Some of my friends...

On Sunday I had coffee with a group of friends whom I originally met when my children started school. We call ourselves the Newmarket Mums and we meet for coffee the last Sunday of each month, except December.

Jenny looking through Margo's photo album of her  recent trip to Canada/Alaska

 I first met Jenny just over 25 years ago when she 'checked out' the After School Care Centre that I co-ordinated at the school. She must have liked what she saw because her son was then enrolled at the centre. Jenny and I were also regular attendees at P&C meetings and we worked on fundraising together for years.

Liz and Robyn

 I've known Liz for about 30 years. Her elder daughter was a student at the school when I had taught there before DD1 was born. Liz worked at a hairdressers near the school until she started a family with her second husband. Those younger children meant that Liz was again involved with the school. Robyn's 3rd daughter was in the same class as my DD1. Robyn and I both did tuckshop duty and, like Liz and Jenny, got involved with fund-raising.

Marie and Sandra

 Marie's DS was in the same class as my DD1 and she took an active role in Tuckshop and ...yes you guessed it!...fundraising. I've known Sandra for 23 years and I first met her when she enrolled her daughter  in After School Care. Sandra worked fulltime but still managed to play an active part in the fundraising team. Sadly, she has been widowed for a few years now. Her husband died suddenly of a heart attack, the first spouse in our group to pass away. It made us all aware of our own mortality.

Sandra and Margo

 I first met Margo when her daughter was booked into the Centre. Margo is a radiographer but also makes incredible fudge...so we would get her to make her specialty for all our fetes and street stalls etc. Margo is originally from New Zealand and knows first hand the worry of having elderly parents living in another country.

Jenny and Maddie

I've known Maddie for 25 years and met her when she enrolled her son in the centre. This son was also in my daughter's class. She remarried a few years after I met her and has another son now who is in Year 12! Maddie was a bit late getting to the coffee shop on Sunday, but she'd had one of those weeks. You see her elderly dad died earlier in the week and with all the funeral arrangements etc, it had been a hectic and sad time for her and her family. So for a little while she was able to relax a bit, tell us all about her week and also her planned holiday north which is coming up soon.

Last, but not least, we had some flowers (hidden under the table) ready to give to  Maddie 

I love this group of people. Over the years we've all had 'bad spots' in our lives but the group offers real support and friendship. We help each other through the  bad times and celebrate each others' good times...pretty good all round I reckon.