Vonda and I met in high school and it was a perfect fit from the start. She was high energy, great at conversation and let me copy her accounting homework. We could go months or even a year without talking then one day the phone would ring and we'd start right where we left off. I often thanked her for keeping us connected.
After one of those calls, we started hitting all the country and western clubs for line dancing and looking for love in all the wrong places, she loved her 7 and 7's then. One night in her apartment we stayed up past 3 a.m. while she sewed a shirt for her new boyfriend Pat and I studied for an exam. Another night the four of us went to Rosy O'Grady's, there was a new breathalyzer machine so we would have a drink and then run laughing to see how we scored, later it was Pat who scored and Brian was conceived! She always let loose and had a blast at our parties too.
We moved in and out of one another's lives celebrating birthdays, graduations, weddings, having fun with the kids at the zoo or Disneyland and SHOPPING. She was thoughtful and generous, she took great pleasure in finding the just right gift for those she loved, especially her boys and daughters (in law). Because of this, it was always so exciting to find her a Starbucks mug or bunco dice bag back from travels to surprise her.
She invited me on a trip to New York with Brian and Belle, it was nonstop fun, theater, great food and shopping! She took us to every high end shop, Gucci, Tiffany's, Coach and her favorite Louis Vuitton. We also walked from Brooklyn to our hotel near Central Park, 26.2 miles, with who else could you have such a wonderful day doing something like that?
Vonda wanted to visit Belle while she was in Florence, Belle went to Japan but we still went to Italy. Because of Vonda, I can tell everyone that I have been to Louis Vuitton in Rome, Venice and Florence! She would stay up late calculating how much she was saving buying in Euros and no tax, sooo Vonda. One of her greatest joys was buying the girls their first Louis's!
Vonda had an incredible memory, we were talking about our friendship and she told me I had attended her wedding after high school, I couldn't remember but next week she had the photo album out with proof! Our last really clear moment happened as I was leaving her house one morning. Pat and I were talking about them becoming grandparents. And that day she got it, she came running out to my car shaking, laughing and crying, saying "i'm going to be a grandma!". It was so beautiful. I love her always.
