Dear Jose & Ellen,
I first met Annie in 1998 at Central College, Pella, IA.
I'd arrived on a freezing cold campus late at night in January of that year, as part of a college exchange program with Trinity College, in Carmarthen, Wales (Annie would later take up the exchange opportunity in the Fall of '98).
It was ridiculously cold.
Quite how Iowans stand it, I'll never fathom! But I digress...
Certain people stand out in the mind's eye in those formative years. Annie was one. Her friends Bonnie and Leanne too.
They has zest. Verve. The French call it "joie de vivre" - a life-affirming zeal, an exaltation of spirit.
Indeed, "spirit" defines Annie Parrott, as she was to me.
Warmth too. And an infectious, joyous laugh.
I last saw Annie in 2010, when she and Leanne arrived in Cardiff - where I now live. They'd called, out of the blue, and announced they were sitting in a bar and expected to see me immediately.
I dropped everything and went. Immediately.
We had a whale of a time.
Then they decided they wanted to go dancing, and headed to a club of ill-repute... that's where that part of the story ends (because it was too ill in its repute even for me!).
I know that Annie was hoping to visit Wales again in 2020...
Consider this my tribute to your wife and mommy - you are welcome at our home in Wales at any time.
Do an Annie.
Just turn up.
There'll always be a place for extended Parrotts here.
She rocked, and will rock forever.
Big love.
Owen