A full moon hike start.

Starting out at 5 am, the full moon was about a half an hour away from dipping beyond our vision. Connie and Mary Kay.

Still not light enough to hand hold a shot of the girls hamming it up for the camera.
And what would a hike be without a shadow shot: Connie, Me and Mary Kay.
Home watching this different visitor drinking from the water Ray put out before he left for the San Fernando Valley today.

Off to bed.

Too late to blog.

Up at 3:45am tomorrow morning to hike with Connie and Mary Kay.

Good night.

p.s. Katie was "4" yesterday!

This poem is about me!

I asked Susan if I could post her email I just read. I am not of service to get, I give to give, but when I get something like this I am so moved.

You made my day Susan. I love you.

p.s. Now get back to writing:-)

From: susan alvarez [mailto:suzeque321@bresnan.net]
Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2009 12:11 AM
To: Linda Jeffers
Subject: One a day!

Hi Linda! I am so envious of my sis' who get to be with you. I miss you lots

and in case I haven't said it often enough...I love you! You give and have

given me so much more than I could have ever wished or dreamed of...you help

me keep my self from running naked down the street (with my hair on fire and

out of the "bin"). Everyday I watch and learn something new. You are my

treasure! I was born an only child so every once in a while I don't want to

share you. Today's topis at my meeting was selfish and self-centered. I

picked the topic. But I fell out of myself pretty quickly today. So here's

your poem for the day.

Treasures

I am so glad to feel a part of your part

Don't know where that is, but it's a good place to start

Talking to you is like melting my soul

I can see all the lines and all of the holes

You fill up my heart and God takes me away

He then brings me back and I get to play

I'm happy and free and dressed up to dance

I willing to be and just take the chance

I'm brave and I'm strong and I know the way

I see little bread crumbs left every day

God leads me to water and I take a big drink

My mind wanders onward without me I think

I don't pay attention to thoughts in my head

they tell me I'm worthless and I should be dead

I silence the demons and put them in place

They're snarling and angry with shit on their face

It's all an illusion a disease of the self

You've brought me the courage to climb down from the shelf

I wish to pay forward and give it away

My soul seeks the answers each moment each day

I have thoughts to offer of God and His plan plan

My mind wanders onward when I take a stand

I do love this journey where ever it leads

Love is the answer it fills all my needs

It takes but a moment to walk out of the self

It's here in the moment that I wish to dwell

Where I am just happy to be so alive

There is a solution and how I do thrive

So I need to thank you for just being you

You're calming and brilliant and I like the view

So here's to the heartbeat that my soul does claim

One thing's for sure, I am not the same!

Love,love, joy,joy. happy, happy, Linda, Linda, bye,bye. Talk manana!

My peeps from Saturday and Sunday.

Tonight, following the meeting where Paula took her cake.
Happy Birthday Paula.
Cynthia, Connie and Paula.
The color burst originating upward from the distant San Jacinto mountains, just before the sun came up while on the Bump & Grind with Connie this morning.

Last night we all (Me, Ray, Connie, Paula, Cynthia and Dusty) went to see the Bill and Bob play in LaQuinta.
Cynthia, Paula and Connie.

Dusty and Cynthia.

New photos from Karen from our day in Big Bear.

Quincy and Karen
Karen, Sandi, Quincy and Linda
Quincy and Linda

Susan is back.

She's back!
Another poem.
By Susan Alvarez
copyright 2009

I give Susan a subject and she just delivers.

"What a difference a day makes."

Days they come and days they go
some seem fast and some seem slow
I spend my time just being here
I don't engage in thoughts unclear

There are those times when I can't bear
my life unraveled and unaware
It's then I reach inside myself
and take that girl down from the shelf

She's kind and easy and looks just like me
I ask what she wants, she just wants to be free
To live her life without regrets
With lots of love and plenty of zest

Inside my soul resides my self
it's time I took me off the shelf
I wish to listen to my stillness of heart
It is the only place that I can start

I have a wish to write and give
It's time to smile, to wake and live
I no longer sit upon my hands
I've reached the mirror, I have a plan

To those I love who love me back
I say one thing hold on to your ass
This girls awake, this woman alive
One things for sure I can survive

What a difference a day makes..


And now here is my attempt at being creative - A section of bark on a eucalyptus tree by Linda. I'm trying to see triangles for my 4th online photo class.

A day in Big Bear at a Convention.

Quincy and Linda

Quincy was the Saturday, 9am speaker. She gave a fantastic planned program of recovery talk; she carries a great message of hope.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry