A to Z Blog Challenge -- L is for Lisa

Welcome to Day 12 of this year's A to Z Blog Challenge.
   
For both my husband and me --
  
  

L is for Lisa

Brad and I are both blessed with longtime friends named Lisa.

The wonderful thing about married life is that we both gained a second friend named Lisa.

Here is Brad's friend Lisa.

They met in the early 80s when they both worked at the Imperial Six cinemas in Toronto. We meet up whenever Brad and I are back in his hometown, like this Christmas trip in 2010.

Or on this trip in August of 2012 when I had an author table at Fan Expo. We're joined here by Ted, who also worked at the theatre with them, and Lisa's sister Cherry.

Just posting this is bringing on a serious dose of Toronto homesickness! Although Toronto is Brad's home, after I moved there in my twenties it became the home of my heart. Brad's Lisa -- hopefully it won't be too long until we're meeting up again somewhere along the Danforth or downtown. Until then -- thank heavens for Facebook!

Here is my Lisa.

We met in the late 80s, after I'd moved to Toronto and had worked as a nanny for a family I consider as part of my own. My next job was in the children's shoe department at the Queen Street flagship Simpson's store (now The Bay.)

We were kindred spirits from the very first moment we were introduced as co-workers.

We both started going out with our future husbands while working together, so the thrills-chills-and-spills of meeting Mr. Right were part of our in-between-customers conversation through the metal shelves of the shoe stockroom.

Very quickly our friendship grew past work hours, and before too long Brad and I were attending Lisa's wedding to Bill.

That's Brad and me with Bill and his sister.

Lisa relocated to Belleville and later to Cobourg, where she and Bill are from, originally. We travelled to see each other often, like this visit she made to our place in Toronto with their son Brandon.

Soon Lisa and Bill were attending our wedding.

If we're in Toronto for Christmas, Lisa makes the trip into the city so we can meet up.

Or I jump on the train and head for Cobourg. If anyone remembers this profile pic from Facebook, this is from one of my trips to see Lisa. This is us shopping. #thatshowwedo

Somehow, the universe has aligned several times to make sure we were with one another at birthday time. This was taken on one of my birthdays during a Cobourg trip. Look at that Brandon.

Here's Lisa celebrating her birthday here in Nova Scotia during one of her trips here.

And here's Lisa and Brandon meeting up with Brad and me in Toronto during her 50th birthday week. (Brandon -- what the heck...?!?)

The best way to let you know about my Lisa is to leave you with a poem I wrote for her birthday six years ago.

The Meaning

Cheers to the two Lisa's in my life.

Can't wait till we can *clink* glasses again in person.