Day 36 - Childhood Friend Photos

We all love seeing photos of ourselves with childhood friends.  But this favorite photo doesn't even reveal the face of my dear friend, Diane!  It's hidden inside the elaborate Granny mask that her father made. The mask became mine when she moved away from Grinnell, Iowa after 3rd grade.  

Diane lived next door.  We trick-or-treated together.  We played cowboys and Troll dolls. We rode bikes to the "Little Store" on the corner, where we often turned in pop bottles to buy candy... and judging from this photo, we played Hopscotch. 

Diane and I reunited when we were both about 50 and we've kept up since. Recently Diane bombarded me with some nostalgia goodies to ease my stress and speed up my healing.  She sent a bundle of retro candies and a Highlights Magazine coloring book, with a metal box of crayons. And by the time I'm ready to get back to zooming around the neighborhood on my bike, I have some handle bar streamers at the ready!  Thanks Diane! You knew what would heal me fastest!
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"Healing" Candies: candy necklace, wax lips, bubblegum cigars, candy dots on paper strips, Chiclets and Fruit Stripe gum, Bit-O-Honey, root beer candy barrels... Ahh!