WOW, HERE WE ARE!

I THOUGHT I MIGHT NEVER BE BACK! AND YOU TOO? HA HA, NOT SO FUNNY WHEN THE WORLD CRASHES IN AROUND US, IS IT? BUT I SUDDENLY HAD A LONGING TO SEE YOU, AND TALK TO YOU, MY LOVELY WORLD. AND WHAT BETTER TIME THAN NOW?

MY WORLD HAS TAKEN ON A SHINY  IMAGE, SOMETIMES UNBEARABLY BRIGHT AND OTHERS, NOT SO GOOD. THE FIRST FEW WEEKS WERE SO VERY WEIRD, AND I FOUND MYSELF GLUED TO THE TUBE. THEN WHOOPI TOLD US ON THE VIEW THAT WE MUST SOOTHE OUR MINDS WITH LOVELY THINGS AND WONDERFUL THOUGHTS, IN ORDER TO SURVIVE. AND SHE WAS RIGHT. AS SOON AS I STARTED THAT, MY SOUL SURFACED FROM ITS HIDING PLACE, AND MY STOMACH CRAWLED OUT OF HIDING.

WE ALL HAVE TIMES OF AMAZING CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT NOW EACH PERSON YOU SEE IS IN THE SAME SCARY HOUSE, IMAGINING ALL KINDS OF THINGS. I HAVE TAKEN TO MY GARDEN, AND THE OVERWHELMING GREENERY THAT HAS SPRUNG ABOUT THE BEDS FROM THE RAINS. MOTHER NATURE MADE IT CLEAR THAT WE NEEDED SOMETHING TO REMIND US OF LOVE.

MOST OF ALL, THE SOUNDS OF THE OCEAN, AND THE WIND IN MY FACE ARE THE BEST OF ALL. DEEP BREATHS TRAVEL INTO MY LUNGS, AND LIFE IS GOOD. THE BIRDS FLY AS USUAL, APPARENTLY THEY ARE IMMUNE (LIKE THE ANTS THAT HAVE ARRIVED ON MY BACK PATIO). REGARDLESS, MOTHER NATURE HAS SUPPLIED MANY THINGS TO STUDY.

AND SO I PAINT, AND I WRITE, AND I EDIT THE NEW BOOK. AND I SLEEP DEEPLY, AWAKENING HAPPY AND HOPING FOR THE BEST. I MISS YOU ALL A LOT, BUT I KNOW YOU ARE OUT THERE SENDING IT BACK. THIS TOO SHALL PASS, AND WHEN WE ARE BEYOND, WE WILL BE BETTER PEOPLE. AND STRONGER AND SMARTER. AND MORE TENDER.

ALL MY LOVE, FOREVER!

XX:JW