make new friends and keep the old

I've known Anna for a few years. Been acquainted is a more accurate description. She was doing youth ministry in the diocese for a few years and our paths would cross at diocesan events and here and there on other occasions. She's now developing a business as a professional photographer (does great work), and we "friended" one another on facebook a while back. It is through the latter that I've caught other glimpses of her, and through her blog I've seen still other sides of her. Over time and with intention we made the social networking-assisted transition from acquaintances to friends.

Last fall she was seeking volunteers to work on a particular photo project, and I volunteered. Between our complicated calendars we're still trying to work out a date to do the photographic work, but in the meantime we also concluded that it would be fun just to get together and get better acquainted. Yesterday was that day.

She and her husband built a house last year and she invited me there for coffee. She made scones, pictured above. Melt-in-your-mouth-savor-every-bite scones. We sat in her kitchen filled with the profuse gray light of an overcast day and talked. Two hours passed with lots of animated conversation ranging from gardens, to photography (surprise!), misbehaving dogs and housecleaning products (yes, there's a connection there), baking and bishops and things in between.

It was tonic for me. In spite of a dreary day littered with snowflakes and messy windshields, I got out of the house. I drove over the river and through the woods and rolling hills to the house of a friend and left the usual behind. I got to see, hear, taste and touch someone else's world, look out their windows and realign my sight.

It's good to have friends, old and new. It's especially good when they make fabulous scones.