It seems that since Las Vegas I’ve been learning so much about beautiful, healthy, abundant love. Not long after my last blog my parents went away on a ten day trip in Hawaii (a retirement present from my dad’s generous employees at the State Hospital.) I’ve been staying at my parent’s house since I got back from the Birth Attendant School in June, which made me the “house sitter”. This would have been a breeze, however my two lovely puppies got into a fight over a bone the day before my parents were to fly out, and my basset hound Lucy obtained an injury to her right eye. She ended up going to the pet emergency room, and needed a follow up with her vet the next day. This was scheduled for the day after my parents left, leaving me the proud owner of a basset hound. It was fun for a moment, pretending I was the sole care giver of another living being. That was until I had to lift her smelly, overweight basset body into my parents SUV. It was even less fun when her vet referred me to a veterinary optometrist due to too much pressure in her eye. We would need to make an emergency appointment, only to find that she would loose her eye the next morning. And so, I was then entrusted with an old, smelly, overweight, one eyed basset hound named Lucy who when she was a puppy ate my favorite sandals and once attempted to bite my foot off after I attempted to take a piece of plastic out of her mouth. Needless to say she’s not been on my “favorite list” since the mid ‘90s. Anyway, I surprisingly enough ended up falling in love with her sorry little self. The way she followed me around with that silly “Elizabethan” collar, the way I had to hand feed her, the way she’d cry at my bedroom door when I’d go to sleep at night… I would come home early to give her, her pills, I would sit with her till she fell asleep, feed her, pet her… I began to think about dependence, and just how powerful it is to have something depending on you. Her vulnerability and dependence caused me to fall in love with her. It’s funny, because I haven’t had many things other than myself to look after in these last few months, if felt good to be reminded that it is nice to give, even if it is out of your own weakness, and even if it is only to a smelly, old one eyed basset hound called Lucy.

Life seems to be full of friendships and small adventures lately. The baby I nanny for turned one, we had a party with half a dozen naked toddlers dancing around, sliding down the new Superman slip-n-slide, and playing with the hose.

Karen and I have had two “outside theater” adventures. Karen cleverly devised a way to bring the television outside into the back yard. The first time we watched “Brother Sun Sister Moon”. To anyone who has not seen it, I strongly recommend it. I am forever changed because of its beauty, grace, and simple depth. I found so much freedom in it’s amazingly 1970’s scenes. The second movie we watched was “The Red Violin.” It was not as quite as revolutionary, and actually rather disturbing, but we had fun none the less.

This is from when Jenna, Amy, and I went camping. We shared wonderfully challenging conversation--- I am so thankful for the friends I have.

Amy, Karen, Gideon and I went to a fancy restaurant for breakfast one Sunday called the Cliffs. A friend of ours works there and generously gave us a $40 a plate buffet breakfast for free. It was delicious. Then we took a stroll on the beach. There were girls everywhere in bikinis; Amy said we looks like “nuns on vacation.” I laughed.

Karen, Gideon and I went up the coast to see the elephant seals. It was a beautiful coastal California day, and we saw a lot of elephant seals. Karen told Gideon they were like “ocean bears”. We were growling and laughing… it was a good day.

Danielle came for a visit. It was really nice to see her. A piece of my new home here in my old. We walked down around in the creek bed of our old home town Atascadero, talking about God, memories from our childhood, and our plans. We climbed a tree, Danielle couldn't get down... and we laughed. We even strolled through our old high school. The bathrooms still look, smell and feel the same. I tried my old locker, the combination has changed, much to my dismay. It was bitter sweet being back there; so happy to be done, and yet longing for the simplicity of such a "planned" life.

And so, I have been blessed with friends, fun and laughter this last month. As my brain has been full with thoughts of life, future, God, and “truth”, I have found refuge among these beautiful, joyful friends.

Thank you. All of you. I love you.