and Lee and Art Carney’s son… the basketball player twins … that baseball player … so many super memories.
Remember the gay guys next door who had such fashion sense and we would go over to their place and show them our new finds at times, and would all clap in glee? What about the high priced call girls down the hall that I could never figure out how they were home all the time and had so much money to buy top notch wardrobes… You had to tell me they were call girls!!!! Hahahaha …Remember going to Greenwich Village for jewelry and accessories and that little coffee house... I think you and I were some of the first customers at Fridays .. and oh their awesome hamburgers on huge English muffins. Mr. Laff’s and Phil who was crazy nuts about you. Bobby and Lee and Art Carney’s son… the basketball player twins … that baseball player … so many super memories.
We did live life to the fullest and we had such experiences…
didn’t we ?? Hawaii and meeting my
parents there, Buying Mumu’s with my Mom and Dad taking us all out to dinner..
That cute hotel right on the water with the great pool just outside our room? Going to hear Don Ho sing... Polynesian Village
night with the Hawaiian singers and dancers .. eating poi yuk! And going to that tea room on the top of a
mountain and the Pineapple Farm where they cut open pineapples with a machete
and the juice just gushed all over... so sweet.. Never have I have a pineapple
like it since. Remember the Canlis
Restaurant where they had incredible steaks etc and they had a sign on their
baked potatoes.. “we are rubbed and tubbed, salted and hugged in foil and baked
to perfection” Can you believe that
place is STILL there?
Remember your brother sent you Rosenthal china when he was I
think in Germany in the service and they packed it so well it took us hours
unpacking it all!! Just beautiful. Jeannie and I giving you your bridal
shower at our apartment and Jeannie and I made all the decorations by hand..
hahahahha up all night .. bloody Mary’s at that breakfast place early morn like about five am .. sleeping till three when the band outside our motel would start to play .. and it would start all over again!! What a life.. “Life’s a Beach” should have been one of our sayings before it even was popular.. LOL! I still haven’t has as good Chinese food as we had in that little place in Denver... the last time we went there it was late, we were so tired and it was raining cats and dogs, but we still had to go .. And what about UNO’s in Chicago and waiting in line for two hrs for pizza and that place in San Mateo where we had the penthouse two times and we had that wonderful pizza around the corner. Oh my gosh, I almost forgot the food poisoning.. an experience I hope I never repeat.. it gave a whole new meaning to one bathroom in a home!
Our NYC Apartment Connie's Bridal Shower with Donna & Jeannie Grunburg
and oh remember going to the Jersey Shore for the weekends in the Summer. Who
could ever forget that? Dancing on the tables in the Irish pubs… 
hahahahha up all night .. bloody Mary’s at that breakfast place early morn like about five am .. sleeping till three when the band outside our motel would start to play .. and it would start all over again!! What a life.. “Life’s a Beach” should have been one of our sayings before it even was popular.. LOL! I still haven’t has as good Chinese food as we had in that little place in Denver... the last time we went there it was late, we were so tired and it was raining cats and dogs, but we still had to go .. And what about UNO’s in Chicago and waiting in line for two hrs for pizza and that place in San Mateo where we had the penthouse two times and we had that wonderful pizza around the corner. Oh my gosh, I almost forgot the food poisoning.. an experience I hope I never repeat.. it gave a whole new meaning to one bathroom in a home!
Who could ever forget my first attempt at coloring hair and
you fell asleep and woke up to fried hair falling out all over your head... I
was aghast and you barely skipped a beat... you had me go to the beauty shop in
the hotel and buy you a wig .. and we went out on dates that night… I bought a sterling silver alarm clock charm
for my bracelet to remember the incident.
You had to go back to Oregon so this beautician could get some pure
protein to put on your head while your hair grew back in as I remember. I would have died if I had to go through
that, but you took it all in stride!!
Oh and the amazing wedding Richard gave you at Tappan Hill .. I adored your
dresses and felt like I was in a royal court at a royal wedding. You looked amazing. You have always been so filled with grace and
femininity, but especially that day.
We have been real best friends.. I have always been able to
and still can tell you ANYTHING , and I know you will still love me and
understand me. That is a rare gift.. YOU
my friend, are a RARE GIFT to me .. one I will forever be grateful to God for. You are an amazing woman. Your mothering skills have always astounded
me. I think the thing I love the most about our friendship though, is that I have a real prayer partner in you. You just seem to know what is in my heart and how to pray for me. You discern when I need a across the miles hug, a word of encouragement, or when I need a good nap.. or a good cry!!! You have been with me during the best of times in my life, and the worst of times and our friendship has endured. We are bonded together with cords of love that cannot be broken and for that I am so thankful.
I can remember you visiting me in
the converted barns in NY and I was drinking so much coffee I was like someone
wound me up and let me go. Raising four
children and converting barns into a home at the same time.. had caused me to
go “OH SNAP”!!! You were so helpful and
said .. “Donna, you need to stop all the coffee.. it has you spinning”… you
were so right.. I gave up coffee at that time and everything slowed down to
normal pace for me…
ahahhahahahahaha
Or the time when you came to Charleston when Bart had his bad fall... what a ball you and I had together and what Holy Ghost encounters huh? A God ordained time for sure.. I was so happy you were there with me .. I was so afraid of what the future would hold with all the physical problems from Bart's fall and do you remember you pointed your little prophetic finger at me saying "Satan made him fall" .. WOW~~ We have laughed together and cried together.
Connie, you have been with me through my ups and downs
through all these 45 years that I have known you. Matter how long it is between calls, we still
pick up from where we left off. There is
nothing like knowing someone you have total history with is there? You are so giving and have helped me out so
many times honey and I am so appreciative of your love. From Baby Christenings to deaths in the family we have gone through these together.. I am so grateful for the time I had with you and your gracious hospitality towards me and Maryanne on our trip to California when Bart died. What a time of healing for me to have that time with you.. I needed it.
We are forever buddies, sisters, friends, confidants,
pals, and all that encompasses what
friendship is all about. I am so glad we
found each other in this life. My life
is richer because of you. My sister was
four years older than me and I always yearned for a sister that I could do everything
with, share my secrets with and my hearts desires (I do now have that with
her).. I have always found that in you.
You have been there never condemning me or judging me in my life through
thick and thin literally!!!!! Hahahaha You
are a Godly woman who loves and cherishes what God has given her. You have
overcome and succeeded in the midst of insurmountable obstacles, mountains and
valleys. You have stood when most others
would have surely crumbled. I highly
respect you dearest one, and cherish our relationship. I
think you are an example of a true Christian woman my friend and I love you
more than words can every express.
Love…. Donna
