How do I continue a friendship?

[ButterPie]

I have an old friend, we have been friends for years, through thick and thin, she is almost a member of my family. However, she is now REALLY winding me up. She keeps coming out with comments about hating paying taxes so people can sit about on benefits doing nothing (I am a SAHM, if it wasn't for tax credits I couldn't do that), saying that she wasn't breastfed, and she is fine, just saying like, (while I was bf DD2 in front of her) saying she HATES politics and it is boring and people should stop wasting their time (I am a member of a party and pretty political) that people who have children in an unplanned way are stupid and selfish (my children were unplanned) reading and books, "big" newspapers, radio four, cooking with real vegetables, basically everything I do, is stupid and boring, and she would NEVER do it.

Thing is, most of the time she is lovely, we have a good laugh as long as I pretend to be exactly the same as I was ten years ago. (when we were 15) i feel guilty, because it is me who has changed, although really, if I hadn't changed, I would be a bit odd...

She is quite odd in some ways, eg gets really annoyed if you call her a woman, and insists she is a girl

Anyway, how can I carry on being friends?

It sounds like you have outgrown her. I have this with friends I went to school with. I grew up and they didn't. They are the same as when we went to school and I got married and had a child.

Her comments are aimed at you and she knows exactly what she is saying. It sounds very bitchy IMHO.

I would distance myself from her. She is being rude to comment on all the things she knows full well that you do. She sounds like a toxic friend, one that you could do without.

She sounds insecure - almost as if she knows that you are growing up and away from her and trying to rubbish things to influence you more towards her. IIWY I would just ease back on the friendship

I wouldn't chuck in your friendship too easily, especially as you still seem to have a laugh with her. It sounds like she is trying to elicit a reaction. Why not ask her whether she is being deliberately provocative and explain that some of her comments are making you uncomfortable. If she pleads innocent then you need to ask yourself whether she is being bitchy or is just tactless. Perhaps you can still continue to be friends with her but declare certain subjects off limits or steer her off them. But first I'd give her a chance to come clean in case there is anything else on her mind.

Sounds like she is jealous of you.
Try and distance youself from her.

I had a similar situation with a friend from school. She was there for me when I split from DS' dad, really supportive and kept me sane.
The thing is I don't think she could handle it when I got back on my feet and sorted myself out.
She made a point of saying some really bitchy stuff and undermining me so eventually it became impossible to be friends.

On one occasion I wore my mother's wedding band on my right hand, I showed it to her and her resonse "Yeah, it would be alright if you melted it down and had it made into something nice". One of the many nails in the coffin of our friendship.

We haven't spoken properly for a couple of years now. I miss my old best friend.

Coldhands is right about outgrowing people - I think that is exactly what happened to me and is happening to you.
Maybe in a few years, when she grows up a bit, you could find you have things in common again.