oy - 2 posts in a day...trying to keep fingers warm, i guess! i am in such a good place right now, i just wanted to ooze a little gratitude. as i counted my blessings this morning while my monkey brain was settling in for some meditative time, such a sweet smiling feeling melted over me. i have a warm house (now!)... my art feeds my spirit as my spirit feeds my art...i have a golden shawl of true soulfriends that never cease to inspire, captivate, make me laugh, hold my head up, hold my heart up, kick me in the butt (when needed), and just generally be some of the coolest women on this planet! and they, in turn, allow me to hold their hearts when needed, and inspire them, and make them laugh, and kick their butts, as well. when they say friendship is a two-way street - it's true...there is no feeling as heartwarming as knowing you have a place in someone's heart, and their life. reaching out for a hand shows the other person you trust them at your most vulnerable time. because we're all big strong women and need no help, right? *smile* there was a year in my life that i moved, or helped someone else move, 5 times. in a year. packing soup to nuts. and by the 5th time (my personal 2nd move), i can tell you, the Big Strong Woman was melting in the 90-degree heat and the no-show help..just me and my roommate. so we did the best we could, which in the case of 2 not-quite-right, very exhausted people included putting our hair in ponytails on top of our heads (think Pebbles & Bam Bam), sitting in the front yard with the garden hose down the front our shirts and singing Dancing Queen for all our worth. with belated apologies to Abba, it was just the trick. and when the transvestite 2 doors down heard the commotion, he called some friends and we had the best dressed moving crew in the history of UHaul. and some relieved neighbors that the furniture was going INTO the truck, not coming OUT. but we reached out, in our own way...made some new friends...got the stuff on the truck and headed down I81 to our new homes in the same town...me, my friend, and a few unloading volunteers. what a sight. shoot I'm rambling. i guess the main points are this: Life is Good here and now...open your heart and your hand and don't be afraid...when help comes, if it's wearing taupe taffeta and pearls and Brut by Faberge, pour a Corona and let the fun begin.