I had hesitated to call Marilyn, fearing that she, too, might have fallen ill.

A gift from Marilyn, a Vera Bradley bag, watercolor sketch

One of the hazards of having “older” friends is that as I grow older, so do they.  Betty’s illness and my father’s dimentia has taken its toll on me.  I wasn’t sure I could handle another dear one losing independence and good health.  Marilyn and I had been out of touch for two years.  When my worry outweighed my fears, I dialed her number.  When I heard her strong voice on the other end of the line I relaxed.  We made a date at our usual place where we met for lunch last Thursday.  As always two and a half hours flew by, filled with stories of life and the people who fill our days, mostly family and friends.  Our unquenchable laughter often caused curious glances from the tables around us.  It’s amazing how quietly some people eat lunch.

Marilyn always brings me a gift.  I bring her art or silk ribbon.  This time she delighted me with a Vera Bradley bag.  I am the ultimate bag lady.  Not being a shopper, I am rarely in fashion, nor do I even know what’s what in the world of labels.  I do know when I like a nice, brightly colored bag that is a perfect size for a large sketchbook!

I used my Pelikan, fine tip fountain pen and a limited palette.  The red is pure cadmium red light.  The yellow is pure yellow ochre.  The blue is cerulean blue with a tiny touch of cadmium red.  The black is a mix of prussian blue, alizarin crimson and burnt sienna.  I left the white of the sketchbook paper as my white.