I got back in touch with one of my childhood friends a few months ago, and how it happened is kinda funny.

While reading a magazine on the bus on my way to work, I flipped the page and THERE SHE WAS! In a glossy two-page spread about her gorgeous, funky Manhattan apartment. Jeanie was wearing a vintage cocktail dress, hot pink. Soooo Jeanie! We hadn't talked at length for almost 20 years, but we clearly were destined to be reunited.

Turns out we are in the exact same line of work. OK, that's not so unusual, it happens all the time. But we are both consultants who organize clients' photograph collections.

I mean, honestly!

What *are* the chances?

How many people can there possibly be who make a living this way?

We come at the profession from very different angles. Jeanie is artistically gifted and has always had her own unique style. She organizes photo collections and then creates these unbelievably gorgeous scrapbooks. I'm the history/archives geek who organzies photo collections and makes sure they are safe from acids, plastic fumes, and other damaging elements. Jeanie teaches an adult ed class on how to decorate on a shoestring, I teach workshops on how to preserve print and digital photographs. Parallel lives!

Now "PhotoJeanie" and I gab for 30 minutes to an hour at a time, every few weeks. We talk (half-jokingly) about writing a book together someday. Can't you just see us together on Oprah?

P.S. Our moms thought it was a HOOT and are back in contact with each other, too.