friends are like a good foundation...

it was 1996... pete and i had just moved from FL to Atlanta and we were starting all over... a big new exciting city, promising careers, endless amounts of energy and absolutely NO FRIENDS.

turns out i had a cousin living in atlanta. a cousin i had never met but it was still nice to know i had a connection to at least one person. my mom suggested i call her and introduce myself, so i did.

turns out that very weekend her girlfriends were hosting her bachlorette party. long story short i went. not knowing a sole i somehow mustered up the courage to arrive at this party and met my cousin sara "then archibald" now marslek for the very first time.

sara welcomed me into her home and into her circle of friends. that night i met a woman named ellen who captivated me. she knew a little bit about everything and she had a laugh that could fill the room. that night i made my first real friend in atlanta and to this day, some 14 years later ellen is still a part of my life.

she is one of those women who says she is going to do something and she does it WELL. she is one of those women who remembers the important dates in life. she is one of those women that you can share the uncomfortable and unpleasant moments of life with and she doesn't judge she just listens.

as fate would have it Ellen and her darling family came to visit last summer and introduced me to her husbands cousin that lives here in Asheville. as if history were repeating itself a new connection was made and another dear friend has been gained.

since that last visit Ellen, Becky (the new friend gained) and I have been dreaming of a girls get-a-way that involves something physically challenging followed by a day or two filled with sun, sand, shopping, sitting and perhaps even a few adult beverages.

Unfortunately schedule conflicts and the budgetary constraints as a result of 2009 have prevented some of our more grand plans HOWEVER... we have committed to running the Biltmore Classic here in Asheville in mid May.

last week a large envelope arrived in my mailbox. return address atlanta. i opened it to find the contents above. i laughed - and once again i gave thanks for ellen.

until may~

looking forward to it my friend!