Lunch in Lawrence

It's not every day you dine with a friend who you last saw 35 years ago. I had created a profile on Facebook so I could access the page for a professional organization. Two days later, I received a message asking if I was this person's 'Irish sister from Mt. Lebanon High School.' My theater 'brother' and his family had lived only 40 minutes away from our house, for a decade. We scheduled lunch in Lawrence, Kansas - his hometown and location of the University of Kansas.

25,000 students call Lawrence home. Sprawling houses with generous porches and large front yards line Massachusetts Street before the retail district - half a dozen blocks filled with unique, student friendly shops, a sprinkling of chain stores and some truly wonderful restaurants. When I arrived early I played with my new camera. This mask and brightly painted building injected life into the chilly, gray February morning.

My 'brother,' Mark, and I ate pasta at Genovese while looking at his high school yearbook and my ancient script. A year later, we and our spouses have become friends, and Lawrence holds a special place in my heart.