Olympic Sales Club and and Ode to Miss Welz

Last week in this post, I wrote about the perils my friend Karen W. and I encountered on the escapade of selling cards door to door to win prizes. A few days after posting this, the phone rang and I answered it to gales of laughter coming from Miss Welz as she had just read the post. We reminisced for awhile and she acknowledged the fact that she had in deed won a wooden tennis racket for her effort.

Neither of us could recall much about it. She did not recall the misstep with the Wicked Witch and I did not recall what I "won" or if I did actually "win" something. Too bad, it was a time before I started recording my life in diary form.

Yesterday the phone rang yet again and it was Miss Welz on the other end, again with a twinkle in her voice and something to behold. She started the conversation with, "You'll never guess what I found?" and I could not.

She did not let me hang in the waiting for too long before she exclaimed,
"It was the Olympic Sales Club!"
"The what?"
"The Olympic Sales Club. I pulled out my scrapbook looking for a ticket to a concert I went to when I was in high school and the scrapbook opened to the page with my membership card into the 'Olympic Sales Club'.

I squealed with delight. Oh to have a friend with a scrapbook from our youth, dates saved and ticket stubs glued. It it truly priceless. I have known Miss Welz since before kindergarten . How rare is it to have a friendship-best friends mind you, for over 45 years. We went to 1st and 2nd grade together, out of town, at a Catholic school and then 4th grade through high school together locally. We did everything together each summer, summer after summer. We were in the band together all through high school. Cheerleaders together all through high school. And we got into trouble together all through high school (not really).

Welzy is all the way to the right (the blond in every picture)

I am diagonally across from her and kind of hidden in the photo.

While on the phone she found pay stubs for the drive in restaurant we both worked two summers together at. I did the math while on the phone and discovered we were paid $2.35 an hour in 1976 and 1977. What ???!!!! Huh???!!!!  I guess it was enough for gas for my car, a new pair of Levis once in awhile and all the albums I own.

Fried clams and ice cream cones, we served our fair share. Here is a photo of me in my outfit for the White Birch. That green coat was huge and had big pockets on the side. It was made of a horrible poly fabric of some kind. Of course no1977 outfit of mine would have been complete without my clogs and painters pants.

 We were supposed to make our First Holy Communion together, but Welzy got strep throat and had to have her own private First Holy Communion a few weeks later. I WAS invited to the pancake breakfast after wards and I do believe we both missed a day of school for this.

 Me on the big day.

 

My 8th birthday party. Of course she is standing next to me!

 

My 11th Birthday party. Look who I have my arms around!

 

 10th year high school reunion 1987

 I owned a restaurant in the mid 90's and of course she came to dinner a few times.

Here we are with our other BFF, OB.

 Many years later when I needed help for the trade show I took

"I Surrender This" to, she flew to Florida with me and helped me for 5 days. 

She is not in this picture because she is taking the picture.

 

 

 Dancing at the 20 year reunion

 

Still dancing at the 30 year high school reunion

 For ever and ever I love you Miss Welz.