Tonight, I went for a run. The boardwalk was foggy, the waves rough; strollers and joggers and bikers here and there.

I was sailing to Atlantic City; it felt like sailing anyway. The humid air was, at first, a challenge and then forgotten. On turning back, I realized, the wind was at my back. The breeze felt cool against my sweat. I tried to keep that stride all the way home. I thought about waterfalls, and water coolers and water fountains. I enjoyed the deep breaths, the moist air, my quiet stride, my own world. For a few blocks, I was totally alone; me, the boards, and the high looming street lights. When I was furthest from a light my shadow was way ahead of me, I watched myself as my ponytail flipped back and forth. As I approached the light, my shadow joined me at my side, and when I was directly under the bright light I could only see myself if I turned around.

Throughout life we have varying degrees of comfort with ourselves. Sometimes, we see ourselves clearly, we know where we are and like it, we know where we are headed and are happy; true and great contentment is nice. At times we reach that bright light, have other's full attention and applause and suddenly we see everything but ourselves; we lose our real self, our comfortable self. We look around and then finally behind us. We are surprised when we are relieved, and as we walk away from the light we regain our heads, our eyes adjust, the glare lessens and before we head for the next bright light, for just a short time, we're happy and content and together.

"8 out of 10 things you really want, you'll never get unless you ask"

told to my son by one of my other son's friends...they were talking about work hours.

It sounds familiar but I do not know who originally said it..but wanted to make it known to all....ASK!!!!!!

I found these four little books at a tag sale (title= "Be Gentle With Me FOr I love You as I love THe SUn"). Total price= $1.50 for all 4 (titles vary). Don't you just love that?!!!!!They are small books filled with quotes and thoughts on love.

Be prepared for lots of quotes..I have many pages dog eared.

"A man reserves his greatest and deepest love not for the woman in whose company he finds himself electrified and enkindled but for that one in whose company he may feel tenderly drowsy."

George Jean Nathan

Yesterday, I saw someone I knew in the drug store.

"Oh, Hi Nicole, how's the baby?" I asked.

"She has a head and chest thing going on and M hurt his back, but they are fine...everyone always asks about them and never me, no one cares about me anymore". We both started to laugh.

"How was the shore?", I asked.

"Nice..next year we are going to stay the same week as your cousin, my husband had a great time when we visited them this year...that's fine with me just as long as I have my girls. If I have my girls, I am fine."

Nicole has a new baby and has been married for a short time, "her girls" are her girlfriends.

I knew exactly what she meant.

Last night two of my friends and I (and my husband for a short time)(some men are part of "the girls") ran to Di's porch to talk since we haven't really all been together for most of the summer. We talked until our jaws hurt, we "caught up" and felt refreshed.

Earlier, football practice was tolerable due to a pack of us laughing and talking. We all had places to get to; one 'girl' had to pick her mom up at the airport, another was on her way to meet a friend, someone else had to get to the store before closing, but no one really wanted to run just yet..we wanted to talk and chat and glue ourselves together.

Nicole's mentioning of her "girls" prompted my memory: talking and screaming with Rosina on the beach, running around with my mom for a couple days in Margate and talking incessantly, laughing with my sister, chatting with my summer friends, giggling hysterically and swimming with our good friends donna and louie, long conversations with my husband, and an all night talk with my mom and aunt sitting at the chairs in front of slot machines (without playing)at the Borgata until 5 am.

Sometimes all this talking is exhausting! LOL

Why do these times make us feel so good? We aren't dancing or partying, we aren't really drinking or celebrating. We aren't in an exotic location. We're talking and laughing and feeling the closeness. We're belonging and helping each other get through life.
We're sharing memories and our childhoods. We're giving and sharing. Sometimes we are even arguing and disagreeing.

Throughout the day, we have chores, and cooking, and shopping and work. We have kids and practices and school. We have worries and bills and health issues.
BUT...as long as we've got our giurls, WE ARE FINE!
Just fine!

Thanks girls!!!!!

"To love for the sake of being loved is human, but to love for the sake of loving is angelic."