Soul Searching

Recently, I had a meeting at which I was a rather unwilling participant with an advisor of sorts. He told me that based on my numbers I should just consider making soap only when my family needs it. He seemed to think that making soap was too labor intensive for an "individual"to make any real money at it. He then stated he didn't think even a couple of people could make a substantial living at soap. Now, I know this to be an inaccurate statement, obviously, I don't know the exact figures for the soapmakers I know that make an abundant living,but I know it's possible. I know abundance is a relative term too. What is abundant to me is not abundance to someone else. My definition would be having enough to contribute to the needs and comfort of my family and have extra to help make a difference within my community-my business plan has this already worked in.  This person was unfamiliar with the process of making soap or it's potential. He did have access to my figures which are dismal by most accounts I'll admit. I've thought about throwing in the towel many times over the years, so this isn't the first time. I was pretty devastated to have someone just put it out there like that. I sat there in that room with him and couldn't even respond-I was just frozen.  I could hear my mother's voice in my head responding to the various ideas of what " I wanted to be when I grow up"  her stoic reply was always certain to be"you'll never make any money doing that." I left the meeting angry and devastated. This person doesn't have any idea of how I've worked to learn soapmaking, how it's been like a serenade to my soul, how it's been  like a lifeline over the past few years-a constant in my life in the midst of turmoil. I would also like at add there have been many things I've tried over the years and gave up on because they were too hard or I couldn't do a perfect job so I gave up. I would like to point out I haven't given up on soap yet. Grant you, it's not important like curing cancer, I'm not sure what it's significance is to society, but it matters to me.

I wonder why it's easier for someone to tell you to go get an unfulfilling " minimum wage part time job" than to say "what would you need to do to make your business a success?" What support do you need?  Why is it that people think you only have the ability to work a "minimum wage part time job" and not to learn the "business aspect" of what you are already doing? In all fairness, I have been sort of stumbling along in that area,but I could learn it-we all have that potential and capability.

I know I'm perhaps a bit of a dreamer, and while I have seen myself as an artisan of handmade soap I haven't really seen myself as a "business person." I've been terrified of that part, and made lots of excuses as to why I couldn't do it. I allowed that to be a part of my "self identity" I am an artist, but not a "business person." Now, while I'm still stinging over someone just putting my downfall out there like that, my new school of looking at "problems" has taught me to look at "What is good about this problem?" Did you know the only persons who don't have problems are those 6ft. under? Did you know that in fact there is always something good to be found in the thick of any problem?What's good about being told to "put your soap molds out to pasture" you ask? It's caused me to take a hard look at where I want to go, it's caused me to up my resolve, it's  helped me see I need to work harder at grasping the "business side" of things.  Seems like such a juxtaposition that there is good to be found in every bad situation, but it's true.  Clearly, the answer is I must find a way to tackle my fear of the "business" side in order to be successful. I must weigh whether or not soapmaking is something I want to keep in my life or let go of and in order to keep it I MUST learn how to run a business. I must "Focus on where I want to go and not on what I fear." I know the answer deep inside, I'm just not quite sure how to go about it all, but I know it's come to the point that I either figure it out or set aside my molds and move on....

Date Night Memories

Hollyhocks with sun coming from behind.

Hollyhock up close and personal-beautiful.

Sunflower in a perfect light.

Purple Fountain Grass in the evening sun.

So, one of the advantages to having one child leave the nest and the other one up old enough to spend time with friends is the resurrection of "date night." You remember that don't  you? The time before kids when you could go out for a meal together, have a conversation and just breathe for a moment. A couple of weeks ago the youngest was gone for the evening and so  we headed out for an impromptu date night, because this was last minute there really wasn't time to plan for too much. The evening was beautiful, so we decided to check out some of my photography haunts(my husband is such a trooper and very graciously indulges me once in awhile) and once it was too dark for pics we whipped up a lovely Frittata with bacon, roasted Hatch green chilies and plenty of sharp cheddar. Yep, it was an evening to remember.

Here Comes The Sun

This morning I was up before the sun getting my walk in, and thinking about the soap I'll be making today. It's a great day for  making soap!!

Road Trip 2013 (Part 2)

The first thing that greets you upon exiting your vehicle is that unmistakable smell of the ocean, salty, somehow a bit sandy. It's funny how a familiar smell can take you right back to a specific memory-even one from many years ago. I love that smell-I wish I could bottle it up so that I could take it out whenever I wanted to visit those memories.

Watching Gulls is high on the list of entertainment while taking in the sights and sounds of the ocean.

Such a beautiful place-serene, yet an awesome reminder of natures power.

Man of Wars were far to abundant for our comfort-we never got in the ocean on this day-these will ruin your day fast.

Just a sampling of the abundant creatures that were washing ashore at a steady pace on one of the days we were there.Pictured above are the Man of War the very obvious blue creature in the front(check out that heap of tentacles up under that guy), the baby Man of War is on the left and just behind the large Man of War is a Sea Nettle.

South Padre is just right down the road(from Corpus Christi)-South Padre Island Drive to be exact, so we spent a bit of them there (seeing as how we are so land locked here in Lubbock-the beach is a definite must when we are down this way.) 

I'm always struck by how the smell of the ocean can take me right back to being 3 and 4 years old playing along the shores of the California coast. That salty,sandy aroma is unmistakable and one I wish I could bottle up strictly for visiting memory lane.

Just a few days before we were there Mexico experienced tropical storms + it was only days after the Super Moon, we think this may have contributed to the abundance of sea life washed up on the shore and lurking in the surf. 

We always like for our trips to be an educational opportunity for our daughter as well, so we set out to learn a bit about the creatures we were amongst. We learned they were mainly Moon Jellies, Sea Nettles and Man of Wars. Did you know that Man of Wars are also called "blue bottles?" Note the baby Man of War to the left-doesn't it look just like a blue bottle? I've always thought that Man of Wars were jelly fish-the fact is they are not. Man of  Wars are actually a conglomerate of 4 different organisms that create a symbiotic creature-each one serves an important function and one can not survive without the others.

Road Trip 2013 (Part 1)

Corpus Christi Skyline

Shrimp Boats

We spent and evening watching the Tug Boats bring in huge cargo ships

 The regal U.S. Coast Guard

Each insignia symbolizes a drug interdiction either for Marijuana or Cocaine

Taking the Colors down at sundown (U.S. Coast Guard)

Old Glory blowing in the breeze as the sun lowers in the sky

Because we always need to keep our road trips budget friendly we look for "free" things to do, or things at which we pay a one time entrance fee and try to visit several times ie; the beach.  The nice thing about Corpus Christi is that there ARE many things to do that are "free." For instance watching the Tug Boats steer the massive cargo ships in-(we don't see that here every day,) or a walk along the Bay, or a walk along the pier to check out the shrimp boats and yachts. 

We spent one evening walking along the piers (we did allow a snow cone in the budget-it was rather hot) and watching tug boats-a bonus was the U.S. Coast Guard ship that was moored close by-very cool. We were there right before sundown-so we also watched the Colors saluted, lowered and carefully folded. Makes your heart proud, as we approach the July Fourth Holiday I'm reminded of how lucky I am to be living in the "Home of the Free and the Brave" and what that means for all of us.

Just A Quick Snippet

Just a quick snippet from my recent road trip. We just got in and it seemed like we drove forever. More road trip goodness as I am able to edit images, for now there is laundry to do and a hot shower with my name on it.

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not...

Anniversary flowers-it's been 22 years...

I think there have been times over 22 years when the Mr. has felt like-"he loves me, he loves me not." I mean it has been over 22 years since we met,tied the knot, and raised two kids (oh wait, we're still raising one.)

Coming from a fractured home I've never been really sure about how married people were supposed to work out differences-it seems that marriage is such a "disposable" commodity in this day and time. I can say with much certainty that 22 years with someone is a looooong time, there have been many, many good times, and many times of testing and doubt. There have been times when it seemed that the "grass may be greener on the other side" for both of us... but somewhere deep down we both knew that was just a mirage, a farce,  and most probably not reality. The great thing about 22 + years is that we do know we have what it takes to stick it out, we have each others back, we don't want to "date" again or break in a new significant other, we are truly "best friends",  we are very aware of each others flaws and gifts. We offset each other in a very interesting and workable way.  After 22 + years we have history-a bond that no one can ever obtain without doing the time.

Thank you so much for choosing to spend a quarter of a century with me dear-for two great kids, a roof over my head, good times,challenging times, fun times, great times, for loving me on my best days, and my worst days... I love you!

A Word On Random Acts of Kindness

A word on random acts of kindness-never underestimate how a very small act can make a difference in someone's day.

So admittedly, I have had sort of an off day today. I let it get late before I decided to eat, so I went through the drive thru. I don't eat out often, so I figured I would "treat myself." I got up in the line to pay for my food, and the lady at the window gave me my food and said"it's free" I thought she was joking so I handed her my $$ and she gave it back saying, "no, it's free." It seems the man in front of me or inside at the counter paid for my meal. I have heard of random acts of kindness like this,but have never been on the receiving end. I am here to tell you it can turn around someone's whole day. Thank you sir whomever you are!! I will do my best to remember for a very long time how very nice it felt for a perfect stranger to do something like that. ;-))

It seems like such a small thing, but at that very moment today it just made my day. ;-)

If you'd like to read more about "kindness distribution" and it's affects check out Ben's Bells.

A Few Things You May Not Know-About Me

• I am a huge "I Love Lucy" fan. I love the clothes, the writing, the wholesome comedy and pretty much everything about the show.  I have the dvd set, and if there is an "I Love Lucy" marathon on-I am one happy girl.
• I met and hugged C. B Stubblefield at a Joe Ely concert.  Stubbs was a large man with a kind and generous heart. He genuinely wanted to feed the world. "I was born hungry; I wants to feed the world."~ C.B. Stubblefield.
• My very favorite color is green-preferably in the mossy green family. My second favorite is Red Orange. 
• I love new school supplies. My favorites are calendars, new crayons and chubby Ticonderoga pencils. 
• I prefer to write in pencil because I hate to make mistakes in pen-if  I make a mistake in pen I start over instead of marking through. 
• Snakes mortify me.
• I have a pet peeve about wet socks-CAN.NOT.STAND.THEM.-if my sock gets damp I have to ditch it immediately. Yuck!
• I kind of like the smell of  Turpentine.

I could go on and on, but that is enough quirkiness for one day. 

I Wish, I'd Heard This Years Ago

My current read is Reposition Yourself Living Life Without Limits by T.D.Jakes, and it is eyeopening for me to say the least,so I'll be sharing bits and pieces of it as I go along-maybe it will help you too.

Yesterday, while sitting at the Jury Pool waiting to complete the jury selection process I read these words and they spoke to me-I wish someone had expressed this to me years ago, but also it is important to note that the premise of this book is that you can reposition your life at ANY age.

 " Take the wheel of our life now and go where you are meant to go rather than allow passengers-mothers, spouses,neighbors-to control your destination. Success is not achieving what someone else wants you to achieve. Success is discovering your gift and using it."

"A goal is to get what you see on the inside to happen on the outside. You will know you have it when there is no difference between what you see when you sleep and what you wake up to. In short, I am telling you it is possible to live your dream wide-awake. The distance between what you dream and what you see is achievable."

I'm Still Here(Warning Pic Heavy Post)

The beautiful and wonderfully warm Gulf of Mexico

Entrance to the Texas State Aquarium

A "Laughing Seagull" taking a break from his mockery

Brown Pelicans are as plentiful as Seagulls on the Texas Coast

Shrimp boats go out every morning

The "Harbor Bridge" links Corpus Christi to Portland Tx.

Beautiful pottery at Wildseed Farms-Fredericksburg Tx.

Pink Zinnia happily growing in the sun at Wildseed Farms

Colorful birdhouses all in a row-Fredericksburg Tx.

I took a little whirlwind vacation-just a wee little break, but as it turns out even a small break can be so cathartic and for me this trip was about accomplishing a few firsts and ticking some items off my "bucket list."

I've been married for over 20 years and I can count on one hand the number of times I have driven anywhere out of town by myself, as a rule- my husband always drives when we go out of town whether it's 2 hours or 10 it's just a given that he will drive(I think he's afraid for me to drive.) This time a few special circumstances came into play that caused me to have to step up to the plate and drive 10 hours to the Texas coast. Ummm, I have never driven farther than the 6 hours to Dallas, and after my Dallas experience I have been a little less than enthusiastic about navigating about in busy metro areas, but this time it was about 1) a daughter who desperately wanted to see the ocean 2) a  husband already at the coast waiting for us 3) desperately needing to get out of town at least for a short break.....so off we went. I am happy to inform you that with the aid of my daughter,Google maps and a Garmin we made it thru San Antonio and on to Corpus Christi without a hitch. Bravo!! A huge accomplishment for me-it made me wonder why I had been afraid of venturing out on my own- gah, all the time wasted.

Let's see, there were also a few other "firsts" with some being "bucket list" items. Upon arriving in Corpus Christi we ventured out to find not just the Bay, but an actual ocean and ended up at the Gulf of Mexico,and not to travel all that way and never get my feet wet-  I immediately waded in clothes and all. You CAN NOT go to the Gulf of Mexico and not get in-so I did. I didn't really realize this was a "bucket list" item at the time, but in fact it most certainly was.The Gulf of Mexico is incredibly beautiful and amazingly warm-perfect!

On the first full day of our trip to Corpus Christi my daughter and I went the Texas State Aquarium where my daughter goaded my into touching a Stingray and a Shark, and well you can't let the 12 year old out do you. So, for the first time ever I touched a Stingray and a Shark. What do they feel like you ask? Because Stingrays are scavengers and feast on dead things they are covered in mucous-so you can just guess how that feels-right? Sharks are very different they are slightly bumpy like used sandpaper. Very interesting!

The evening of the first full day we allowed ourselves one very nice meal-of course at a restaurant where seafood was the fare as I was very excited to try my first " oyster on the half shell." Yes, I know it's hard to believe I have reached "midlife" and had never had a raw oyster-it's absolutely sinful. However, living in Lubbock,Tx. we aren't exactly privy to fresh seafood, and so I refused to try them until I was somewhere coastal.Oddly enough,trying a raw oyster was an item on my "bucket list" and so I was determined to make this happen. I am happy to report that I did try them and found they do in fact "taste like the ocean"-you always hear that, and it's true-they taste just like the Gulf of Mexico smells-briny and fresh.

Needless to say, we packed as many experiences into the few days we were there-we made another trek out to the Gulf of Mexico where once again I played in the ocean in my clothes (I don't own a bathing suit). I left soaking wet and satisfied even though I had to travel back to the hotel in soaking wet clothes-I wouldn't have missed it-for me this was a trip about accomplishing goals and experiencing firsts.

12 by 2012

So, I saw this on my favorite blog Modish,who saw it on Indie Pretty, who saw it on Oh Hello Friend -that built the house that Jack built-oops! wrong story line. Anyway,I thought it was great motivation to get some looming things that I've been putting off out of the way, and also a way to build some momentum to start 2012 off in a productive way.

My list consists of things I've been dreading that would be "oh so satisfying" to get out of the way, as well as habits I want to instill for 2012 sprinkled with a few things I want to do for me as sort of a built in reward system.

1) Pull all the ahem "stuff" out of the garage - categorize as either stuff to keep or garage sale. Sweep and clean garage thoroughly and pack all the keeper "stuff" back in.
2) Walk daily and  enjoy the feel of sunshine on my face
3) Drink water daily - unfortunately I have to make a conscious effort to make sure I do this
4) Go on picnics with my mister
5) Take time out for "date night"
6) r & d  on new product - so fun!
7) Market, market, market those soaps and hand balms.
8) Lose 10# before 2012 (is it possible with Thanksgiving and Christmas right around the corner?)
9) Think about and make handmade gifts this year for Christmas
10) Paint and freshen up the kids bathroom
11) Take time to read real books
12)  Learn to step outside my box to purposefully do things I'm not so comfortable with - face fears head on setting a new precedent for 2012.

The sky is the limit, what would you like to achieve before 2012?

Analysis Paralysis - My Personal Struggle

“Don’t wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful.”
—Mark Victor Hansen

I've been making soap for 3 years now and have only dabbled with selling  for several reasons; I lacked confidence, so I let others derail me, I needed time to evolve and find my niche and hone my craft (in hindsight - I am a far better soapmaker than I was two years ago) and probably the most debilitating reason is that I wanted things to be perfect. I wanted to have a plan for everything-I pondered on failure,I thought about what if things really take off, how will I manage production?  I planned,planned,planned to the point of paralysis. I was driven to have the soap that I saw others making(others with years of experience) I taught myself soap making techniques by visually deconstructing the different soap making techniques of those I admired. I compared myself to others, and often was disappointed in my attempts to make soap as beautiful as that of my muses.The joy of soaping was slowly ebbing because I was so hard on myself.  I was absolutely caught up in the self defeating circle of analysis paralysis and self doubt-I was my own worst enemy.

Then one day, I read a little Etsy Bootcamp article - I believe it was written by Lauren Miller of Sunbasilgarden that really just stated the obvious - don't wait until you have everything perfect - just get started. Well folks, believe it or not that was a revelation to me. That was a turning point. I realized I had been planning, planning, planning to the point of paralysis - because I was so afraid of failure. After reading this article I mentioned it to my husband who concurred that I in fact I do "anal-ize"(his terminology) a little too much. He also pointed out that it was he who has been telling me-just make things simple,nothing is set in stone. I also realized that I tend to forget that "nothing is set in stone"- blogs can be tweaked, website's can be modified, product can be improved upon and given a different look any time I feel that it needs to be done. It's okay to have fun and fly by the seat of your pants just a bit.

Thankfully, throughout this ongoing life lesson, my passion for the ingredients and the art of making soap has kept me afloat. As I look back, I see a distinct pattern of letting the fear of failure overwhelm me(often before a new idea even got off the ground.) I still struggle and often have to remind myself that nothing is set in stone - nothing is permanent and that the only way to eat an elephant is-one bite at a time.

Quote of the Day

If you were watching American Idol last night, you saw Haly Reinhart take a fall while performing-somehow she kept right on singing and didn't miss a beat. During judging Stephen Tyler exclaimed "It's not about how many times you fall, it's how many times you get back up." Brilliant!

I think that is also true in life and business- what do you think?

Last Nights' Fabulous Dinner + The Recipe

 Sweet and Sour Pork

Sorry for the lame picture - I think I was a little too close and the lighting is horrid in the kitchen at night

Last night, we had Sweet and Sour Pork for dinner and I must say it was out of this world delicious! We are currently working towards adjusting to a lacto ovo diet. We are still eating meat (supplemented with a veggie recipes) a few nights a week while we are learning the veggie ropes so to speak. Lately, there have been a few nights of stir fry and I must say it suits me just fine. The following recipe is fabulous, and I can tell you first hand it is even better left over - (as I sit at my desk polishing off the leftovers.) The recipe calls for pork butt  - we subbed a leaner pork chop cut and oh my stars it is yummy! I am not a big, big meat eater and I have to say this is a delightful way to prepare pork. 

There is a little bit of prep time - the meat needs to marinate and there are veggies to cut up - but Oh Yum!

There is some refined sugar involved, but you could probably just eliminate the sugar and go with whatever sugar is in the pineapple juice. Also, the not so healthy for you part is the meat is fried. This isn't the most healthy of recipes one could make, but it's not the worst and it is fabulous!

Ingredients

• 1 pound pork butt, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 egg white
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 quart vegetable oil for frying
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
•  
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 stalks celery, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, cut into wedges
• white sugar to taste
• salt to taste
•  
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 (8 ounce) can pineapple chunks, undrained
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water

Directions

1. Place cubed pork in a medium bowl, and season with 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon soy sauce. Mix in the egg white and green onions. Cover, and place in the refrigerator at least 1 hour.
2. Heat 1 quart oil to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C) in a large, heavy saucepan or deep fryer.
3. Coat the pork with 1/2 cup cornstarch, and fry in the heated oil about 10 minutes, until evenly browned. Drain on paper towels.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok over medium heat. Stir in the celery, green bell pepper, and onion, and cook until tender. Season with salt and sugar. Remove from heat, and set aside.
5. In a large saucepan, mix 1 cup water, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 3/4 cup sugar, apple cider vinegar, ketchup, and 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce. Bring to a boil, and stir in the cooked pork, celery mixture, and the pineapple chunks with juice. Return to boil, and mix in 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 1/4 cup water to thicken. Cook until well blended.

Recipe source; Allrecipes.com

Making Up Some Kale Chips

 1 bunch of kale washed and allowed to dry thoroughly

 Carefully remove stems from leaves

Yummy, kale chips ready to eat!

1 bunch kale
1Tablespoon of olive oil
Season salt to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees - Place bite sized kale chips on parchment covered cookie sheet
Wash and allow kale to dry well (or use salad spinner to dry leaves) - leaves must very dry so they will crisp up
With scissors or knife carefully remove the kale leaf from the stem and tear into bite sized pieces
Drizzle Kale with Olive Oil and sprinkle with season salt
Bake until the edges are lightly browned 10-15 minutes

They are surprisingly light and airy and very tasty!

(My very picky 11 year old loves them.)

Red Hibiscus

Red  Hibiscus from my walk last night~

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.
- Helen Keller

Beautiful Thing Friday

I don't have an image today - so sorry.

Instead, I wanted to make an attempt to express my thoughts on how beautiful life is, how beautiful friendship is, how amazing people are. First thing this morning, upon checking e-mails my spirit was lifted and transformed for the day. A friend in the soaping community that I don't even know on a personal level had replied to some "good mojo" emails I had sent his way over the last few weeks. This person is half a world away and is dealing with some rather serious health issues and as part of a community I wanted this person to feel my energy and presence. I was very honored this morning to hear from this person and even though he is in the midst of dealing with some "serious unknowns" my spirit was lifted and transformed by his humor and attitude. I often wonder how it is that people dealing with such serious life issues can have such a positive effect on others -others like me; going through life - generally taking such important things as health, family, friends etc. for granted. In all honesty I have wondered what is fair about all of this? What lesson is it that I am meant to take from all of this? Today, I think I caught a glimpse - I am supposed to open my eyes and realize what a delicate balance life really is-how I need to live every day as if I may have no tomorrow - I need to treasure my health, value my children, my  husband and friends and even though we don't have a lot of "things" when it gets right down to it - things truly don't matter. I know it's "cliche" and we hear it all of the time, but when people are facing tribulations of epic proportions in their life - I don't think it's the things that matter. My heart is full as I "get" this very important life lesson from someone with such humor and zest for life.

Thank you my friend - you are a fine teacher!
(((warm hugs)))

Dear Bill, ( a sappy "Thank You" letter - to my husband)

I want you to know how very much I appreciate your encouragement over the past 3 years while I have been consumed with my passion for handmade soap. It was you who first suggested I give it a try, and I who scoffed and thought you were nuts. Who would’ve known the passion that would ignite over trying a little something new? I always loved the “idea” of handmade soap, but never would have considered making it myself if you had not been the adventurer and goaded me into trying it out –giving it a shot (just for grins.)I know there are times you wish you hadn’t. lol!

I would have never continued on when batch after batch things weren’t quite right – I don’t do less than perfect all to well. I always expect the best of myself and you encouraged me all along the way when time after time I was disappointed with the outcome (you cheerfully used the less than perfect bars of soap.) You never let me give up – you could see my passion growing; you could see a metamorphosis taking place; a fire igniting within. What a gift you have given me.

Where would I be if you hadn’t spent the endless hours late at night(even though you have a day job) going over countless tutorials in a doggedly determined state teaching yourself to build a website – just because you wanted me to have “my vision” and nothing less? Your talents, abilities and determination amaze me.

We’ve been married going on 21 years and have certainly seen the good and bad in each other -  we’ve been totally exasperated, totally frustrated, totally put out with each other, but over the years I have come to realize what a loyal, selfless friend I have in you. You are the love of my life; my hero. Thank you for always believing in me, for not letting me give up on my dreams (even when it meant perhaps putting your dreams on hold for now…) How does one even begin to say “thank you” for that?

I Love you-to the moon and back,

Michele