Wet Noodle Posse

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Favorite Sistertime Activities

It’s not what you say, it’s what you do that often reveals to the world who you are. If this snippet is true, what does what I do with my sister Eileen reveal about us?

Phone Talking
Even if I have seen her the day before, my younger sister and I can still talk for over an hour on the phone, guaranteed. Ask our husbands. When we were little and shared a room, my mom would hear us talking when the lights were out and we were supposed to be asleep, and we’d get in trouble. Was it the lure of forbidden fruit? Is it still? If you ask my husband, who keeps upping my cell phone minutes, he’d give you an emphatic “yes.”

Donut Eating

Let me first say that I am not a regular donut purchaser. I love them, but my butt doesn’t need additional padding. My sister, who recently had a baby, also loves them. Her husband loves her and buys them because he knows she loves them. When I go to visit her and the baby, I can’t resist those Krispy Kremes. I think it all started with some other sisters—my mom’s family. Tradition was donuts after mass. My family also partook of that tradition. It may not be good for us, but we love a good yeast donut, especially with chocolate frosting.

Beach Walking or Hiking
If we travel to the beach, which we do on family vacations, Eileen and I like to take long walks along the shore. We talk, we take in the salty breeze, we get our feet wet, and all of a sudden it’s been an hour. When we were in Folly Beach (where we stayed for my brother’s Charleston wedding), my mom sent my uncle out to find us because we’d been walking so long. When we went to North

Carolina last summer, we did a short hike because she was preggers and in the throws of morning sickness, but I assure you we would have taken a longer hike under normal circumstances.

Board Game Playing
Maybe it was because we didn’t have cable as kids, but a lot of down time was spent playing board games in my family, especially during summer vacation. In fact, during one particular summer, my mother banned my older sister and brother from playing Parcheesi because their play would inevitably escalate into accusations of cheating and shouting. Our family favorites are Scattagories, Pictionary, Star Trek UNO, Trivial Pursuit, Life and the card game War. When we were younger, we played Payday, Battleship, and Risk, too. My older sister liked Monopoly, but I found it too long and boring. I guess I was never cut out to be a real estate mogul.

Clothes Shopping
I love going clothes shopping with Eileen because really it’s like having a living, breathing paper doll. She was always the skinny sister, so clothes look fabulous on her. She also would try on anything I asked her to. How cool is that? Another great thing about shopping with my sister is that she might suggest that I try on something I wouldn’t normally go for. An added bonus is that she’s completely honest when a pair of pants looks hideous. I provide the same honesty for her, but like I said, most everything looks good on her.

Baby Birthing

This was probably the highlight of my year—being in the delivery room with Eileen and her husband as their son was born. I liked being able to encourage her and provide the leverage for her to push. I so enjoy watching her as a new mom and answering her questions. She doesn’t always take my advice, but that’s okay. She has to forge a path that’s right for her.

Okay, so what we’ve learned from this informal evaluation is that Eileen and I have a bond forged on late night talks, board games, and donuts. We remain close because we live near one another (on purpose) and spend time with each other, if not in person, then by talking on the phone. She is my best friend.

Who is your best friend? What do you do with him or her?

Labels: Maureen Hardegree, sister time activities