Saturday, August 1, 2015

We are amused

Okay, my first tears of the day - a beautiful bouquet arrived at the door; the card said, "For all that you do, these 'buds' are for you! From the Runfit Gang." My friends at Carole's Wednesday class at the Y. Then I opened the parcel from Patsy, who has written a beautiful, moving poem about friendship and framed it. My inbox is jammed with messages from well-wishers near and far - thanks, FB! - and this morning, Anna, Eli and I did FaceTime for the first time; I've never done it before. There was my grandson on my tiny phone, not quite saying Happy Birthday but he meant to, I'm sure.

I went to the market this morning and came back loaded down, am spending the day gardening and cooking - have to cook huge salads for tomorrow. But right now, I sit here looking at the garden, never more lush than today - it's a perfect day, hot but breezy, quiet because - as always on my birthday - it's a long weekend. There was a gift from the garden this morning - besides two new gardenia blooms, there was one perfect strawberry.
Best of all, I just heard from Chris Cameron, a former student turned professional editor who has just read the current, very clumsy draft of the new memoir. I sent it to two friends because I just wasn't sure if I was on the right track He wrote, "I just wanted to say that I enjoyed it greatly. It is such a joy to read the beautifully crafted sentences and clearly expressed thoughts of a professional. It is compelling and sincere, which of course is what we aim for ... I wanted you to know how successful the draft is so far. As Wayson would say, now you have a good place to start working from.

It has been a long, long climb to here. And here I am, and you are there, and we are all alive. It doesn't get better than that.

Just to take me down a peg or two, friend Lynn sent this, with the note: Here is one which all of us who have dined with our dear Bethie, when the waiter has been a little slow, will be able to connect to:
And Chris turned it into this. A good look for me, don't you think? Onward.

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