FCW: the Continuing Saga

We are currently at the Tidelands having a Christmas visit. Jaime (me) has since moved to Cape Breton to follow her dream of being a kick ass librarian. However, this puts a dent in her FCW craft plans. Without the weekly craft meeting of women, my quilt has not been touched in three months. I really realized how much I missed FCW, the cameraderie, the talking and discussing, the celebrating and weekly encouragement for our daily lives. At least once a week, I know I would have a circle of friends who have never judged me or my thoughts or feelings. Don't get me wrong, it took a lot time to trust and to know each FCW in their own way. Women can be competitive, and crazy. But Cheryl and Natalie were neither. We all know of our little quirks but, in an odd way, we come together and know each other's patterns of thinking, the facets of our lives and how we support each other. I have missed those once a week meetings. It was a chance to share a meal with my bestest of friends as well as working on something creative. It was and is a night that one sets aside to quiet down (or talk), to try something new (recipe, craft, artwork, scrapbook). Lastly, I remember at Easter my uppity aunt making a non-related comment about some of the women in her age group and peer group in her small community. It was about how "pathetic their weekly scrapbooking days" were. I was not insulted or afronted. I actually felt so sorry for her. Because these women do not wear Ralph Lauren or care to talk about how much money they have or how locally famous they are, they had no value. All I did was think to myself about the past four years, the soreness of my belly from laughing, the deep discussions about lifeways and complicated women's choices and circumstances, the adventures, the crafts and the true loyalty, trust and compassion my crafting friends had given me. The biggest smile came a cross my face, I probably looked goofy. She is totally missing out....