Dancing brought them together; music brought them to ROOTSandBLUES.
Salmon Arm resident Debbie Lovestone has been spending a couple of months each year in Guayabitos, Mexico since 2009.
Over the years she has become great friends with five other people who share a love of food, good conversation, music and dancing. The reunited group enjoyed all of these things over the weekend at the ROOTSandBLUES Festival. The six could be identified by the t-shirt they wore featuring cartoon caricatures of themselves and the words: "Apparently we're trouble when we're together. Who knew?"
What began as a series of casual acquaintances has grown into deep friendships and annual 鈥減ilgrimages鈥� to the Pacific Ocean beach town. Like Lovestone who traditionally departs Salmon Arm for a two-month sun fix in winter, other members of the group travel from Saskatoon, Calgary and Chemainus, while one has decided to make Guayabitos her permanent residence.
As they got to know each other, everyone discovered they have mutual friends, which made them more deeply connected.
鈥淭his is a fun-loving group,鈥� says Saskatoon鈥檚 Joanne Farbacher, earning wide smiles and agreement from Lovestone and Lorne Ingram, also a Saskatoon resident.
As much as they enjoy the Guayabitos night life, each person is normally back in their own accommodation by about 10 p.m. and up fairly early the next day.
Farbacher and Ingram go to the gym while Lovestone prefers to greet the day by walking on the beach.
Everyone keeps in touch by cell phone.
鈥淭here is constant fun,鈥� says Ingram. 鈥淲e鈥檙e either planning fun, having fun, or recovering from fun.鈥�
But Lovestone and Farbacher are quick to point out that the friends are not so much on holiday as they are living rich daily lives, going to markets, sharing potluck meals, sun worshipping or swimming.
鈥淭here is so much to do,鈥� says Farbacher.
鈥淭he water is the thing that connects us,鈥� adds Ingram.
With infectious energy, Lovestone, Farbacher and Ingram chorus their excitement and ideas about another reunion next July.
