Thursday 13: Views

1. They know they're special: this group of writers and song writers who come together two weekends a year to write by day, sing by night, always catch up, always wind down. Except just one year ago, two days after another unbelievable and wonderful time together, one of them died. Her name is Andrea and she died the day before her award winning essay debuted in Glamour Magazine. Here Andrea is the the back row, the last (cool) woman on the right. And here she will stay forever, a member of this special writer group who calls itself "The Big Yellow."

Blessings, Andrea. We miss you so much.

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Want to meet her? Check out her story in Glamour Magazine:

http://www.glamour.com/magazine/2008/05/essay-winner-surviving-cancer

I PROMISE you once you start you will read every word.

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2. And then there are reminders of the circle of life. This specific reminder comes in the form of one Australian Shepard named Allie. So far she's twice almost chewed my tarot cards and gotten away with it both times because she is quite a doll. (She belongs to my friend Victoria.)

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3. This may be my favorite WEEK of the year. It is clearly and totally spring. When the hosta spikes break though the ground, I know just about everything else is on its way. Here's my view from the couch, looking out to my front yard: 4. And when I turn my head to the right, here's my view from the couch--just a lazy night after a busy day.

.5. This is my ride home from work, once I get off the highway and re-enter the town I live in. Look at those trees just filling themselves in. Lest I forget or get tangled and retangled in my own issues, it's a miracle, isn't it, how those trees recreate themselves year after year.
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6. Just thinking: Who made up the expression "Time Heals" anyway? And how long did it take them to figure that out?
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7.I don't dare guess what kind of tree this is. The truth is I don't know my trees, and maybe I finally will by the end of the summer, because I'm motivated.
.8. I dunno. It just LOOKS like a New England town. Which it is.....

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9. It's just my driveway. And my garden that may or may not thrive this year. I'll be in Provincetown four days out of seven each week this summer, and a garden that can't count on my attention and water gets pretty pissy about it.

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10. Last fall all the tired old shrubs were pulled out from the front of the house. All I managed to do before winter set in was plant some tulips and daffodils. But this spring I will get to landscape it all, starting in just a few days. There is nothing I like better....wait, no, that is not at all true (someday I think we should all blog about SEX!) Let me just say I love to design and then plant. (I'm taking garden here, people, don't let your mind go anywhere else!) I'll share before and after pictures at some point. (Don't go there...!)
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11. I'm beginning to like the way I look. I'm not yet 'kj babe', and I'm not entirely sure I even know HOW to be kj babe, but I want it. I'm working on it.
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12. My mother got a surprise visitor this week. His name is Drew Thomas and his great grandmother held and rocked him for the better part of her afternoon. 93 years separated them. My mother and Mr. Drew gently rocked while four generations of one family looked at one another and smiled.
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13. I'm enjoying my blog so much again. I love when I see new avatars and welcoming comments. Thank you to every one who has stopped by this week. I am approaching 25, 000 comments, and I'm thinking who ever leaves the 25,oooth comment may get a giant award from me. By my estimate, that special occasion may occur sometime this summer or early fall.
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Do you see someone named kj babe waving and blowing kisses your way? I think it might be me.