Day 183: My Friend the Opera Singer

Okay, how many of you can say you have a friend that sings Opera? I bet none of you! Can you believe I have a high school gal pal who has been a professional opera singer for more than 20 years!

Diana Tash and I attended junior high and high school together. Last year was our 30th High School reunion and many of the gals from the old gang began reconnecting in advance of the summer reunion. That has led to a rekindling of so many lovely friendships. Since then we have all gotten together every few months to stay connected. I have Blogged about these gatherings and my girlfriends several times.

Today Diana was performing locally so I attended to support her and to hear her beautiful voice. It was such a treat to listen to her sing and to watch her perform. She is just enchanting as an artist and a joy to support. My Dad loves opera so I took him with me to the performance. He has not seen Diana for 30 years and thought she was a marvelous singer. She was so kind to have sent him her CDs and when he heard her sing he thought she had a magial voice and wanted to see her perform live. Diana's mom attended today's performance too and I hadn't seen her for 30 years! It was a big love fest seeing the parents and the parents seeing us "kids" who are now grown women. A really touching afternoon.

It's so fascinating the careers we choose and the journey we take that leads us to our passions work-wise. I am so proud of Diana's accomplishments and her talent. I think it's really cool that I can say I have a friend who sings opera!

To learn more about Diana's performances, visit her website at http://www.dianatash.com/

Day 34 & 35: The Bond of Old Friends

This afternoon I attended a beautiful performance at the Foundation House in Beverly Glen Canyon to listen to a High School friend sing. How many of us can say we have an old chum who became an opera singer! Well our class of '79 University High School gals can!

Diana Tash is a talented soprano and mezzo opera singer who has performed at Carnegie Hall, Zipper Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and has performed with the LA Opera the Master LA Chorale and many other groups around the world for the past 20 years. It was such a treat to attend her performance along with my high school gal pals. Pictured above are Beth Bonnet and me in the walkway of the beautifully landscaped Foundation Home. And pictured to the right is our beautiful opera singer friend Diana Tash.

Ever since our 30 year High School reunion last summer we have made an effort to spend time together when possible. There's something very natural and easy about spending time with people who have known you since your teen years. There are funny stories to reminisce about, lives to catch up on and lots of laughs in between. It's amazing how comfortable you feel and how you can pick up on a conversation as if you left off talking just yesterday. Pictured here from left to right are Andrea Honoroff Lurie, Alexis Engel Phillips, Beth Bonnet (top), Diana Tash (bottom), Farrel Freeman, Laura Weber, and me.

Us gals were a fabulous (and wild!) group of young girls in High School who have grown into strong & accomplished women. Many of us have children or pets who are like our kids; we have partners and spouses; we have divorces and never married; we have lost parents and are caring for ailing ones; we have dreams yet to be fulfilled and others that have already come to fruition; we live in and around the Los Angeles community; and what connects us is that while we may not speak daily or even for years we shared a part of our lives together that will never be forgotten. Collectively we have an abundance of memories. Pictured above to the right are Farrel & Me. Pictured to the left are Jill & Farrel.

In addition to being two of my oldest and best friends from Emerson Junior High, Jill, Farrel and I went on to be college students together at San Francisco State University -- Jill and I were dorm roommates and then Jill, Farrel and I all lived together in San Fransisco. Those memories would fill a volume of Blogs!

Following Diana's performance us Uni High gal pals dined together and laughed some more. Several of these women I see regularly and have remained intimately close with. Others I had not seen in 20 plus years until the pre-reunion festivities last summer. What a treat it has been to reconnect with these women over the past year. Pictured left are Andrea Lurie & Vicky Margolis. Pictured below are Beth Bonnet & Alexis Engel Phillips.

Friendship is a gift. Long lived friendships are a treasure. I feel blessed to be back in the spirit and company of all you amazing women! Thank you for making so many long lasting memories with me!

If you'd like to hear Diana's beautiful voice, please purchase a CD by visiting www.DianaTash.com Thank you to Laura Weber & Farrel Freeman for the beautiful photos of a very special afternoon!