So that football mom -- the one who called Tim a cranky butthead -- was sitting behind me at Thursday's game. I went alone because Shelby is in Bend, job-hunting. I don't know the mom and can't distinguish one face from another at these games. I knew a woman from China who summed up my problem -- All these Americans look the same.

Well all those football moms have that same weary look to me. I plopped down on a bench in front of her again, just in time to overhear the woman sitting next to her ask ,"Now which one is that head coach you were talking about?"

Then they began to chatter back and forth. But I'm suspecting she knows who I am now because all her comments were said in hushed tones. I could tell she was trying to prevent me from overhearing them. The thought of her finding out that I was Mr. Cranky Butthead's wife makes me smile.

The game, however, made me want to cry.

Our boys just could not get it together. With two minutes left in the 4th quarter, we were up 10-8, and the offense fails to make the first-down and so possession went to the Cowboys from Crook County. On the kick-off, our boys falter and instead of kicking the ball the kicker picks it up and runs with it, coming within a couple of yards of the first-down but resulting in the ball being turned over to the Cowboys on their own 35-yard line.

Game ended 14-10.

I left when they made that last touchdown. Figured I'd best get home and make the coach a good meal cause he was going to be in an awful mood. He was. Fortunately I had Survivor and Grey's Anatomy to keep me entertained.

What I wanted, though, was the opportunity to tell him about the most incredible email and phone call I rec'd.

I always knew that being an infamous writer would draw me all sorts of attention. I counted on hearing from a couple of old boyfriends and the like. So far, the only old boyfriends who've contacted me have been my sister's boyfriends.

She had more of them than I did, so it's an issue of physics.

But on Tuesday I opened my email to find a note from a "Lake Forest friend". Those of you who've read the book will recognize Lake Forest as the trailer park we moved into after Daddy's death. It was also the one that Frankie got us kicked out of after he and Joe Kirkland caused a stink over at the projects. It's the place where I got into the fight with Evelyn and the place where we used to play Spin-the-bottle in broad daylight.

I also wrote about a friend of mine named Leslie, whose brother I had a crush on, and whose mother took me to see Mr. Wrestling. Only her name isn't Leslie, it's Sara. Sara Williams. Her folks owned Shipley's Donuts, down at the 5-points section of town, across from the fountain in Wynnton.

I came home from school one gloomy winter's day and Sara told me that her family was moving -- to Mississippi. Within weeks they were gone and I never heard from her again. Until this week. When I got the following message:

Karen, I have to tell you how excited I was to locate you through a google search! It's been a long time! I feel like a proud mama to see how well you've done; I found your website about the time you were in Tn. with Gordan and Pam in the hospital. I have been anxiously visiting your site everyday. You are rightly proud of your family. They seem to be happy and doing well. I feel as though I know them from your blogs! My family has been telling me all these months I should contact you, but I felt a bit intimidated. "silly huh". I have I grown sons I'm very proud of. They are each married to very special  women. Between the two have been blessed with 3 wonderful grandchildren. My husband Danny and I have been married for 35 years. He is the sweetest most considerate man in the world, and I love him very much. My memories of you and I as friends growing up include our riding the city bus all over Columbus Ga., getting transfers and just riding for fun, or our hanging out at the pool all day. How about our saving R.C. cola bottle tops to go to the movies! Remember when we would watch your mama dance around he living room to Boots Randolph or Floyd Cramer. You invited me to go to your mothers pinning when she earned her r.n. pin. I went and we were all so excited and proud of and for her! Do you remember her dating a wolfgang somebody; I think he was the double and performed stunts for some actor. We thought that was pretty awesome. We were very impressed. You and I were hoping to be candy strippers the summer I had to move to MS. We actually moved in December, but we were going to volunteer at the hospital that coming summer. Do you recall your mama taking us to the on base clubs with her we loved to see the ladies all dressed up. I recall you, Frank, Linda and myself going shopping to buy a special present for your Mama. Ya'll chose a beautiful ashtray . You all were very caring for your Mother. Do you recall the time we left going to the seven eleven and you decided we should go on a little farther to visit one of your teachers? We lost track of time, and it was getting late her boyfriend had shown up for supper. She left him there to drive us home when we got home the police were there ,our families had them thinking something terrible had happened. How bout the time two soldiers stopped us on the sidewalk downtown to ask if we wanted to earn some money? Have you guessed who I am yet? I just finished reading Hero Mama. You were right on about us chasing boys and such, but if my memory serves right we also had some really good friend times of growing up trying to fit in and feel wanted and just accepting one another and others for who we were. I have never felt particularly special in any way, but my memories of lake forest are good. In your book the names and accounts are  very very accurate. Your memory and your ability to tell stories in exciting interesting ways is nothing to sneeze at. However I remember Joe C's sister as Rosemary and I am not Leslie but rather Sara Williams Barnette. Had you guessed it was me yet? You won't believe it but my husband and I were in Nashville back in July, and I thought I saw you going down the interstate as we were leaving town on Wednesday morning. I get home on Thursday, and visit your site some time later to find that you had arrived in Nashville on Tuesday.. who knows it may have been you I made eye contact with as we passed each other going down the highway. I too am a Christian. having come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and asking Him to be my Lord in 1985. I'm looking forward to getting your new book when it comes out. I will be visiting your blog. 
                                                                                     See ya,
                                                                               Your friend Sara

                                  ****************

Well, you could've knocked me over with a feather. I'd forgotten about riding the bus around town, though I remembered the RC Cola cap movies and the GIs who propositioned Sara, not me.

I was so excited I typed her back and asked for a phone number, but instead she called me, and we talked for the next hour. It seemed like we'd kept up the friendship for 40 years. Sara said, "I feel like I'm in group therapy."

Well, whatever. It was such a delight to hear from Sara and to know that God saw fit to cross our paths again. This has happened a couple of times in my life but none as far back as my friendship with Sara.

She still lives in Mississippi where she and her husband own a bakery/restaurant. Good thing I didn't hook up with James, though, guess he's been married several times and recently "Put Baby out in the road, " as Sara's daddy put it. Baby being the gal he's with now. Err.... was with.

Sara's daddy still cooks the donuts at age 76. Goes into the shop at 10 p.m. every night and works till 5 a.m. Another example of if you find your passion it stays with you your entire life, I reckon.

We talked of our brothers, our mothers, our sisters, and of those times we had has children. I was touched by Sara's memory of me -- memory sometimes is kinder than the reality of a person. Still, it's good to be remembered fondly whenever possible.

Sara was almost 13 in 1969 when she moved away from Georgia. Two years later she was married, to Danny, age 20. I told her that in Oregon we call that statutory rape. She laughed and said they do now in Mississippi, too.  Guess times are a'changin'. 

I've tried to wrap my head around the paths our lives took. How she ended up finding her life's mate two years after we parted. She went from being a girl who rode around town on a city bus, just for something to do, to being a wife. A wife at 15!!!

And there I was at age 17, pregnant, trying to figure out what to do. (Read the book if you really want to know).

Ultimately, we were just two pretty good girls who were totally unsupervised, running the streets and carving out family the best we could.

It's good to hear from my long lost Mississippi sister, finally.