Diamonds are a Banjo's Best Friend

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Shortly after Christmas, I got an email from one of my good girlfriends, who was visiting her husband while he was working abroad. She told me that after spending the holidays with him and his family, he announced to her that he wanted a divorce. This all came out of left field for her, and obviously, she was quite upset.

Last week, she emailed me to ask me if I wanted to get together for lunch and a trip to Sephora. She said she wanted to get a makeover. I had hoped that what prompted this “makeover” was that she felt like doing something she’d never done before, which would be going to Sephora. Ironically, some use band-aids; and some, like me, use Sephora-aids to make the hurt go away. (There’s nothing like a new lipstick.)

I hoped she didn’t think that because of her situation there was a thing she needed to change about herself. She is most lovely and unique. There isn’t one thing I’d ever want to change about this Buster Keaton-loving banjo-playing Beauty.

Ironically, I first met her at the woman’s club I joined. She and I were “inducted” into the cult, I mean, club on the same day. I noticed her immediately, because she was under 50 years of age when the average age of most club members was 65. Finally, she was a tall Goddess. I had found one of my own!

Actually, she is an inch taller than me. Ironically, as I have traveled through this life, I always seem to make good friends with woman who are shorter than me. The tall exceptions have only been this woman and a Lovely named Anne.

Anyway, she had never been to Sephora. So, who better to take her than me, right? The next time I meet with my financial planner, I shall have to ask him if my little bit of everything includes Sephora!

Once there, we both went off to different corners of the store. I gave her some recommendations, and she went off on her own. I felt like a mother bird who had pushed her baby out of the nest, and wow, did she fly! When we met up at the register, her basket was full!

While in my corner of Sephora, I bumped into the Tarte representative, a lovely woman named Helen. I asked her how one goes about working for a cosmetics company. She gave me many good suggestions.

I told her I was unemployed, and we exchanged contact info. She was so interesting to talk to. When she got out of college, she first worked for Chanel. I love writing, but I do love fashion and all that goes with it. Oh, if I could do it all over again!

Once we left Sephora, we went to one of the most unique jewelry stores at the mall. There they had every stone under the sun mounted in earrings, necklaces, or bracelets. And, unknown to me, for the longest time, my friend had her eye on a lovely channel set diamond ring there.

She asked if she could try it on. In addition to being tall, she has long tapered fingers. She put the ring on her finger.

It looked lovely on her, and I told her that ironically, because she was musically inclined, it looked somewhat like a G cleft. And she said, “Can you imagine how great it will look when I’m playing my banjo?” I laughed out loud.

The store was having a huge sale. And the saleswoman told her that with only $159 down, she could put it on lay-away. She said she would have to have a think about it, and we both wandered about the store for a bit longer. (I love amethysts, and l saw my first green amethyst. I still love the purple ones best though.)

After another 10 minutes of browsing, she decided to get the ring. She made her down payment. And then she said, “Well, I’ll need a ring to replace my wedding ring anyway.” In my book, that was perseverance at its best, buying a ring that would go great with a banjo. Rock on, Girl. I love you. ♥