Friends Of 60 Years Get An Amazing Trip

When The Early Show received a letter from Nancy Balchin about her mother, Lenette Andersen, and her mother's best friend, Lee Sarti, it was obvious that the second recipients of this week's Magic Moments had been found. The two women have been friends for six decades and don't allow the fact that they live thousands of miles apart to come between them.

"They say opposites attract and we are complete opposites," Lenette said. "I am outgoing while she is the quiet one. Not really quiet, but she is the more reserved, I should say."

"She's so outgoing — I don't have to be," Lee said. "And I like that."

They met at Leota, a small Wisconsin girls' boarding school in 1948 or 1949 — neither remember. Lee was in high school but Lenette was still in grade school. A young man was interested in Lenette and wrote her notes, which Lee delivered.

"And he thought I was cute, so he would send notes home with her," Lenette said.

"And he said, 'Would you give this note to Lenette, please?' " Lee said. "Well I said, 'Sure, I can give it to her.' "

"And so that's how we really got to be connected," Lenette said.

They've stayed connected through marriages, families and everything else nearly 60 years has to offer. Lenette, who lives near San Diego, and Lee, who lives in Indiana, stay close by traveling the country together from one coast to the other. They say they have taken five or six trips in the past 10 years and attending the San Diego Padres' opening day has become a tradition because Lenette is a die-hard Padres fan.

"I've got memorabilia, that I could open a store," she said.

As much as she loves the Padres, it seems unlikely Lenette would ever trade all those years of friendship and closeness with Lee for anything.

"I don't think she'd ever give me up," Lee said. "But you certainly wouldn't want to put that up for a draw there, I hope."

A friendship like theirs is truly special. Lee says they are "bound together."

"Closer than sisters really," she said.

The Early Show invited Lee and Lenette to New York where they where they received a special message from Lenette's favorite Padre, the legendary Tony Gwynn, who will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., this summer.

"Lenette, I understand that you would like to go to Cooperstown," Gwynn said. "You know what? I said the same thing for 20 years. And I'm going to get an opportunity to go this summer. And you're going to get the opportunity to go this summer with your friend, Lee. And we're all go to Cooperstown and have a good time. It's going to be hot, so get you a sun hat, some sunglasses. I would say get some comfortable shoes because there's going to be a lot of people there. Let's go and let's have a good time."

As she watched the message, Lenette's mouth dropped open in disbelief.

"Oh, my gosh," she said. "Golly, goodness, molly. Holy cow!"

Lee and Lenette received a basket full of Padres gear, including a Gwynn jersey and a hat. They also got a one year benefactor membership to the Baseball Hall of Fame, which is worth $1,000 and includes a subscription to the Hall of Fame bi-monthly magazine "Memories and Dreams" as well as complimentary admission to the Hall of Fame for a year for member and three guests.