Happy 5th Anniversary to Uschi!!!

Today is a special day for me. It’s five years ago today that I first met my best friend, Uschi.

It’s funny how we started out. I’d gone to a (German language) dog web site where there was a chat room. At the time I was trying to learn some German. (Unfortunately I am one of those people who is not linguistically gifted. )
While there I left a message that I was looking for a penpal. Uschi replied to the posting and we have been together ever since.
The first postings were formal. I learned she was born and raised in Schmölln, Germany. She was an Engineer, married with a daughter, and a yellow Labrador, named Gilli and currently living in Berlin. I wrote to her about me. I was 42, fighting my weight (even then), married, with one daughter, and two dogs. A White German Shepherd, Max and my beloved Shubi.
Over time we would write about what we were doing, what we were thinking, what we were cooking or where we were going. We set up our computers so we could chat online and each day at 3 pm my time and 9 pm her time we would meet to chat!
It was a year before we actually met each other. Then Uschi and her Hubby came to visit us here in the USA! We went on a road trip. Two dogs, and four people in a camper. What a blast!

A year later I went to visit them in Germany while Hubby stayed home. Our Max was ill and Hubby didn’t want to leave him. It was so great to be there with Uschi and to visit Berlin after being away from it since 1990.
When Shubi got sick, Uschi helped me find my Greta and she made most all of the arrangements for us to go over and pick her up. This time Hubby came with me and we enjoyed a week with Uschi and her Hubby!

Meeting Uschi is so special because she is now a sister to me. I know I can go to her anytime and pour out my heart and she will listen and love me anyway. She understands my heart and we share so many interests and concerns

We have been through life’s most difficult moments and been able to be there for each other in a way that many other friends simply cannot.
So today I am writing this to let you know how wonderful it is to have such a special person in my life. My best friend and sister.
Happy 5th Anniversary, Uschi, and thank you so much for your friendship and your love!