Ramblings, Rantings and Ravings...

I have been wanting to post since Wednesday morning. I actually have so much I want to say that I have to admit becoming overwhelmed by inertia and excuses. So instead of this becoming a huge, boring manifesto, I am simply going to list the highlights of the last couple of days and then get to them one at a time in the form of musings over the next bit of time.

• I am in CA, not sunny CA, but smokey CA, visiting a dear friend from first grade whose birthday was yesterday and has an aggressive form of metastatic breast cancer.
• My travel day was an adventure in itself. While I could refer to it as a travel day from that you know where "H" place, (which it was) I did approach it with a spirit of adventure and ended up with a free meal and free ticket out of the experience, but don't worry, I am still feeling a need to vent the outrageous details of a day in the life of an ordinary air traveller.
• It truly is more blessed to give than to receive, as the gifts I received as a result of my visit with my friend yesterday in my mind outweighed the gift of my presence and time to her. I know she didn't agree, but this is a valuable perspective for all of us to remember: It truly is more blessed to give than to receive.
• I don't watch much TV but had Good Morning America on yesterday and saw a segment about a Hopkins Neurosurgeon who was an illegal immigrant tomato picker in the US. Of course now I can't pull his name out of my clogged brain (which the really, I must say, less than poor quality coffee this morning didn't help as much as my Starbucks half caff) but will before I re-post.
• Then, yesterday, while the TV was also still on, I think it was MSNBC was doing a piece on the mega rich. I was absolutely sickened by what I heard. The gist of it was "once you have made your first billion, it all becomes a game to just see how much more I can accumulate." How about sharing, you bozo?
• Relationships, relationships, relationships. It is all about relationships. There couldn't have been a more important place for me these two days than with two elementary school friends who are both in very challenging life spots. One is terminally ill, the other's husband just decided he doesn't want to be married any more...
• God brought several people into my life the yesterday and today who have reminded me of His providential love and care for us all. There are no accidental meetings.

SO there you have it, a preview of what is to come. Oh, and I also prefer to blog with photos, and haven't taken any, starting with the huge line of my fellow weary travellers who were booted off the 7 am flight to LA on Wednesday, but I missed the photo op. But no worries, I will be back!