GOOD FRIENDS

I am blessed with having some amazing people around me whom I consider really good friends.  Since Thursday evening after I returned from the Third Thursday event, after lasted roughly less than an hour there, and noticing during the walk home that structurally, and physically I was not doing too good as my right lower back seemed to be locking up and seizing on me.

While I slept I was bothered more frequently than usual by the pain and when I woke up I could barely stand up and the walk down the stairs was a tricky one to say the least!  I was relieved not to be going for my usual ritual of standing in line ~ I could not have managed it anyway!

I managed, later in the afternoon to run out as I needed laundry detergent and a couple of other necessities, with every step shooting agonizing pain down my back and up to my neck or the other way around ~ I am not sure which as I haven't figured out the source.

In the afternoon, I took a drive up the mountain and was blessed with a ten degree drop in temperature and an amazing view of the surrounding mountains.  No flower picking for me however, I found a nice place to sit on the grass and enjoyed the fresh, clean, refreshing wind.  It was nice, and unexpected.

Nothing lasts forever however, and the return trip down the mountain  where the temperature was 83 in the shade, quickly was replaced by 94 in the sweltering heat of the city.  I was amazed at how much of difference in temperature there was in such a short distance ~ but elevation is everything!

I managed to throw a quick meal together of sauteed peppers and onions with some pork medallions and a blend of seasonings ~ somewhat on the Italian side, as opposed to the hot side for a change, made some egg noodles and ate the first meal that I have cooked since this heat wave began!

My friend Cindy phoned when she got out of work and she came down for a visit and a couple of hands of rummy in the coolness of the dining room.  There was a knock at the door and my good friend Mike Jones (not the rapper), surprised us for a while with his good humor and booming laughter!

After a while they both left, my pain was still high, but I really enjoyed the diversion that my friends provided. It was fairly late so I decided to brave the heat of the upstairs and see what I could fall asleep to on television.

When I woke up this morning, I was still feeling the pain in a big way.  I had nothing pressing for the day so I decided to watch a program on the Tibetan Book of the Dead ~ which I was just discussing wanting to read with a friend of mine who has a copy.  I still want to read it, now more than ever.

I finally dragged myself down the stairs and checked the weather channel to see what we are in store for, fired up the computer and put a tea in the microwave.  It was around noon when my friend Mike knocked at my door to see if I was feeling any better, and offered to run to the store for me ~ I am grateful, as I still did not really feel like moving.

I am not one to complain (usually) about pain.  It is a way of life for me.  Mostly, it is a level I can manage to deal with, sometimes it is not.  I also am stubborn and do not like to ask for help either, but I am learning to accept that once in awhile you need to utilize the help of a friend when it is offered and not always be the friend that is the helper.  I would like to raise my glass (of tea) to all of the people out there who are great friends and just say thank you!

In a world where there are so many people with an agenda, and who are false and misleading, I would like to acknowledge those who are not for a change!  It is really a blessing to find the gems amongst all of the decoys in the world!