Can I tell ya something?
I am surrounded by wonderful people.
Oh, I'm sure there are some real schmoe's out there, but mostly really great, wonderfully kind, simply good people. Even people I don't get to see on a daily basis, or yearly for that matter.
My friend Frances is one of those people. Frances and I went to high school together and were thick as thieves during those years. As time went by Frances went to college, I moved to New Mexico and various other places. We would connect when we were in town visiting family at the same time. Then more time went by, Frances began a life with the man she has loved since high shchool (how cute is that), and I floundered around for a while.
Enter facebook. We reconnected via facebook a few years ago, and have been able to keep in touch a little more regularly. It is so nice to see her adventures on the farm she lives on, from cow pasture humor, to tractor adventures, easter egg hunts to ceramic arts and the way she loves her family fully. I do not know how that woman does what she does! She said I inspired her, no way, she is the inspiring one. Creative, smart, funny, strong, and kind. Frances has a redneck husband, and a little redneck in training, who happens to be one of the cutest little guys with wild champagne hair I have ever seen.
The other day I recieved a package in the mail from Frances. When I opened the lovely package I instantly started crying. Not big ugly sobs, but tears of happiness. Inside this box, was a delicately wrapped frog! A flower frog.
My grandmother always had a frog at the bottom of a vase, and she ALWAYS had fresh cut flowers in the house. Always. After she passed away I got 2 of her frogs, and have made a small collection of them ever since. I don't have fresh flowers as often as I would like to, although my husband does bring flowers home to me pretty often (thank you honey), but when I do I stick them in a frog.
At some point Frances and I had talked about a frog, I guess she remembered my love affair. I filled it with flowers right away.
And put it on the windowsill above my kitchen sink, where I can see it all day, every day.
love.
