Well ... let's see ... First to answer Mary Lou's question and then an observation about "my reader friends" as a group and then ... there was something else ... maybe it will come back to me while I write ... OH Yeah ... a request ...

How are things since my last post?

Well, I slept Tuesday a lot! Then Wednesday was a humid day that made me feel groggy as all get out, too. Yesterday, I fell back into obsessing over software flaws. Sometimes my old work is still fun -- when I'm not getting paid, it's not really my project, and I'm not required to show back up the next day!

OH Wednesday I spent some time gathering up the entirety of our story about us moving from Oregon to New York. It's now all in one spot and pretty much in chronological order. And I've met someone in Second Life who will translate a short version of it into German.

The funny thing about this gentleman is that he's from Southern Germany -- Bavaria. Bavaria feels about the rest of Germany pretty much the same way Texas feels about the rest of the union.

We talk different. We think different. And frankly we don't care if you can tolerate us or not.

It gets funnier. This gentleman's work requires that he speaks regularly with people in Texas. And they have pretty much taught him the Texan language.

Soooo ... now if the two of us can stick to a plan ... funnier things may happen.

The reason I've gathered it all up is so that I can start building a book in SL. My plan is to just leave a copy in each one of my shops and then add a few pages each day. This is not a simple plan. But that's another day and another post. (And I have the distinct impression I may have mentioned this before ... but ... we're gonna pretend I haven't.)

Alright and as to Billy and the young man he's been helping ... there was one day of joy ... only to be followed by more frustration.

Billy knows that it is a "simple thing" to fix. The young man can only see the whole process of removing the transmission again as painful and discouraging.

I will tell you this. I have watched Billy be discouraged about his own car and I have watched him want to give up ... I have watched him dilly dally ... I have watched him pretty much plan to shoot the thing. Sooo no one is more qualified to help this young man through his frustrations than Billy.

In short, this is turning into a huge life lesson for the young man. I am confident that he will rise to the occasion and face that car down. It is also giving Billy something to think about that is within his abilities to at least have some power of influence over.

As to the loss of Billy's friend, it is like a bruise. Sometimes it's tender without any pressure. Sometimes something will move up against it and it is a much more sensitive topic. Sometimes it is almost as if it didn't happen ... being so far from the core of his home.

~~~ The Observation ~~~

Since I'm not approving comments as quickly as I did in the past, they tend to come to my attention in groups. It is amazing to me how each one of you ... without knowing what the other has written ... will speak to me in similar ways on virtually the same track of thought. I appreciate so much that ya'll are not a "me too me too" kind of group and that ya'll do not mind giving a nudge to my own thoughts ... to provide a little encouragement and even a little challenge.

~~~ The Request ~~~

Would you please ... when you land here ... even if you haven't commented in months ... just like me ... Please leave me two or three links to some of your favorite posts on your blog or anyone else's blog -- posts that you want me to know about -- so that I can feel sort of caught up and a little focused?

~~~ A Little Good News ~~~

I'm starting to feel that writing bug again -- ideas are actually arriving of their own accord.

Alright ... Talk to ya'll later ... and please don't be bashful about the links to posts!

See the joy in your day!

100's of memories and emotions swirl around me ... the world is tilted and I cannot do anything about except wish and pray.

I had simple plans for today. But God allowed them to be disrupted ... beyond repair ... by people.

A friend arrived. He hoped for a rescue ... all I could offer were just a few keywords for Google. Far less than he hoped.

Another friend arrived. He hoped for understanding and compassion. I understood but not in the way he had hoped. He challenged me to prove his thinking wrong. I do what I do. I pointed him to a book. I do not think he will see the value.

Another friend arrived. She hoped for ... an alliance of sorts ... she did receive one ... different than she had hoped ... not as much as she had hoped. But I think she still thought it of value.

My husband arrived. He was in need of comfort ... A friend, a counsel is gone from this planet. I gave what comfort I could in words. But my comfort will not be enough to completely take away the pain.

I sit and look at my monitor ... all the words I have typed into this thing today ... they are inadequate.

And there are no actions I can take, either. All my friends have to take their own actions.

I am glad God has more patience and hope and better words and deeper comfort to provide ... far beyond me.

I am also exceedingly glad that God sent me more friends at the end of the day to help me laugh again ... from all different sorts of directions ... and all their words arrived to me through this monitor.

AND Thanks for the Happy Birthday wishes! Each one makes me smile every time I open that post.

Yesterday I heard from all three of my kid-o's on the phone. This in and of itself is a small miracle because usually the summer signal to my cell phone is non-existent. It was nice.

And I heard from my long, long time friend. Notice I did not say "Old Friend. She sent me a special IM greeting.

And last week one of the couples in my church surprised me with a little card. It was unexpected and it brought many encouraging words to me.

Word got around in SL and some people surprised me with a little "Linden Love" -- some of the Linden "money."

The day before my birthday I took a little tumble in my drive way. I'm fine. My hands hurt a little. Some of us had big laughs about pain on birthdays.

It's my last year to be younger than fifty. I've been given a perspective lately that I am not really old yet. My parents are into their seventies. They attend church with people who are at least 15 years older than them. These people are quick to assure my parents that they are still young (and not quite as wise as they). This exact sentiment was shared with me by a lady whom I shared about 15min of space with in the airport. She was 87 and quite bright-eyed. Basically, she just said, "Never quit."