Lolly Reminiscing

As the English Country Dance Masters, I met dear Gail and Leland in 1987. My first husband, Lee Johnson, and I began attending their delightful classes and soon progressed to my sewing costumes to join them at different Balls and dance performances. Gail and I had to refer to each of our very tall, lean husbands as “your Lee” or “my Lee” to lessen the confusion! It took me longer to grasp the dance steps, but my Lee was a natural and we four become tender friends.
In late 1995, after the wintry accident that suddenly took his life, both Gail and Leland wonderfully helped me in coping as a new widow. So that I would not be all alone, they kindly even took me with them to the York, PA dance weekend over the following Thanksgiving. It was my first “missed” wedding anniversary without my own Lee of fifteen years. The friendship between Gail and I continued to deepen, often “doing lunch” or attending various local events together.
Over three years later, when I married David Hoover, a father of four older children, both Leland and Gail were warmly supportive. As I furiously sewed three new costumes, all of those in our Staunton Dance Group helped David and his two youngest teens to learn dances in time to attend the next Ball. I am grateful that my new family were honored to know Leland his final years.
To encourage Gail, David and I continued with the dance group until a new job, with long and often unpredictable hours, caused David to become overly weary on Friday nights. By then, my own joint arthritis was giving me fits as well, so instead, I began visiting Gail at home every week. It was a privilege to be a part of her “back-up family” now that she was all alone. In 2005, Gail and I even went on a fantastic Celtic trip together touring sights in Luxemburg, France, Ireland, Wales, and Scotland.
Whenever a newborn foster baby came into our home, “Grandma Gail” loved cuddling and holding each of one of them. Like me, sweet Gail had never been able to give birth to a baby of her own, so we both delighted in hugging these tiny infants for several weeks before they were adopted away.
She and I often went to Rowe’s for lunch between working on different projects to benefit the English Country Dance group. Under her guidance, we updated the dance group’s sound equipment. Then, Gail allowed me to mend and label her own and all of the “loaner” costumes/accessories. I had to alter/reconstruct several to better portray the correct time era, and then sewed about five more outfits for the group’s use. Next, we put most of Gail’s records onto CD’s and cross-indexed all of their songs and those of her many audio tapes. Lastly, we sorted and indexed a huge amount of Gail and Leland’s dance instructions and related historical books.
Near the end of that project, Gail began utilizing the Home Instead Care Givers at her home 24/7, and later at Ruxton. Since I could no longer be alone with my friend without one of them there as well, I chose to take the training myself, so that I would be assigned weekly (or more) to be of help and company for dear Gail. Thursdays feel very strange and lonely without her to go visit now. Sweet Gail was always spunky and full of gratefulness towards others. I miss my cheerful, kind-hearted, friend and look forward to seeing well and happy “up yonder” someday!
---With Love & Warm Hugs, Lolly