Garth and I took our annual trip to Wal-mart to pick up school supplies. That in itself is a bit dis-heartening because teachers just shouldn't have to purchase supplies with their own money. However, we have learned that any items we really need for the first day of school need to be purchased, not ordered. If I put these items in a supply order, it is very likely they would not be here in time to get things prepared for students. So, that requires me to purchase them myself when Wal-Mart has school supplies on sale.
A few years ago I purchased the composition notebooks I wanted early in August, only to find them on a better sale a few weeks later. I was able to return to the store with my sales receipt and get an adjustment on my cost, which was very nice. So the next week I decided to wait until the "better" sale came up. It never did and the notebooks were all gone by the time I got there. The last few years I have just picked them up the first week in August and saved my receipt to return it if needed.
So, here it was, the first week of August. Paycheck had been deposited, so off to Price we went. When we walked in, I headed in the general direction where the supplies were usually located, then remembered that the store had been remodeled and the school supplies were located right in the front, so we turned our shopping cart around and went to the front of the store. We found the composition notebooks right there on the end of the first aisle.
While starting to count out the twenty (yes, only twenty this year) I needed, I heard someone say, "I'm just going to talk with these people for a minute." I kept on counting, then heard the statement again and felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around and there was a blessing from heaven! My old roommate, Marilee! What a great moment to be able to visit with her and her daughter for a while.
Marilee told us that our chance meeting was even more of a miracle than just us being at the same place at the same time. She was staying in Price that night because they were going to some meeting and decided not to go on to Monticello where they live. Then she had gotten there earlier but had to return to their motel because she had forgotten her wallet. So to actually be there at the same time was certainly a blessing.
It was so good to talk with her again. We lived together at Weber State for one year. We got together because of a mutual friend, Joy Lynn. Joy and Marilee had spent some time together at a workshop at Snow College the year before she came to Weber State. When Joy found out Marilee was looking for a place to live, she suggested to Marilee that she contact me. I might have all the facts a bit mixed up after .....years, but none-the-less, we ended up in the same apartment. It was a very fun year and we became good friends. We drove home several times together. I would drop her off in Price where her parents would pick her up to take her on to Monticello. We had some good talks and great fun that year.
Marilee and I even drove up to Logan one weekend where we stalked out the two guys we both ended up marrying! Rick was just an old friend, according to Marilee, and Garth was on his mission, but we drove up to visit with Rick, then out to Lewiston to see where Garth's family lived. I remember we drove past Duane and Kaye's house and waited for a lady to cross the street to pick up her mail. Little did I realize that she would later be my sister-in-law. One of our great adventures!
There has been a few times when our paths have crossed the past few years. She was here in Emery County one fall for meeting with the District Health Department. We all met at Joy's house: Marilee, Joy Lynn, me, and Dixie Fielder who was another roommate at Weber State. It just was the next year that JoyLynn passed away. I called Marilee that morning and told her. We had a good cry together.
Such good times together. I am so glad we were there that evening in Price, that she had forgotten her wallet, that our paths crossed at that aisle. We could have both been in that store and never have seen each other. It helped me feel happy to see her again. And her sweet daughter who loved Garth to tease her. I am thankful for a great friend.
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