Magic

I met her in 1994. Our husbands worked together and had gotten to know each other pretty well before she and I met. When I first met her, we were at a ladies' get together. I can remember that she had a friendly smile, a welcoming laugh, and great hair!

Nancy and I grew to be good friends. She also made a really good impression on my husband. You know he really likes you as a friend when he gives you a nickname. Nancy's was "Magic." My husband found out that Nancy's maiden name was Murphree. The name immediately reminded him of Murphy and the Magic Tones from Blues Brothers- logical word association for our family.

One of my fondest memories is when we went to Magic and her husband's house for a mystery dinner. It was Halloween and we all were supposed to dress up in full character. I was a German woman and hubby was an absent-minded professor. Hubby dressed in a black suit, goofy glasses and a cheap, fake beard. I was in a short cocktail dress with black stockings and, ahem... augmentation. (My character was sort of a German Dolly Parton,shall we say.) We arrived at Magic's house in full attire. As we came up the walk, they all caught a glimpse of our outfits and burst into laughter. I could see them from the front door. They were supposedly all dressed up as well, but they looked pretty normal to me. Magic said later that she found bits and pieces of my husband's beard all over the house. Lucky for us, she had dogs and was used to vacuuming up shedding hair.

Since that mystery dinner, we have had many meals together and many memories. Nancy and I have shared the births of children, deaths of loved ones, illness, and the usual ups and downs of life. She is from the South, too and we have talked about small town stories and Mamas and Daddies, and how to make the best biscuits and black-eyed peas. Nancy and I also share a deep faith in God. That is what I cherish most.

A sweet and loyal friend, Nancy is the kind of person I could call in the middle of the night. If I needed her, she would do her best to get on a plane and be right there by my side. I would do the same for her and she knows it. She loves my daughter and I love her kids just like they were my own. She is one of the few friends I have had in life that I can say are like a sister to me. My husband named her as one of the few "genuine ladies" he knows. (Coming from him, that is a real compliment.)

I am very proud to share with you that she is also a very talented artist. The real word is gifted. Nancy is gifted more than she knows, and being the lady that she is, she would never give herself any recognition.

So, I will. This weekend, Nancy's solo exhibit begins at the Arlington County Central Library. The exhibit runs through this month. If you live in the DC area, I encourage you to view it. If not, please visit her blog at www.mymanyimpressions.blogspot.com and see just how talented she really is. She would love for you to leave a comment.