Special People

Sometimes I wonder how I can ride the roller coaster of life for so long with my hands over my ears. Yeah, I'm a stubborn broad most of the time and don't listen well. For many years, friends have been telling me, "Mary, you write the funniest things. You really should save your stuff and publish a book one day." Writing a book isn't what I anticipate, at all. No desire there. One of my greatest pleasures in life, however, is sitting at the keyboard and spitting out whatever I'm thinking about or whatever moves me at that moment. And if what I say makes someone smile or moves them, that's a bonus.

Now I am keeping a journal on-line, for myself. To myself, I promise to keep it as frequently as I can.

To my old neighborhood friends, Jan and Allison, and to all of my long-time friends at John Carroll School in Bel Air, Maryland and my dear friends at the Delaware Department of Education in Dover, Delaware, thank you for your sweet words of encouragement over the years. You may not even remember them, but I do.

I want to especially thank three people who I admire and appreciate. A small part of my brain must have thawed two or three weeks ago when two of these dear women urged me to start a blog. Jane Streett is a fabulous lady (zany writer, too) who breeds Boston Terriers and presented our family with Bella. Julie Zickefoose is a fellow Boston Terrier lover and an incredibly talented artist, writer, and lover of nature. Check out Julie's new book! It's breathtaking and brilliant. Liz Howshall is a dog lover, artist, and friend, who is now embarking on a very exciting chapter of her art career. She inspires my "artsy" side.

The Angels took my Mother on May 25, 2006. She was an avid reader and a writer of childrens' books. Never published one, but she sure had the passion. I can still hear her voice, "No matter what, take a minute and jot it down, Mary." I rarely shared anything I had written with her because I was too lazy to print it out and put a postage stamp on it and I regret that with a heavy, heavy heart. So here's to ya, Mom! This one's for you. I love you and miss you.