A quiet interlude, a group of friends, a lot of gratitude.

Well, I've been absent from the Internet for a few days.

Some things are difficult to write about on a blog, and some things are just difficult to write about, period. 

Loss is a funny alchemist, and when it's a person's life you lose, it's hard to catalog the specific thoughts you are having, the emotions you are feeling.   Over the past few days, these little snatches of phrase have been coming to me, and I'm like, "yes! That's it. That's precisely how I feel," and then I'll try to talk about it with someone, and those words no longer hold up.  As soon as they're out of my mouth, they've become stale and flimsy.

Anyway, I will write about this experience soon.  Either on my blog or elsewhere.

The point of this post, though, is not to mourn.  But rather, to assure you that I'm still here, and while we're at it look at some happy pictures.  Oh my God people.  I can't tell you how lucky I am to have the girlfriends that I do.  They are beautiful and hilarious, gifted cooks all, and this past weekend, we spent a few days at the beach in Port Aransas.

Why do I look like Kid Rock.

This is Amy and Nina, posing in the hanging wooden recliner in the backyard.  I wish you could have seen how adorable this yard was!  There was a hammock, a little fountain, flowers everywhere.  But we made the most photo opp use out of the recliner.

This was our normal pose.  You know how, in every group photo, the straight one it taken first, followed by someone saying, "Ok now, silly picture!  Everyone get crazy!"

Somehow I, upper right hand corner, interpreted "crazy" as "Mick Jagger."  Nina said I look like I'm in full-on Jagger strut.  Which is pretty darn accurate.

Thank you girls, and thank you too to my friend Claudia for being an incredibly kind and sensitive listener.  I am grateful for you girls!