Get in touch with Nancy Greenhouse here: nancygreenhouse1@gmail.com

Transcript of the conversation, August 9, 2024

Nancy RJ: Nancy, it’s so good to see you. The fun thing is, for all of you listeners, Nancy and I go way back—she’s going to talk about that—not just Williams, but there's been a whole new chapter of friendship that we’ve both totally enjoyed. We have a lot of things in common even though right now I'm in Montana and she's in Florida. She offered to share the story, which is really a fun one, about how we reconnected. So, I'm going to turn this over to you, Nancy. Go for it!

Nancy G:  Thank you. Nancy Reece and I knew each other at Williams like I knew all the other hundred women, which was really not very well. When I was around 40, I went to a spa in Mexico with a friend. The way we went from New England, where I used to live before I moved with my husband to Sarasota FL eight years ago, was you went through the San Diego airport and got a bus. The people from the week before [who’d been at the spa, Rancho La Puerta] came off the bus, [including] two women. We said, “Did you have a great week?”  and they said “Yes! can you watch our stuff?” so we watched while they went to the bathroom. We started chatting, and there were all these red herrings…you already know the punch line. My friend was very into something that was trendy at the time, and it turned out that Nancy’s cousin, whom she was with, had been presenting about that [at the spa]. It was “Women Who Run with the Wolves,” which was big at that time, [and they got into talking about that together]. So, Nancy and I were talking, and there were all these funny things like that I lived in Newton, MA—she said, “Oh, my sister lives in Newton,” and then she said, “You look so much like my sister-in-law,” and then we introduced ourselves and we were both Nancys. Then we said, “Well, nice talking with you,” and [Nancy and her cousin] started walking away through the airport, and I said, “Oh my God!” and I went running after them.

Nancy RJ: [I remember turning around and seeing you running toward me] at the same time I’m thinking, “Why is she so familiar; it’s not just that she reminds me of [my sister-in-law] Julie, she’s just so familiar!”

Nancy G: Then I said, “You're Nancy Reece!” and she said, “You're Nancy Greenhouse!” Big hugs [followed]. It happened that I was going to visit a friend in Boulder within a month or so, and Nancy lived in that area, so we had dinner, and she convinced me to come to my first Williams reunion. I really had not much intention of ever going back. I just had mixed memories of my time there—not  Williams’ fault, I took many years to realize. Anyway, Nancy convinced me to go to the reunion with her, which, what did we just figure out?

Nancy RJ: That it was the 20th reunion.

Nancy G:  I was really happy I went. I met some awfully nice people, and Nancy and I have been really great friends ever since we ran into each other in the airport.

Nancy RJ: Fantastic. I'm so glad you wanted to share that serendipitous connection. If you hadn't made the connection [I would have been left with the thought] “I know her! I know her!”  It's been a fantastic friendship, so thank you so much, and I look forward to seeing you in June.

Nancy G: Me too—and everybody else. I'm really looking forward to it. It's a bigger trip for me now and I will make it.

Nancy RJ:  Hear hear! Take care; bye Nanc!

Nancy G: Bye!