friends

Last week my dear friend Bonnie died of stomach cancer. I first met Bonnie about five years ago when I led a knit-along at a local yarn shop. That knit-along turned into a knitting group that has met every Saturday morning since, and Bonnie was a cornerstone of that group. Please indulge me while I take a few minutes to remember the things that I admired about Bonnie.

1. Bonnie was fiercely truthful and couldn’t abide dishonesty.

2. Bonnie never met a knitter she didn’t like; I suspect that she never met a politician that she did like.

3. Bonnie was true to herself; she didn’t waste time trying to please other people.

4. Bonnie had wit, especially when it came to life’s absurdities; when she was on a roll, I’d laugh until I cried.

5. Bonnie had boundless energy wrapped up in a 5-foot-2-inch frame. Her mind was so far ahead of her words that she’d start a new sentences before finishing the previous one.

5. Bonnie loved yarn and she couldn’t pass up a bargain. Her “stash” included more balls of yarn (all bought at a discount) than I’ve seen in many yarn shops. Here is a photo of Bonnie’s living room. The rest of her house looked exactly the same — there was just enough space to walk between stacks of bins of yarn.

6. Bonnie was a talented artist. She spent her career editing fine art books for a New York City publisher, teaching painting workshops, and painting landscapes and portraits. I’m grateful to own several of her pieces, my favorite of which is a pastel that has a place of honor in our living room.

Bonnie was adamant that she didn’t want any sort of memorial service. But I can’t let her passing go unremarked. My Saturdays will never be the same.