I’m feeling a bit like Sally Fields again. You remember her infamous Oscar winning acceptance speech when with tears in her eyes she exclaims something along the lines of, “you like me, you really do like me?!?!”  I’m pretty sure the reason this line has stuck in the memories of so many of us is because it was so uncomfortably honest about a feeling that many of us have felt but dared not admit: the shock that someone, in fact many someones, really do like/love us.

I think I’ll morph the Sally Field feeling into one of gratitude for some of the really great friends who I’m sharing this life.  The Thursday before Christmas, I drove up to Dallas to visit my very close girlfriend from college-days, Cynthia Zeito along with her husband Buddy as well as Cynthia’s mom, Dad and brother Steve (who I for all intensive purposes grew up with from the time I was 18 onward!)

Me and Buddy

Cynthia, Nancy and moi

I think Cynthia and I drove Buddy a bit crazy when he was trying to watch an episode of “Criminal Minds” as we played Backgammon because we were laughing and cutting up so much!! By the third game, we realized halfway through that we had totally screwed up the directions we were going which made us even laugh harder!

Christmas day David and I joined some more good friends, Sandy Stone and Joe Brown to see the movie “True Grit”…which I really liked by the way.  The Coen Brothers are marvels with dialogue.  I’m so not a good dialogue person myself when it comes to thinking about writing screen plays…I can come up with the plot and lay out the scenes and even think of a musical score or two but for the life of me, I cannot come up with the dialogue. Even so, I recognize good dialogue when I hear it.

Sunday, we joined yet another good friend, Cyndi Hughes for another great movie, “The King’s Speech” and dinner.  Cyndi has her hands full with being the Director of the Texas Writers’ League as well as writing her own book and a million other things so we really appreciated getting to spend quality time with her.

On the way to get an allergy shot this morning, I had a good long talk with my long-time partner-in-crime at C&T Consulting Services, Donna Grosenheider.  We worked so well together as a team back then that we used to think of ourselves as if we were a married couple sans the intimacy.   Like peas and carrots we were.  I love that feeling when you know someone so well and they know you so well that you know just what it is that you need to do and what they can do to make all kinds of things “happen”. Donna is someone who I know always has my back.

Finally, today I hooked up with my very best angel friend, Ginger Blair, for lunch.  I could have talked with her forever and love hearing about the book she has written that is now in its editing stages.  I have felt very blessed over the years receiving her wisdom and am glad that now other people will have a chance to share it as well.

What is even more miraculous is there are still many friends who I want to get together with for coffee, lunch, walks who I love individually for who they are and who I know “get” me.  Wow.  I could almost make you regurgitate a little bit with all this love stuff flying around…but it’s true!!  I’m just really, really grateful for everyone.  And for the friends that I’ve lost touch with and found again through FB as well as the new friends I’ve made……grateful!

So whether I sound like Sally Fields or Tiny Tim, I’m glad to be in this place of abundant love!