Throwing the Rolls...things that keep us connected

Years ago during my Country Coach days working in the Marketing department at 135 East 1st Avenue in Junction City, Oregon, the front desk receptionist at the time was Karen Smith. She and I were the best of  Country Coach friends and we shared the daily/weekly happenings in the Smith and Fanning homes. One holiday I was especially stretched thin and had far too much to accomplish at both work and at home.  Yet I was hosting a large extended family meal. Holiday morning it was a mad rush in the Fanning kitchen and there were too many head chefs and not enough support staff helping get things done…like basketing the rolls, and arranging table settings and a gazillion little tasks that all take time. I had a lot of onlookers in my children and spouse, but not enough doers in my opinion. At that point from across a 14 foot kitchen I ‘threw the rolls’ in a moment of “for goodness sake, if you want to eat then let’s HELP a little bit” frustration….My hubby ducked and looked at me like I’d grown a second head from my shoulders (and if you know me this is NOT my nature…) and zipped into road gear helping in any way he could. Throwing the rolls became an inside joke between Karen and I at work. “Oh you better not do that…or you better get that done like she asked you to…or Sherry will throw the rolls!”

I for my part have equally special memories of Karen stopping by the marketing wing one day to chat with her son while she was on a break; and she sat there helping her son collate brochures, a short term project we’d hired him to do for extra income. As Karen talked to her son at 80mph speed, she also stuffed brochures at that same rate of collation. “Mom, slow down! You'll work me out of a job!” her son exclaimed. We laughed so hard!

Fond memories are one of the lasting gifts Country Coach employees took away from Country Coach. I have mine as I’m sure 1800+ other employees who built those same “Country Coach family memories” together have theirs…

That “Country Coach Inc era” has ended, and the employees are scattered like seeds in the wind. We’re involved in new adventures, new places of employment, and new phases of our lives, yet  it’s great to stay connected to many of them still through ties in the RV industry, through social media, and just by living in a small community and still watching each other’s kids (and grandkids) compete in grade school, high school and college sports, etc.  Like checking out Carolyn Gsell’s gardening a weekend ago through photos on Facebook, or catching up through email on the how Country Coach friends are enjoying their winter homes, The O Connors in Indio, CA or the Meighens in Arizona... Or currently the fun of working with RV industry friends throughout the local community businesses as I'm scheduling events, seminars and activities for upcoming Country Coach Friends Inc club rallies in which those old friends are still key supporters….

We move along and we evolve with the changes we experience or instigate in our individual lives, but the constant is: we stay connected.  We build new memories, albeit sometimes via long distance, through social media, through phone calls, and through those cherished visits where we “catch up” face to face on our Country Coach friends lives.

I look forward to each time we have opportunity to catch up and find out “who’s been throwing the rolls” …and why!

Country Coach friends are the best...forever friends…  Pass the rolls.