Lost a friend and neighbor recently.

I had just visited him in Laurelwood — I think he understood who I was as I tried to converse with him. The voice was familiar, but that’s about all.

It is really heartbreaking to witness a once vibrant person reduced to what I saw there…

Joe Waldrop used to walk his big black dog by my house, and I would go out to visit them if I saw them. After the dog died, Joe’s gait was slowed, but he still walked.

Joe was a generally happy person, offering upbeat observations as we enjoyed those friendly encounters.

Joe usually came into McDonald’s on Saturday mornings when I go there. He fit into our group nicely, sometimes introducing topics for our free-ranging discussions, but usually just punctuating the banter.

We are going to miss Joe…

We also lost one of our dear Columbus Lions’ VIPs (visually impaired persons), Charmain Herman.

Lion Lee Berry and I had visited her many times over the years, first in her beautiful home and more recently in Ridgerest. Charmain moved her big grandfather clock to its dining room, and she personally wound it every Sunday. I love to hear its melodious strike on the hour…

I did not know Bruce Jackson, but I do know and love his mom.

Clois was one of Aunt Mildred’s good friends, and she became ours as well. We also visit her often as another of our Lions’ VIPs.

It is just not right for a parent to have to bury a son or daughter. They are supposed to make the arrangements for us, I think. 

I must also report the closing of TJ’s restaurant on 176, south of Tryon.

Art and Caroline Brown and Fran and I are the only remnants of Aunt Mildred’s Tuesday morning breakfast group. We have been having breakfast there: still Tuesday, because if they went somewhere for the weekend, they might be too tired to meet on Monday, and 8:30 a.m. so no one would have to get up very early.   

Fran and I joined the group when I retired in 1988. Fran named them “The Girls” because Aunt Mildred and her friends were all more than 70 years old at the time. “The Girls” were Mildred Rippy, Mary Trucks, Louise and Myrtle Thompson, and Mary Danis.

Other regulars included Bob and Joan Stuedell, who lived in his father’s house, and Ivan and Harriet Kuster, who lived in my former home, both on Rippy Hill. We met at Hardees until it closed abruptly many years ago. Cocula is there now. 

The group tried to move to McDonald’s and Burger King, but there was no suitable seating at either place, which fragmented the group. We could put several tables together at Hardee’s, but then Aunt Mildred was unhappy that she could not hear the conversation at the other end of the grouping!

Several of us began to meet at TJ’s on a regular basis because we liked Terry and what she cooked for us. All of “The Girls” have long since returned to their maker, as have most of the others over time. We will certainly miss Terry and Jackie, not to mention the rowdy bunch of “Men Without Jobs” who also met there, in an adjacent room.

I must add that the sounds coming from that room were happy ones, a welcome indication that they, too, were enjoying the camaraderie. Of course, the noise subsided when their food came!

I always made a point of thanking them for holding it down so we could also converse.