email from a friend

I wanted to share this email with you because many of you will remember these events and I thought you might enjoy the memories Allen Miller sent:

I am so grateful for the "Memory Quilt" that Phil made for me. It is hanging in my living room, and will be as long as I have a living room. There are so many unique memories from our 35+ years of friendship like

...... how many different camping-related experiences over the years, manifested in later years with Peninsula week (weeks). Dells balloon weekend, Father's Day at Long Lake, Lake Ottowa, New year's partys to fill out reservations for you to hand carry, Ries' packing up in the night, hayrides with Judy chasing the wagon to pass on the root-beer schnaps, bottles around the campfire, girl scout song sheet singalongs/fire starters, Park Purity Patrol, burying the kids in the sand (and vice-versa), picking cherries, transporting in water-filled coolers, making cherry bounce, masses at the campground with Fr Tom

......brownie scout activities with Terry, and me sometimes (camping weekend), scout names like Sunshine, Petunia, Honey, Bluebird, knot-tying, crafts planning and making, ceremonies

......"Irish I Had A Schlitz" T-shirt that Phil gave me for helping him pick up 2 hot-water heaters from Sears at Brookfield for your duplex

......"Lordy Lordy Jim's Forty" (and everyone after that who turned 40)......"Allen has a perfect score, boys 0 girls 4" sign, which then became "Good friends live here" that I had fun hanging on your window without you seeing

......the Ortiz family including me in their large family Holiday dinners, Phil's efforts to find a companion for me, extra efforts to include a single person in a world of couples

......dances at Sebs with tables of friends for me to fall asleep at

......rum and cola, not diet - except I never had any but diet

Phil, you are the "Friendship Star", the quilt is the symbol of how you lived your life. See you around the stump, my friend...