Double Dutch: Seeing Re and a Model from Connecticut

This is nominally a blog about my trip to The Netherlands, but truly it is a blog about friendship. I have some wonderful friends in my life, current and past. I have a friend I treasure who has been mine for over 40 years. I have friends all over the United States, and I have friends in other countries, on other continents. I am terribly fortunate that they have seen something worthwhile in me, a connection, a bond. I have found over the years that these, true, friends have something in common. When I am with them, within seconds, it is if we were never apart.
I have a map in my sunroom. On this map I have pins holding tags. Each tag has the name of a treasured friend written in my hand. These are the people I have a thread to, no matter how far. I want to see, visit with each one. But, life has a way of making this goal a slow one. I have set up a fine life full of family, farm and jobs that mean stepping away is technically difficult. Every so often, I get to see one of these treasured friends. Last year, Amy Brangaccio Wolf came for the night "on the way home"...which it really wasn't, but close enough for her to detour. It was magical to be with her.
This trip to The Netherlands also held magic, for living in Amsterdam is my ReRe. Re was the girl some faceless person at the University of Richmond thought would be a good match for my College Roommate. Although that person was entirely correct, I'm quite certain the Dean of Student Affairs was not grateful. ReRe and I were an instant pair. Less like chocolate and peanut butter, more like, well, tequila and lime. We soon picked up more ingredients, Phillipe, The Rama, Spatch, and a margarita was born.
We had fun. No filter. It is a mark of my early ambitious determination that I eventually left these girls and moved to North Carolina to continue my schooling. I could see veterinary school slipping away. But not the bond I had with them. That stayed.
I tried to find, this morning, photos of me and Re together at College. I found precious few, and what I found was the worst film quality I've ever seen. It's worse than my series that could be called "Guardrail photos from I-81, circa 1979." And, all I can say is "Thank You, Lord." For, although I wish I had great pictures of that time, I can be mostly thankful that I don't, and hope no one else does either. No social media was a luxury I was unaware we held.
Curious photos I found? Re, arms on top of her head, in the window. She is in shadow. and there is a large bouquet of yellow flowers on the windowsill. Did we pick them from the University President's front yard? Did they come from a boy? I don't recall.
I found a pictures of Spatch in the ReRe Jean, and Phil in the ReRe Jean, and Re, in the same. Every one of the pictures is almost completely brown, figures mostly indiscernible. And I had forgotten about those jeans. I think we were the Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants, long ago.
The best actual photographs of that time were of people I don't remember at all. Usually dates for the semi-formal of the week (it was a Greek school, there were a LOT of formals).
Such as this example:

 I don't know who my date is, I don't know who the people are in the picture behind us. I do recognize the couch/bed we all had in the dorm sophomore year. The dress is a gorgeous dress with black jet beads that I still own, and had been my mothers.
But I found very few pictures of Me and Re. The one I did find was this:

 The two of us, laughing. Which, I believe appropriately represents our friendship.

As shown by this photo:

Taken shortly after finding one another on the street near her house in Amsterdam 11 days ago.

I am so grateful that we got to "swarm" (as we always called being together, because we were like bees, sweeping through and scaring everyone around us, I'm certain.)

 We couldn't stop clutching at one another, I have missed her.

 We got to share a bottle of wine,

And I got to see her awesome husband again, and for the first time, meet her children! They are adorable boys, who I now miss too.

I wanted to include this photo, because there are three in this picture. Re's Eldest, me, and the photographer.  I am smiling at Re. And I am so very happy. (Plus her hydrangeas are incredible.)
Here's to being with you again, frond.