Astacia's Attic

I found this recently and found it fascinating.

2009-07-05T17:57:15Z

Especially for ysabetwordsmith

I read through the Mountain Talk (Smoky Mountains) page with great enthusiasm. I know people who still speak like that, but then so do I at times. :)

PS This entry is public in case anyone would like to link to it.

ATTN: Tennesseeans

2009-03-10T18:09:45Z

Some of our state reps, in all of their infinite wisdom, have decided to try to pass a bill that would make it illegal to mention homosexuality in public schools.

Please go to this entry in tennessee and get your representative contact information to help stop this from happening.

And please, pass this around to everyone on your f-lists. The louder our voices the more likely we are to stop this.

This journal entry is public; feel free to link to it. Thank you.

astaciamorrigen @ 2009-02-22T18:36:00

2009-02-22T23:37:04Z

Attention all my writer friends. David found a really cool site I think you would like. It's World Wide Words. Go look around and tell me what you think. :)

In other news, I have a new job! It starts March 3, and I'll be working for AT&T West, doing inbound customer care. The pay is much better than the job I've had- I'll start at $8.50 an hour plus $1.50 bonus for every hour I'm on the phone, so I'll be making about $10.00 an hour. And it's 20- 29 hours a week with a new set schedule every month, and if I do well I can be offered over 29 hours a week.

This is going to be great!

=D

Meme from ysabetwordsmith

2009-01-26T18:49:38Z

1) What crafts do you enjoy?
2) Do you craft in short bursts or long sessions?
3) Do you keep a cache of supplies you're likely to use, or do you buy exactly what you need for each project?
4) Do you make a list before going into a craft store?
5) Have you ever come out of a craft store having bought ONLY the things you planned to buy?
6) What are some of your favorite craft supplies?
7) What are some of your favorite craft tools?
8) Do you make craft projects for gifts, for sale, or for yourself?
9) Do your friends and family support and encourage your crafting?
10) Describe a really cool project you've made.

My answers:

1) What crafts do you enjoy? Sewing, quilting, beading, weaving, making jewelry, painting. Not necessarily in that order.

2) Do you craft in short bursts or long sessions? Both. It depends on the project and what kind of a deadline I've set for myself.

3) Do you keep a cache of supplies you're likely to use, or do you buy exactly what you need for each project? Again, both. I keep plenty of paints, beads, canvases, and fabric, but I tend to have to buy things like yarn, embroidery floss, etc.

4) Do you make a list before going into a craft store? Not really. I know generally what I need when I go in, but I tend to make my final decisions about color, pattern, etc. once I get there.

5) Have you ever come out of a craft store having bought ONLY the things you planned to buy? Yes, but only because I took exactly enough money for what I needed to get. Otherwise I'd spend every penny we have.

6) What are some of your favorite craft supplies? Oil paints and canvas, my needle case that Kyra bought me in Williamsburg, lots of different colors of thread, as many fabrics as I can find room for, and lots and lots of seed beads.

7) What are some of your favorite craft tools? Needles, brushes, and my inkle loom that was handmade for me.

8) Do you make craft projects for gifts, for sale, or for yourself? Mostly for gifts, but some for sale. I'm trying to make more things to sell, but if someone says they like something I'm making I usually end up giving it to them.

9) Do your friends and family support and encourage your crafting? Absolutely. In fact, Ayla has been having me teach her to sew and bead, and Kyra, Ayla, and Richard love to paint.

10) Describe a really cool project you've made. I think my most recent favorite is the reversible drawstring pouches. I especially love the black ones.

Attention Friends

2009-01-18T18:06:19Z

ysabetwordsmith in particular.

David found a few weeks ago, and I joined, and I love it! It's a place for artists of pretty much every medium to share their visions of space exploration, extraterrestrial worlds, future, etc.

Well, Boris, the SAN founder, was approached to start a ! It's completely visionary and completely in the beginning stages of pre-production, but we're on track to make it something wonderful.

And did I mention I've been named as an editorial officer? My areas of focus are: Space Fantasy short stories (a.k.a. "fantastic fiction" with "alien mythology"), articles on ancient cosmology, exoarcheology, UFO, spirituality, etc.

So please go check out both sites, join if you're so inclined, submit if you'd like, and above all else, spread the word. :D

BTW, I'm making this entry public so more people can learn about SAN and SAM. Feel free to link to here if you'd like.

I'm so sorry. Apparently the links got lost in the translation. :/

http://www.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobDetails.aspx?IPath=QHCM&ff=21&APath=2.21.0.0.0&job_did=J3H57270W1Q0QFJL7S0 for SAN, and

http://spaceart.us/ for SAM.

:)

Missing my mom- in a good way

2008-11-25T02:52:46Z

I'm sitting here with a candle lit beside me, listening to Earth Mama, and remembering cool things about my Mom. Butterfly reminds me the most of Mom. Anyway, at the C-Team meeting Thursday we all agreed to do this tonight; light a candle and remember something good about Mom. I bet there are a lot of great stories floating around the mountains right now. :)

BUTTERFLY

by Jana Stanfield and Joyce Johnson Rouse

I was sitting alone on a hillside, confused about what to do
My choices were all complicated, it was time to think things through
I spotted a striped caterpillar stretching his face to the sky
Dragging his cumbersome body an inch at a time.
I was feeling the pain of slow progress, when a friend of his fluttered by
I leaned close as the caterpillar spoke with a voice as soft as a sigh. He said:

CHORUS

Butterfly, please tell me again, I’m gonna be alright
I can feel a change is comin’, I can feel it in my skin
I can feel myself outgrowing this life I've been living in
And I’m afraid, afraid of change
So, Butterfly, please tell me again I’m gonna be alright

I’m like my friend caterpillar, afraid of that dark cocoon
Wanting to hide in the tall grass from change that is coming soon
All of the things that we long for are born on the wings of change
Losses can lead us to blessings that we can’t explain
Butterflies remind us, there’s magic in every life
And we can be all that we dream of, if fat furry worms can fly

REPEAT CHORUS

On the day of my last breath
I expect to see angels like butterflies over my head, and I’ll say

REPEAT CHORUS

Butterfly, please tell me again I’m gonna be alright

Bug eats then becomes fish tongue

2008-11-24T14:51:07Z

From Wikipedia:

Cymothoa exigua is a parasitic crustacean of the family Cymothoidae. It tends to be 3 to 4 cm long. This parasite attaches itself at the base of the spotted rose snapper's (Lutjanus guttatus) tongue, entering the fish's mouth through its gills. It then proceeds to extract blood through the claws on its front three pairs of legs. As the parasite grows, less and less blood reaches the tongue, and eventually the organ atrophies from lack of blood. The parasite then replaces the fish's tongue by attaching its own body to the muscles of the tongue stub. The fish is able to use the parasite just like a normal tongue. It appears that the parasite does not cause any other damage to the host fish.[1] Once C. exigua replaces the tongue, some feed on the host's blood and many others feed on fish mucus. They do not eat scraps of the fish's food.[2] This is the only known case of a parasite functionally replacing a host organ.

There are many species of Cymothoa,[3] but only C. exigua is known to consume and replace its host's tongue.

In 2005, a fish parasitised by what could be Cymothoa exigua was discovered in the United Kingdom. As the fish is normally found off the coast of California, this led to speculation that the parasite's range may be expanding.[4] However, it is also possible that the isopod traveled from the Gulf of California in the snapper's mouth, and its appearance in the UK is an isolated incident. The animal in question will be put on display in the Horniman Museum.[5]

From The Science News Blog:

The BBC reports that a bizarre bug that literally eats the tongue of a fish and then manuevers itself to become the "replacement tongue" for the fish has now been discovered in Britain.
The bug - which has the scientific name cymothoa exigua - was discovered inside the mouth of a red snapper bought from a London fishmonger.

The 3.5cm creature had grabbed onto the fish's tongue and slowly ate away at it until only a stub was left.

It then latched onto the stub and became the fish's "replacement tongue".
The BBC article says that scientists claim the bugs only eat fish tongues which is good news for us humans.

Gift giving ideas

2008-11-17T15:59:21Z

With the rapid decline of the economy, money is increasingly tight everywhere. This is greatly affecting holiday budgets as people look to cut costs and limit gift-giving lists.

So I'm offering a list of low cost ideas for gifts this year.

Kids:

Books are always a wonderful choice, and can be obtained rather inexpensively at your local used book store. Pack a few in a small backpack and include a small book light for added fun.

The Dolly Parton Imagination Library is free to join and will send one book per month to any child between birth and five years old.

Remember mixtapes? Kids love music as much as everyone else, so why not make them a CD of their favorite songs? You can decorate the cover to reflect the recipient, and if you happen to have a CD labeler you can jazz up the CD itselt. If you'd like, this gift could come with a personal CD player. (Look at places like Big Lots and don't forget batteries.)

Board games are great for children of all ages and the original versions are usually on sale this time of year. If you go this route be sure to include homemade gift certificates good for your time.

Dolls are lots of fun and easy to make if you can sew. Disassemble an old shirt or two that you'll never wear again for the materials and use the buttons for eyes. The mouth can be drawn on with a permanent marker and yarn can be hot glued on for hair. There are lots of free patterns available online to get you started.

Along, these same lines, a teddy bear can be made from an old sweater. Be creative and you'll make something that will probably be passed down for generations.

Adults:

A spa basket can be a good gift for anyone who likes to pamper themselves. Scented candles are sold at Dollar Stores, including The Dollar Tree. Add a gel mask, body poof, bath salts, and body lotion. (All of these items can be found at dollar stores.) For a further treat print up a booklet of beauty recipes to make using common ingredients found around the house.

A small galvanized pail filled with seed packets and garden tools is great for the avid gardener.

A gym bag with a workout DVD (Check the $5.00 bin at WalMart), a new towel, and a water bottle would be great for the person who likes to stay fit. You could even include a couple of low-weight dumbells, or a mat if yoga is more their style.

Know someone who loves to cook? Ask everyone you know for their favorite recipe and compile a cookbook. Add things like wooden spoons and an apron and to make it a more rounded gift.

Again, books are a great gift for an avid reader. Purchase a gift card at your local used book store (more bang for the buck) and slip it inside a book you know they haven't read yet but have wanted to.

Families:

An evening spent together can be hard to do in today's busy world, so why not give just that? Fill a basket with some microwave popcorn, theater-style snacks, and a gift certificate for a local DVD rental store.

Board games provide hours of entertainment for the whole family. Scrabble is fun and educational, and you can include a standard dictionary to make it more so.

How about a cookie jar with all of the pre-measured dry ingredients for the families favorite cookie? Just remember to drop a recipe card in their, too.

Couples:

Give them a basket filled with scented massage oil, a soft feather, scented candles, and a couple of sleep masks. Include a CD of soft music (look for CDs at the Dollar Tree). If they have children, include a gift certificate good for you taking care of them for an evening or overnight.

Are they the outdoors type? Give them a gift certificate for a local bicycle rental or a stable. Include a bottle of wine or sparkling grape juice and two glasses. This is especially cute if given in a picnic or handled basket. You could even throw in a small blanket if you like.

That is all I can think of right now. Please, feel free to add to this list in the comments and to link to this entry other places. Happy Holidays!

astaciamorrigen @ 2008-09-14T09:05:00

2008-09-14T13:06:13Z

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KYRA!!! WELCOME TO LIVEJOURNAL!

I hope this year is completely wonderful for you. I love you very much.

Love,
Mommy

I laughed so hard I almost peed!

2008-08-23T14:07:36Z

You seriously have to read this.

Here's a tip

2008-08-16T22:25:57Z

Take an old t-shirt and cut off the sleeves and collar. Turn it inside out and hem down where you just cut and use a secure zig zag stich the bottom closed. Turn it right side out and you have an eco-friendly shopping bag.

You can also use an old tank top, and depending on the size of the neck hole you may only have to sew up the bottom.

It's a great way to reuse old clothes you'd rather not get rid of completely and reduce your plastic consumption.
=)

New store featuring my art

2008-08-03T15:18:21Z

http://kylari.deviantart.com/store/

Sigh

2008-07-25T14:01:11Z

It's finally over- I'm divorced. It took about 5 minutes for the judge to hear my case and sign the papers, which I should receive in the mail in a couple of days.

I feel so relieved and happy and like a huge weight has been lifted. Now I can get on with other things, like actually planning my wedding with David. ;)

Some things I've made

2008-07-19T03:09:31Z

Reversible purse in blue corduroy and blue floral

Reversible drawstring pouch in black velvet and moons on black

Reversible drawstring pouch in green mottled and green floral

These are all hand-sewn and can be found at my etsy shop.

Thanks for looking! ^_^

Cross-posted

Another go

2008-07-10T20:15:35Z

Let's try this this way.

New stuff

2008-07-10T02:35:02Z

And Brimstone

I have never been a very religious person, but I am a very spiritual person. And while I don't actually believe in Hell I find this piece to be an accurate depiction of what Hell might be like as it has been described to me by others.

A Sailors Sky

I have always had a fondness for the old nautical saying, "Red sky at night, sailors' delight; red sky at morning, sailors take warning." My mother used to repeat this to me as a child to help me learn to predict the weather. The colors in this piece put me in a happy place of my youth and remind me to look forward to the good day to follow.

When Lightning Plays

I love the display of lights that appear before a summer storm. This piece reminds me of the evenings I spent during the summers of my childhood watching the lightning with my father.

Each of these is offered as an 8" x 10" glossy print and may be purchased at my etsy shop.

Cross-posted

Shameless advertising ;)

2008-07-05T17:12:44Z

Astacia.etsy.com

Older art

2008-07-04T03:43:05Z

Lake View

Comments and criticisms welcome, and if you would like to own this please leave a comment. :)

New art

2008-07-03T16:36:53Z

Nebula

Comments and criticisms welcome, and if you would like to own this please leave a comment. :)

I'm back! And this is SOOOO kewl!

2008-03-22T23:51:57Z

Rewind

2007-12-26T17:13:54Z

After a conversation with my dad, I've decided that engaging Jymmi in any type of conflict is not going to resolve anything in my life, nor will it make him any more likely to cooperate with me about anything.

So, I'm going to go back to just being me and trying to get along with him. Overall he's not that bad of a person, and I do consider him a friend, which is why I suppose we get at each other sometimes. All friends have tiffs, but the key is to get over them and start fresh and rebuild the relationship into something stonger than it was.

So that's what I'm going to do.

Christmas

2007-12-26T16:22:27Z

I hope everyone had a good holiday. We had a good one even though everyone really missed my mom.

The girls got the tree put up over the weekend despite my sour mood and my just not wanting to do it. I actually curled up on Richard's bed and cried for a good bit before I was able to even look for the tree, which was in a box at the back of the big closet, on the other side of a bunch of boxes containing a lot of crap we obviously don't need since it's all been in there for a few years and nobody's missed any of it yet. But we did manage to get to the tree and the ornaments, and the kids did a good job with the tree while I supervised, cried, and missed my mom.

David and I had wrapped some of the presents Saturday morning, but we had left several unwrapped so that Kyra could help me wrap them later. As a result Kyra had about 7 gifts under the tree by Saturday night while Ayla and Richard only had about 2 apiece yet. I told Ayla it was because we loved her sister more, to which she said, "Yeah, right!" and laughed. By morning the rest of her presents were under the tree and she said she knew we didn't love Kyra more.

Santa brought each of the kids something nice that they'll each get a lot of use out of. Richard got a personal CD player, Ayla got a baking set with oven-proof pans, and Kyra got the Brittney Spears fragrance collection. And they all got something nice in their stockings.

On Christmas Eve right before going to bed the kids all went outside and put out magical reindeer food. Ayla put a pile of it in front of the door so she could see in the morning whether it had been eaten. (It had. :)) Then they put out Santa's cookies and milk , called my dad so he could read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, and went to bed so Santa could come.

Santa left his usual mess, spilling candy everywhere, and he even left one of his sacks here! Ayla and Richard had a great time playing Santa and giving out the gifts to everyone.

And now for the not so great.

Jymmi's mother is in the hospital and he was going to take the girlsby to see her before going to his brother's. He made the comment that it didn't feel right that Mom wouldn't be able to go to Rick's on Christmas. I pointed out that at least he would be able to see her at all.

Then when he brought the girls back last night he chose then- my first Christmas without my mother- he chooses to tell me about his earlier conversation with his brother. They had talked about how their mother may not be long for this world and that they would need to start trying to make some kind of arrangements for the event of her death. They thought it would be a good idea to ask me about the cost of taking care of my mother and how it was paid for, and Jymmi thought it was a good idea to ask me about it on Christmas.

We were in the breezeway while we were talking about it, and when he asked me about my mom's arrangements I collected myself and told him that he needed to go back inside. He knew immediately that he had messed up. I heard him tell David that he had made me mad and that I would need to be calmed down, but he didn't tell him what he had said to me.

When Jymmi came back out to leave I decided to tell him how we had managed Mom's arrangements and I told him that he had been extremely insensitive for bring it up when he did. He said it wasn't insensitivity but rather naivity. Call it what you like, it was a selfish and mean thing to do to me.

I read a post in Jymmi's journal last night going off about "Giftmas". And while I agree with some of what he said, he's yet again gone too far in his quest to be percieved as a perfect person and father.

He claims that he has seen the girls get 50-100 presents while he gets them 2 well thought out gifts apiece. He went on to say that his gifts are the only ones the girls continue to enjoy because the rest of us only buy them large quantities of useless crap. And apparently he is solely responsible for teaching them any type of values. He- who sees them when doing so doesn't interfere with his social life- is solely responsible for teaching them values. I, David, my parents, his mother, their teachers, our friends, etc. have nothing to do with helping them become the wonderful people they are turning out to be.

I love the smell of bullshit in the morning.

So I've called him out on it in his journal. And I've spilled the beans there about our divorce. I'm through playing nice with him. I have consistently done what I can to try to please him so that he won't cause me any more problems than he already has. And what do I get for my efforts to try to make nice? Insulted, lied about, taken advantage of, reminded cruely about my greatest loss, and absolutely not allowed to escape his legal grasp so that I can move on with my life and finally be happy. I'm sick of it.

This is just too funny not to share!

2007-12-21T00:22:24Z

I found it over in deargodmyeyes.

NSFW

Food baskets and shoes for the less fortunate

2007-12-01T18:47:45Z

Hello to all!
Hale Community Ministry in Elizabethton is offering a final make-up day for those in the community who need to sign up for Christmas food baskets & missed the day to sign up in November.That day is Monday Dec. 3rd. Thier number is 547-2560.
Also if you have school age children & are in need of shoes for them, ARM in Elizabethton is giving out school shoe vouchers to those that meet income requirements. You take these vouchers they give you to Walmart & pick out the shoes with a 20.00 maximum limit per child.You redeem the voucher at the customer service counter with the shoes you pick out.Thier number is 542-0919. You must call and make an appointment to get these vouchers.
Hope this helps some of you stretch those dollars during Christmas. Happy Holidays & Merry Christmas to everyone!!

Mom's Memorial Service

2007-11-30T03:53:37Z

Last night was Mom's Memorial Service.

My sister and I met Dee, Roseanne and Robbie at the church around 12:30 to start setting everything up. We had lots of pictures of Mom in frames on a nice table with some candles, and we had an 8x10 black and white picture of Mom on a table near the pulpit with her urn, her St Therese statue, her St Therese relic, and a flameless candle. We were using a small computer desk for this, so later Aunt Kim went to the store and bought a nice tablecloth to cover it.

I believe Mary bought the urn that Robbie brought. It's slate blue marble- simple and classy, just like Mom. I called Dad to get permission to transfer her ashes to the new urn because the temporary urn we had recieved from the funeral home looked like the black box on a jet. He said it was ok, so Robbie and I went into another room and transferred Mom into her new home.

Carolyn had made the memorial cards on her computer, which turned out beautifully. She had called me Tuesday night though upset because she had forgotten to mention thanks to the church and to Pastor Karnes. We decided that an insert would be fine, so she did that. And it was fine. I felt bad though that she seemed so upset about it.

Flower arrangements started arriving, and Dee and I spent some time trying to place them asthetically around the chapel. I think we did a good job in the end.

David brought the kids, and thank goodness, he brought his laptop so that Richard and Ayla could be entertained before the service started. They kept busy dressing penguins while I saw to last minute details and David took pictures.

My dad got there dressed in new black jeans, a white button down shirt, a navy suit jacket, and black dress shoes. He looked handsome, and I wished he could have been so dressed up for anything but Mom's memorial. He had been shopping for his new clothes the day before at Chris' Department store in Gate City. Joe had helped him pick everything out, and Dad told me he had never been hugged so many times by another man before in his entire life.

Around 4:30 people started to arrive, so I suddenly got very busy greeting people and trying to make sure everyone in my brood were ok. There were a few people there that I hadn't seen in years, and a few I hadn't seen since I was a kid. We've all promised to try to keep in better touch with each other, so I'm hoping that will happen.

At 5 everyone was seated and Gibby opened with 2 songs. One was "Places I Remember" (I think), and the other was "Give Me Jesus", and they were beautiful. He then told us that of everyone he had ever met in his life, Mom had been the most generous and compassionate of all of them.

Pastor Karnes spoke of Mom's faith and he led us in a couple of prayers. Then he opened the floor to those of us who wished to say something about Mom. Dad went first.

Dad talked about how she was as a wife; that she had taught him how to love and how to be generous. He said that if they saw someone onthe side of the road with a sign "Will work for food", and he passed them, she would make him go back. He said that if they only had $20 to their names, and payday was days away, she would tell him to give them $10 and that they would be ok- and they always were somehow. He also told of how if a neighbor was having a hard time and had no food that Mom would get into the fridge, freezer, and cabinets, and she would put together 3 grocery bags full of food to take over to them. And he said that he really loved and missed her.

I spoke next. I talked about how Mom was as a mother. I told everyone about the time Mom caught me and my friend digging up her yard and she asked us what we thought we were doing. I told her we were going to China, and I thought we were in big trouble, but Mom went into the house to get us bigger spoons so we could get there faster.

Then Richard wanted to say something. So I picked him up and held him close to the microphone, and he said, "I love my Mamaw Teri very much, and me and my Mommy are sad that se died. Amen." Everyone clapped, and I started to take him back to his seat but Kim told me to go back up there with her.

Kim talked about my mom as a friend. How she had always felt welcomed and loved by Mom. She said that she wished she could have thanked her for teaching her strength, because no matter how bad Mom ever felt she would continue on. And Kim also pointed out about Mom that if you stayed long enough she would try to feed you.

Then Anne talked about Mom's connection with St Therese and why she may have been met in Heaven by her and how that tied in to Mom's work with In Praise of Mountain Women. Anne thought that maybe the reason Mom was met by St Therese was that St Therese had been a first step woman and that Mom was always working the hardest for first step women during her time on Earth.

Renda talked more about Mom's work with In Praise of Mountain Women and about the process leading up to Mom recieving the first Teri Vautrin Award for Women Who Empower. One of Mom's biggest fears had been that she would be forgotten after she died, so Renda had suggested that we do something to honor her, and that turned into a plaque that turned into an award. We had had to work very hard to keep it a secret and to get Mom to the Gathering to recieve it, but we had managed to pull it off. And the look on Mom's face when she realized what was happening was priceless.

(Sidenote: Mom had later told me that when I started talking about her accomplishments, for a minute she thought she had died and was standing at her funeral.)

Pastor Karnes then led us in another prayer, and we all got up to mingle. The ladies of the church had prepared a wonderful meal for us downstairs, so most of us went down to eat together.

It was a beautiful Memorial, and a lot of wonderful things were said about Mom.

Mom always found a way to help us reach our goals. When I wanted to learn to paint she found a local artist who taught lessons and asked her to accept me as a student. When I began writing poetry Mom bought me a ne journal to keep my poems in. When I wanted to be a stage actress she took me to local auditions and told me that a lot of new talents are discovered in local theatres. And when I wanted to attend the Encampment for Citizenship in CA- and there was absolutely no way we could afford to send me- Mom started writing grant proposals and got my tuition and round-trip airfaire paid for. She even talked a local organization into sponsoring me with some spending money.

Mom always challenged me, which I sometimes hated. But I always loved her for it in the end. And when I screwed up she never just punished me for it. She would make me go think about what I had done and then tell why it had been wrong and what should be done to correct it. She gave me the tools to start building myself.

When I became a mother I really started to appreciate all the things my mother had gone through raising us. A few years after Ayla was born I once apologized to Mom for being so hard on my sister as a kid. (Of course, I also apologized to Jen.) I finally started to realize that being a Mommy is so much more than tucking in and helping with homework. It's a lifelong committment to worry and fear and doubt and joy and surprise and excitement and most of all love, and I finally see how much Mom loved us to have put up with everything we dished out at times.

And more than just my mother, Mom was my friend. Of course, she wasn't always my friend; our friendship had to develop over the course of many years moving away from my own adolescence. But I've never known a more true friendship. If I needed to talk about anything I could call her and she would listen and give me advice. Sometimes her advice came in the form of sage wisdom. Sometimes it was merely her asking me what I thought I should do- her way of reminding me that I had the answers if I would just step back far eough to see them.

Mom liked to tell me that I would never know how precious I was to her. But I think she finally knows how precious she is to me.