Friday, July 20, 2018
Sarah Jane and I found each other at bridge lessons along with Carol Sue Stevens and Peggy Biddison. We formed a foursome and laughed and carried on like naughty kids. Although we all knew each other from various charity or community activities, getting reacquainted over the bridge table was way more fun. The instructors and some of the students took it way too seriously but not us and Sarah Jane was the ring-leader with her dead-pan quips when we were supposed to be silent. We'd start giggling, Sarah Jane would say something else, we'd giggle harder while getting dirty looks from the others. We had such a good time. And actually we got pretty good at playing bridge.
One evening after lessons ended, Carol Sue suggested that we take on the bridge crowd at the Yacht Club. Well, you can guess what happened. We scored dead last. We left there in sort of a humiliating shell-shock, got in the car to go home. At about 22nd Avenue Carol Sue said, "The prime rib was really good; I wonder what they're having next week." To which Sarah Jane replies, "Us."
My husband Jerry and I would occasionally grab Sarah Jane and go on one of our history tours. We'd ride around some old area and try to remember what used to be there, and whose house that was, and what ever happened to somebody. Since we all spent most of our lives here and aren't that far apart in age, we knew a lot of the same people. Jerry and Sarah Jane were deep wells of local trivia knowledge plus their senses of humor were identical. I was the audience. It was great. We will miss her wonderful comments and descriptions of people and old St. Pete.
I do want to apologize for missing the services and for not keeping in touch for awhile. Some serious back problems and four surgeries in the last two years have left me unable to walk. Forever the optimist, my hope is that an upcoming revision operation will release the compressed nerves in the spinal cage so I can get back to normal. But riding around looking at what's left of our town won't be the same without Sarah Jane.
