When someone asks to "friend" me, I get a notification that I need to go to my Contacts and Friends page and accept or decline.

When I ask to "friend" someone else, they apparently get the same kind of notification. After a while, my Contacts and Friends page stops saying "friendship requested" and starts showing them as a friend.

I've never yet gotten a notice that someone has accepted a friend request (or declined one, for that matter). This is the first I've heard of it. Are you sure you were getting those notices at this site?