Saturday, August 7, 2010

A Special Day...Five Years in the Making

Some time ago, at a regularly scheduled Girl Scout meeting.....four teenage girls, bred, born, lived in different cities, states, families, schools and yet, when the four arrived in the same locale, at the same time, the Four Musketeers were born.

Twenty years later, four women are still known by many as the Four Musketeers, who are still the best of friends, Aunties to each others' kidlets, sistersinlaws to the husbands, family to each other, and respond to the Girl Scout camp names Woodstock, Gizmo, Fishey, & Snoopy.

Today is quite a special day...five years in the making. 

The Four Musketeers are all meeting up, together, at the same time, for the first time in almost five years.

One of them lives on the East Coast these days and what was weekly gatherings during their teens years, quarterly visits during the college years, and at least yearly gatherings during the rest of their twenties, has been reduced to gatherings of two or three whenever they were in the same town at the same time...but, not all four women at the same time...until now

Post high school, the Four Musketeers have gathered at some choice Southern California universities for sushi, a party, a concert, or some dorm time;  Tahoe for sushi, cozy fires, skiing, or chill time;  Northern California pads for sushi, pool play, BBQ'ing, or chatty time; a Northern California retreat for seafood, sight seeing, cooking,  or game time; and weddings for celebrating, toasting, dancing, brides maid'ing, giggling, chatting, smiling, and pretty sure they managed to work some sushi in there too!



Oh yes, and their favorite locale to gather, where their names are etched into a brick that thousands' feet step upon...the place where every person can feel like a child, no matter what their age...Disneyland.

A favorite tradition Snoopy started was to take a group pic in front of each of the letters of CALIFORNIA...one letter per visit, in order.  Above, the last complete Four Musketeer gathering, late 2005. 

Gizmo (in blue) was pregnant with her last child and so she did her good Mama duties and rode the cement bench while her favorite roller coaster, Space Mountain, whispered fervently in her ear.  And she told the Four Musketeers to live, love, and enjoy that dark, star lit, whirl air whipping past their faces ride.


However, the Four Musketeer never disappoint each other and they went on as many rides as they could, both big and small.  Woodstock & Fishey smile for Snoopy's camera on Heimlich's Chew Chew Train and Gizmo was smiling too because the wee ride in the bugs' big world was one she could climb aboard for.


Gizmo couldn't be too sad though.  With every step down Main Street, through the happiest place on Earth, she remembered so many other fun filled trips to Disneyland when she could ride those roller coasters....like Splash Mountain with Snoopy braving the front of the log with her.  This is the only time Gizmo has ever ridden in the front seat of the Splash's wild log ride.


And of course, there are more letter group moments of the younger years to enjoy.  The letters "I" & "L" have been brought to you by the year 2004.


Its a bit comical that Fishey & Snoopy are on the bottom here, since they are the ones who would usually climb a letter & get their goofy on for a great shot.  But, its the letter L's turn and the Four Musketeers are, as always, Four.


Each Four Musketeer gathering has an abundance of hugs, smiles, laughter, and of course, some sushi.  The girls, technically women...but, on a Friday night, just hours after gathering, with sushi and maybe a cocktail in their bellies, they feel like girls again, chatting and giggling, maybe even laughing until their eyes tear and sides hurt....began as teenage friends who met in a local elementary school library for a Girl Scout meeting, have grown, and weaved lives with many & mighty stories to tell. 

Wonder what threads Snoopy, Woodstock, Gizmo, & Fisheys' looms will weave in the years to come?  More children?  Career highs?  Home successes?  Creative journeys?  Grandchildren?  Gray hair ladies shuffling around Disneyland, living with the joy they have brought each other throughout their years? 

Maybe.  Probably.  Thankfully.




Best of Tickled Pink at 504 Main

23 comments:

  1. That's what I'm TALKIN' about, SWEET Kare! What an awesome post! Just look at you guys! A tradition that most of us dream of achieving - and you guys are masters! Good FOR YOU! Have a WONDERFUL, invigorating, magical, memorable time! YOU SO DESERVE IT, sweet pea! I'm ALL inspired by your post! Giddy up! HAVE A BLAST!

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  2. Hi. Thanks for stopping by my blog. I'm following you now too. That's great that you still get together with them.

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  3. Awww, what a wonderful post! I am SO excited to hear that you all are getting together again- HAVE A BLAST! Thanks for the memories, I miss you all. Love ya! -Spunk!

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  4. Awww, what a great post! I am SO excited that you are all getting together again! Have a BLAST!! Thanks for the memories. I miss you all. Love ya! -Spunk!

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  5. Okay, now how fun was that....what a wonderful blog post Karen...soooo very neat...

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  6. awwww... i love a great post about awesome friendship! so glad for you that you still have these terrific people in you life. funny how certain people enter your life and change it forever! have a fantastic day sweet girl.

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  7. Wow...how awesome is that!!?? I have to say, I'm a little envious!! I wish I had a group of close friends like that!!!!!!!! How precious.
    I hope you guys have an awesome time!!!!!! Enjoy my friend! xoxo

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  8. Aww girrrrrl, your four are the SWEETEST friends I have ever seen. I literally teared up reading through your walk down sushi lane...oh I mean memory lane! All sushi sarcasm aside, the four muskateers are an inspiration in the kind of friendship that is elusive to most these days. Feels like a little part of you is coming "home" today. Enjoy your girl time!

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  9. I am envious too!! I think that is amazing, have a great time, but I know you will, how could you not??

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  10. Twenty years is a LONG time - that's so great you guys have been friends for so long! Oh, how I'd love a girls trip!

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  11. You're making me cry!!!!!

    How wonderful..beautiful and special!!!
    Go girls!

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  12. Hooray! So glad you got to go back with your gals and have fun. Disney really is the most magical place in the world. I miss my season passes :( But seeing your pictures bring me a little closer ;)

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  13. This is really a nice post.All are good photographs and it shows that you had lot of fun.It is so interesting to know about four Musketeers.

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  14. Hi Karen! I love reading about you and your friends and the bond that you have maintained throughout the years! Three, well make that four cheers for the Four Musketeers!!! Hopefully the next time you are all together won't be five years in the future, but much, much sooner!!

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  15. Yes, yes, yes....this tickles me pink. What a wonderful group of friends. I have a similar group - 4 of us...2 I have known since 2nd grade Brownies! We all lived in So. Cal for awhile and now only 2 are there...we need to start a tradition like this...we have not all been together in 5 years. This so put a smile on my face. There is nothing better than beautiful long lasting friendships!

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  16. How wonderful to have such special lifelong friendships to treasure.
    Stopping by from the Red Dress Club today!

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  17. How cool is that! What a great story. Thanks for posting it... I really enjoyed it!

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  18. You make me wish that I had had a group of friends like that when I was growing up! Great story, told with joy. Can't get any better than that!

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  19. I love this post!! I am still good friends with my high school girlies too. We have a trip coming up in September where all of our "musketeers" will be together again for the first time in...I am not sure how long! I am happy for you that you still have your crew, and look forward to hearing about more amazing times!

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  20. This is really nice. You are looking to have such long lasting friendships.

    Thanks for Linking up for Flashback Friday. Link up ever Friday at http://www.chasing-joy.com/

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  21. Linked from today's post about things you {have} done - this post is so awesome. I love that you have friends like this, I love that you have nicknames, I love that you get together, and I love that you shared your story in such a fabulous way. Of course, I'd expect nothing less from you. ;-)

    Friendships and love (and sushi?!) are beautiful.

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