Celebrate Love & Romance ~ A Valentine's Day Blog Party Giveaway! ~ Mimi's Rose Special Friend!

Today is a special day, it's a day of love, romance and sharing your heart with all the people you surround yourself with in your life!

I want to tell you about a very special friend of mine, who made me smile and laugh! She was very special to me, you knew you could always count on her when you were down, when you needed a cup of sugar and just wanted to share a cup of coffee with in the morning, or anytime! Her name was Agnes, "Ag" as we all called her! She could make you laugh even when your heart was blue or aching. She was my best friend! You always know when you meet someone you just "click" with and this was true for me!

I moved to North Carolina in 1996, not by choosing, but because of my husband's job being eliminated due to "base closures" when Clinton was in office! Oh, I didn't want to move, we had built our life, our home and memories in Virginia, but we had no choice! My husband had 8 years left before he could retire, my daughter, who was 16 at the time, still had college to attend and we knew couldn't send her to college without relocating and getting the retirement he had worked so hard for! So we moved! It was dreadful, in a new place, where we knew no one, had to make friends again and try to fit in! While we settled, bought an old house built in 1890, just to keep me and my mind occupied while I renovated and redecorated!

Well, about a year later, I hear all this commotion across the street, boy, were they loud! I thought to myself, "oh, great" what kind of neighbors are we getting!! Well, it was Ag and Kenny, they were from New Jersey and had rented the house from the previous couple who had renovated it and moved to another part of the city! Little did I know at the time, she would be one of my best friends! She was Italian, talked with a "Jersey" accent and said what she had to say! They were wonderful neighbors, we became very good friends, traveled, antiqued, dined and even had a "luau" party! They had bought property and Kenny was going to build a house on the land they had purchased!

Ag and I had so much fun looking for antique pieces to use in their new house! One day, we went antiquing and stopped at this little place, we found a gorgeous oak fireplace surround and an antique white iron bed! Well, actually I found the bed, and she oohed and aahed, asked me "Deb, you want this bed" (I have four bedrooms upstairs, anyway, I said "no, I don't", so she got it. It went into her new house in Bath! Every time I saw that bed, I drooled, but it was perfect for them! We always joked about it, because I told her more than once, I could kick myself for not getting, and she would say, "you had your chance, it's mine now!". We had so many wonderful times and I truly miss her! You see, she died on her birthday of cancer, after loosing her wonderful husband and friend, to pancreatic cancer, only five months before, not even suspecting she had cancer!

So, I dedicate this heart to my friend Ag, and wanted you to know the story behind this heart!

I was on eBay looking for beautiful crocheted doilies and roses. I emailed one of the sellers to ask a question about her beautiful work. Add a bit of info about me and she emailed back, told me she had a sister who lived where I do, mentioned their names and I also most fell over, it was Ag's sister! What fate it was, she is now my friend, though lives in another state, and crochets the most beautiful things, you can find her on etsy!

Anyway, it's been almost three years since my dear sweet friend traveled to heaven to be with her husband and best friend, Kenny. Her sister, Mary Ann, made this heart for me, so I am passing it on to someone who will cherish it and understand the true meaning of love, remembering to always treasure your family, friends and life! I hope you will treasure this heart as a gift from me to you!!

Now that you have read the story behind this heart. Here is what I ask you to do for the Valentine's Day Blog Party ~ look for the Pink Bling Giveaway, leave a comment there and come back and leave a kind comment here on this post. You will have to post in both the "Pink Bling Giveaway for February" and this one too. Ag loved bling!

This is a special giveaway in honor of Ag and Kenny, to "Celebrate Love and Romance", which is what they did everyday of their lives! They also loved Chocolate, as we all do! Please visit the other blogs for great giveaways and enjoy "The Valentine's Day Blog Party" with love from me to you!

You will have to check back to see who won, the comments must be posted before 12 PM EST on Valentine's Day. I will announce the winner of this very special heart on Sunday afternoon!

Mimi

Celebrate Love & Romance ~ A Valentine's Day Blog Party Giveaway! ~ Mimi's Rose Special Friend!

http://mimisrosechenilleboutique.blogspot.com/2009/02/celebrate-love-romance-valentines-day.html