Claire Bear

I thought it was time I introduced you all to Claire Bear. Claire Johnson is my second cousin or something like that but she is also one of my best friends.

FYI, she lives in England and I believe is 22? Not sure about the age thing...... and I should know, I know! Something in the back of my oh-so-empty-at-this-time-mind is telling me 25 but lets just go with 22 for the time being until I am corrected - quite possibly by Claire Bear herself! :)

Now while growing up in Leeds, I didn't really see Claire that much (she lived a bus ride away and we just never got together that often - oh at weddings I guess but that was about it). All that changed - for me anyway, in March of this year. My mum got re-married so I decided to visit the UK for said wedding with my friend Rachel. Well, the wedding was a Saturday and off we went. The ceremony was at the Leeds Registry Office and after photos were taken, we all toddled off to some pub-hotel place near-by for the reception. This is where the whole Claire Bear being now one of my best friends starts to play into things........

Let me just say that I am sure it irritates the shit out of Claire being called Claire Bear, but once I started I just couldn't stop, so I apologise for this - Claire Bear!:)


Now, to get back to the reception! Claire Bear's mom Janet (in the middle) did the catering for the reception, and a mighty fine job she did too!!!! Well, that in turn made Claire in charge of the most important job EVER!!! She was in charge of the champagne! I ask you, IS there a more important job? If there is, I don't know what it is....... Well, Claire of course looked after her favorite cousin Andi by making sure my glass was never bubbly free! And she succeeded. Claire sat with us and we began talking more and more and I began to see the Claire Bear that I would come to know now and love.... Bear (no pun intended) in mind, the last time I saw Claire she was about 8! So we began talking and drinking (she then produced a bottle of Dooley's) and we quickly necked that! I remember telling Claire that if she ever wanted to visit us here, she was more than welcome. Now I didn't think she would, but the offer was there. Aha! Not less than a week after my return from the wedding, Claire Bear called and asked if the offer was good! Which of course it was!

Well, Claire Bear booked a fortnights holiday and it wasn't too long before I was picking her up from the airport! Now, having come to love Claire at the wedding reception it was a totally different story spending two weeks with her. How would she like my family? Would she be bored and want to leave early? Would she want to stay? All questions would be answered shortly......

Let me tell you, what a good two weeks we had!

We went shopping - (candles for her friends), we went fishing, we went dancing, Claire Bear did a bit of hanging out-a-van-window and blowing chunks!!! (which is still a memory I'm sure she wants to forget!!!) but me being the good cousin I am - won't let her! :)

Claire Bear had a great time and I just love her! My kids think she is the greatest, and my husband always talks about her.

Claire Bear has the greatest personality, the brightest smile - she is always smiling - and is quite simply THE nicest person you will ever want to meet and hopefully you will eventually meet her. If you could have one person in your life that you could always count on to be there, I hope your person is Claire.

And get this - she is coming here for 3 weeks over the Christmas/New Year holiday. How cool is that?

Can't wait to see you Claire!