I'll work on it! Thanks Terry for giving me a home page. It's up and running--and extremely boring at the moment (www.spring.com/~anneh/). It's basically all of my bookmarks. I'll work on making it more interesting. My sister has a scanner and said she will scan whatever I want, but she lives in California, about to embark on a three week trip to Italy, so it will be a while before any cheesehead pictures could possibly appear.

I have a scanner too, if anyone needs to mail pictures to me for their webpage.

Hey Ann, I'm majorly bummed out that you didn't include your very own graphic that I made just for you, on your webpage. I spent five minutes looking for the quote and a whole fifteen minutes slaving over a hot Photoshop to make the graphic, so I think i t's the least you could do...

The cheesehead shot?

Check out my HTML Tags Tutorial: www.spring.com/~anneh/tagsaaaa.html Any advice on changes or additions are very welcome. I do like my graphic Henry. I will put it up.

Thanks Ann for so pleasantly reminding me of why I don't live in Minnesota anymore, and why visiting Minnesota is much more pleasant in the summertime. The Mall of America is awesome, and so close to the airport when I come for those summer visits. Happ y New (and hopefully warmer) Year!

Careful with those tranks, now. Say, have you seen this new product that contains tranks and aspertame? It's called EqualLibrium. Hope you made it back safely from the bar where you stocked up on charm, etc. I have been doing extensive research into the construction of bottles, there being a major container maker in my town. I have discovered that most bottlenecks are at the t op. Tried to explain this to my managing editor; he is not convinced. Does your research bear out my conclusions, Lars? Or do we need to continue gathering data, replicating our results? When we have enough data, will we be able to perform analyses and re ort our findings?

My girlfriend and I took my 3 kids and her eldest daughter out for Pizza.Of course they always bring the pitcher of soda to soon.By the time the pizza came it was all gone.I had some left in my cup and eldest daughter had some left in hers. When my kids a re thristy watch out for your drink. My six year old says "Hey Gee" your not drinking your soda""How come"? "May I please have some" she said "Sure". His reply was "thanks" "and If you don't mind I'll take the straw too".It was done in the politest manner for a six year old don't ya think.We all jumped on the poor kid Scotty! It was funny.Then they had to play the jukebox"Grandma Got Ran Over by a Raindeer" it was hilarous.They all started singing. This is why I don't go out very much. What a scene???

WOW, first time i came to this area, but then again i haven't been around in a while....had to read all 108 entries as new.....what an interesting bunch of comments, statements, conversations, questions & answers. Absolutely loved it, sure wish this wa s an open chat..... I would definitely like to talk to many of you regularly........ Terry have you thought about putting in a chat area.......??????????

We have a chat room. You can get to this from the link on the main Austen Conference page. It is the Pemberley Drawing Room: http://www.worldrch.com/cgibin/Chat/nph-chat.cgi

Good to see you coming around again TJ. One of these times I'm gonna make it for darts at the tavern down in Bastrop. Let me know when the next one is going to be ok? We can get our own chat room if folks want it. The kind Pemberly folks have offered us their software if we want it. It's not ichat, but it's not bad stuff.

from the looks of the stuff on the ramble page, it might be a good idea to have our own chat area.......at least see if anyone else has an interest.......but right now I think I'll check out the Pemberly Drawing Room.........Paul, yea it is nice to be bac k......do you have anything to do the Bastrop Internet Services??????.......do you know Daryl Kouba??????......hope to see you on Thursday (darts)...........

I have two servers on the bastrop.net. I can't get a hold of the kid who does their web page. I'm looking for someone in the Bastrop area, a high school kid would be ok, who can work part time at the Spring installing networks, configuring servers, and doing data entry work. I have a plan to make the Spring a world class web site and I am starting to sense an organization forming. The folks in the Austen conference are really pitching in and helping out and starting to take part in some website projects. But I need some help locally now.

There are a group of us (about 10) who have formed a music group here at work to exercise our mutual love of music. Twice a month, we reserve a conference room, bring in our instruments and meet together during lunch hour. I play piano and keyboard (at work) and sing, all just a little and very ill, indeed. But, it is something else that affords me an extraordinary source of pleasure (like Jane Austen). We play and sing lots of different kinds of music because we have different tastes which include popular, country, standards, classical. We haven't had the nerve to attempt jazz, yet. One of the pieces that we do frequently is Handel's Largo from "Xerxe s which is the piece that Mary sings in P&P2 (at the Netherfield Ball, I think). For the past couple of years, we have hosted a Christmas sing-along where we play and sing holiday music in the cafeteria and invite the entire building to join us. It has been well received. Today, I ran into Karen, who is a fellow music group member. As we were chatting, we discovered a mutual love of P&P and P&P2. I'm so excited!! I think that I can create yet another addict. Now, besides you wonderful internet friends, I will be able to talk about Jane Austen face to face with Karen at work and with my friend Barbra after working hours. 1997 is going to be great!!! Happy New Year to you all !!!

Linda, That music group sounds really delightful. I recently found out that a woman who works where I do is a longtime committed lurker to this board. She didn't recognize me from my postings, but we found out by accident that we both like this place. And the significant other of a man I work with is a frequent visitor to Firthdom, and has a copy of The Making of P&P that she will lend me. Small world, indeed. Jane

Well, here it is New Year's Eve, and the state of the northern part of the state (CA) could be better. The Russian River is now 2 feet above flood stage and the people up there have been told to evacuate or prepare to be stranded. So much for the ir New Year's Eve plans... While the rain has not been excessive in my immediate neighborhood, 3 of our local reservoirs are full-up and spilling over their dams, and our entire TV cable system has "broken" somewhere and they don't yet know where or why. Before it broke we saw a few seconds of the New Year's fireworks in Sidney Harbour - and I think I spotted Ian waving at the camera. Happy New Year, all!

Rain has been excessive here {in PA.} to Joan. We had a flood in the Summer of 1972. Are you worried about flooding? The weather man said we only had more rain "100" years ago. Now that is very strange.

I am not concerned for my own estate being flooded, but it is sad to see it happening to our neighbors to the north again - they got it badly in 1986 and again in 1995, and here they go again... Many vineyards are already under 3 to 4 feet of wate r...

Heading into 1997 in the Last Frontier, our weather isn't threatening just darn inconvenient. Forecast for tonight is 40-45 below, extended forecast thru sunday is 30-60 below. On the plus side, tomorrow we break the 4 hour mark of available daylight! Had the truck plugged in all afternoon so it would start tonight, now the question is how long I can stay out before it freezes up. A happy and peaceful 1997 to all!

This all makes Boston's 20 degrees F. and 1 inch of snow seem so anemic. I wish you all a more pleasant '97.

On the subject of one in a hundred year rainfalls; about 5 years ago sydney had the third of 3 one in a hundred year rains in 4 years - ain't statistics wonderful. In the ritzy part of town a Jaguar was swept down the street and deposited on top of someo ne's Mercedes; truly impressive rain. Still, at least it was summer, so warm, if wet. I hope those in need dry out soon.

It is warm (relatively speaking) though wet here - it is pouring as I type yet at almost 3 AM it is only 64 F outside. Pineapple express for sure!

Austin's sixth street partied down last night and I got a video of myself at the stroke of midnight on the Springs' main page. I started out at the KOOP party at Armageddon and ended up with the masses on Sixth, watching the big silver start get hoisted by a huge crane. Now, I'm sitting in Cedar Creek with my coffee and toast. Happy New Year everyone!

For all of you suffering through some absolutely awful winter weather, we in southern California are busy taking good care of all the truly nice weather for you and would be vastly happy to send it your way at any time convenient!

Mary, my visiting daughter would greatly appreciate it if you would send your truly nice weather to Seattle. She's heading back there tomorrow and would like to return to decent weather!;-)

and would be vastly happy to send it your way at any time convenient! Please do not stand on ceremony or await an invitation! Any time at all would be convenient! Stepping on my lawn sounds and feels like treading on saturated sponges. :-(

Hi Terry, we still cannot access news.prismnet.com for quite some time after you switch from iamerica.net. It seems like prismnet did not open usenet access for our IP addresses. Hope you can check this matter and happy new year.

I'll look into it Ted. Thanks.

Terry, if prismnet granted us usenet access, we can use tin to access the usenet news, but you have to do (at shell prompt): rm /etc/nntpserver ; echo news.prismnet.com > /etc/nntpserver so all of us can access the news. Hope it helps.

It's just after 9 pm here in South Florida, and I'm recovering from a day at work that can best be described as, "OK, folks, the holidays are over." Yikes. I'm an editor, learning a new city and looking for a new circle of friends. I just found the Spring yesterday -- not to mention the Austen group. I suspect I've found some kindred spirits.

Where did you come from Lilah? What kind of editor?

Amy, I moved here from Hoboken, N J, where I lived for a number of years, working in Manhattan and New Jersey as a newspaper editor. I do the same thing here, for a group of small specialty papers.

Terry, you didn't say that this topic was in multiple Conferences! I just thought I'd visit the Cultures Conference and 'lo what did I see but this topis! Tch tch!

]topic was in multiple Conferences! That's been apparent from the postings from "strangers" for some time. It's also in porch

When you do a listing of topics, it states that it's a "linked topic".

It also states "linked item" every time you read new stuff in it right at the top of the topic. On future "linked topics" I'll post a note that they are linked in the intro or in one of the responses to make this clear.

Thanks Terry! Will be much appreciated. From within the Austen Conference this time.

_______________________________________________________ "Why did the chicken cross the road?" ----------------------------------------------------- Plato: For the greater good. Karl Marx: It was a historical inevitability. Thomas de Torquemada: Give me ten minutes with the chicken and I'll find out. Timothy Leary: Because that's the only kind of trip the Establishment would let it take. Douglas Adams: Forty-two. Nietzsche: Because if you gaze too long across the Road, the Road gazes also across you. Oliver North: National Security was at stake. Carl Jung: The confluence of events in the cultural gestalt necessitated that individual chickens cross roads at this historical juncture, and therefore synchronicitously brought such occurrences into being. Jean-Paul Sartre: In order to act in good faith and be true to itself, the chicken found it necessary to cross the road. Ludwig Wittgenstein: The possibility of "crossing" was encoded into the objects "chicken" and "road," and circumstances came into being which caused the actualization of this potential occurrence. Albert Einstein: Whether the chicken crossed the road or the road crossed the chicken depends upon your frame of reference. Aristotle: To actualize its potential. Buddha: If you ask this question, you deny your own chicken-nature. Salvador Dali: The Fish. Darwin: It was the logical next step after coming down from the trees. Emily Dickinson: Because it could not stop for death. Epicurus: For fun. Ralph Waldo Emerson: It didn't cross the road; it transcended it. Johann Friedrich von Goethe: The eternal hen-principle made it do it. Ernest Hemingway: To die. In the rain. Werner Heisenberg: We are not sure which side of the road the chicken was on, but it was moving very fast. David Hume: Out of custom and habit. Saddam Hussein: This was an unprovoked act of rebellion and we were quite justified in dropping 50 tons of nerve gas on it. Jack Nicholson: 'cause it (censored) wanted to. That's the (censored) reason. Pyrrho the Skeptic: What road? Ronald Reagan: I forget. John Sununu: The Air Force was only too happy to provide the transportation, so quite understandably the chicken availed himself of the opportunity. The Sphinx: You tell me. Sappho: Due to the loveliness of the hen on the other side, more fair than all of Hellas' fine armies. Henry David Thoreau: To live deliberately ... and suck all the marrow out of life. Mark Twain: The news of its crossing has been greatly exaggerated. Stephen Jay Gould: It is possible that there is a sociobiological explanation for it, but we have been deluged in recent years with sociobiological stories despite the fact that we have little direct evidence about the genetics of behavior, and we do not know how to obtain it for the specific behaviors that figure most prominently in sociobiological speculation. Joseph Stalin: I don't care. Catch it. Crack its eggs to make my omlette. Captain James T. Kirk: To boldly go where no chicken has gone before. Machiavelli: So that its subjects will view it with admiration, as a chicken which has the daring and courage to boldly cross the road, but also with fear, for whom among them has the strength to contend with such a paragon of avian virtue? In such a manner is the princely chicken's dominion maintained. Hippocrates: Because of an excess of pleghm in its pancreas. Andersen Consultant: Deregulation of the chicken's side of the road was threatening its dominant market position. The chicken was faced with significant challenges to create and develop the competencies required for the newly competitive market. Andersen Consulting, in a partnering relationship with the client, helped the chicken by rethinking its physical distribution strategy and implementation processes. Using the Poultry Integration Model (PIM) Andersen helped the chicken use its skills, methodologies, knowledge capital and experiences to align the chicken's people, processes and technology in support of its overall strategy within a Program Management framework. Andersen Consulting convened a diverse cross-spectrum of road analysts and best chickens along with Andersen consultants with deep skills in the transportation industry to engage in a two-day itinerary of meetings in order to leverage their personal knowledge capital, both tacit and explicit, and to enable them to synergize with each other in order to achieve the implicit goals of delivering and successfully architecting and implementing an enterprise-wide value framework across the continuum of poultry cross-median processes. The meeting was held in a park like setting enabling and creating an impactful environment which was strategically based, industry-focused, and built upon a consistent, clear, and unified market message and aligned with the chicken's mission, vision, and core values. This was conducive towards the creation of a total business integration solution. Andersen Consulting helped the chicken change to become more successful. Johnny Cochran: The chicken didn't cross the road. It was planted there by the police! Rodney King: Why can't the chicken just cross the road?

ROFLOL!!!

Anna: "ROFLOL!!!" Me Too!!! :-)

There's a slightly different collection linked to from near the end of the Jane Austen jokes file at http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~churchh/austt10j.html ; this version includes a Pride and Prejudice version of the chicken joke...

Oh dear... Oh dear... I have to wipe my eyes now to resume my viewing.

Another ROFLOL. With your permission, may I e-mail this to my children - they love these things and I usually get jokes from them.

Oh, Inko. No permission required. I am on a list of one of those infamous net jokers. These things just get passed around. Usually the things she sends are stupid, but if I get an LOL from any of them as I did with this, I shall put them up.

SAY CHEESE!!! WE ARE GOING TO THE SUPERBOWL!!!

Ann - I am happy for you. and for all those barechested men in the stands the announcers kept talking about. what a way to call the rest of us sissies.

There's joy in cheeshead land.

]There's joy in cheeshead land. Not to mention Beantown!

Congratulations Ann (Cheesehead) and Myretta (Beantowner) - it's nice to see some different teams in the Superbowl. Now - are you two going to have a bet on the outcome????;-)

Alright, the beaner and the cheeshead toe to toe.

Yummmm, does this mean that at all the Super Bowl parties -- Bean dip and Cheese Doritos will be served?

Woo-hoo, Ann...maybe it will help you forget last year ? ;)

BTW, people...only a month until catchers and pitchers report to Spring Training. Can't wait. Go Braves.

PLEASE, Mrs. Bennet, no sports, I BEG you! :-(

That's why I put it in the ramble topic, Joan. It is supposed to be for anything one might want to say. As for me, though I will be cheering for Green Bay, I have absolutely no faith in the team and fully expect them to choke.

Ann, have a little faith! ;) --- Joan, sports can be a very welcome diversion from computers, I must say...I hope to be able to make at least one Giants-Braves series at the 'Stick (okay, 3-Com!) this year...anybody else out there like baseball? ANYBODY???!!!

Kali: anybody else out there like baseball? ANYBODY???!!! Kali, I'm a big Detroit Tigers fan, growing up in Michigan it was a part of my childhood training just like ice skating and mosquito slapping! I spent many happy days at Tiger Stadium as a child...can't believe they're going to tear down that beautiful o ld stadium! :-(

I grew up a Cardinals fan. St. Louis. Busch Stadium. Joe Garagiola, Harry Carey, Jack Buck and Tim McCarver used to broadcast the games on KMOX.

Harry Caray...sigh...I've grown up on Skip Caray... Yay for you guys...baseball lives! And yes, Cheryl...stadiumwrecking is a crying shame...I had the displeasure of seeing Comiskey in varying degrees of demolition whilst the new Comiskey was constructed...almost like the life was being sucked out of the old stadium and being pumped into the new...

Congratulations Ann or should I say Slart? So your team is in the final. Well, the beleaguered Australian One Day Cricket Team has missed out on the World Series Cricket Finals for the first time in 17 years! And on top of that is the New South Wales Shield Team losing very badly to Western Australia, in their Sheffield Shield match at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Now let me tell yo all that when NSW Cricket is strong, Australia is strong! So come on NSW and Come On Aussie! Oh, Cheryl, now if you would really like to see some venerable old grounds, come and see our grand stands at our Cricket Grounds!

I drove by some folks playing cricket in Austin the other day. Will you please start a cricket topic in the sports conference Ian?

If you'd like me too, Terry! BTW, what are you doing up at this hour?!? Now if you were in Australia... :-)

I had to come in to work early today because we're facing an ice storm and the company I work for is on a crash project and need everyone they can to be here. I'm not normally up at this hour. Have you seen that austen is the feature on the Spring's main page today? If I were in Australia I'd probably be warmer now.

Another connection, Cheryl. I grew up as a Tiger fan too. Stormin' Norman Cash, Al Kaline (saw him hit a grand slam once), my mother's heartthrob, Rocky Colavito (sp?) And Terry, you lived in St. Louis? Me from 76-80. End of the Lou Brock days, hot muggy afternoons in left field. Attended the 7th game of the 80 world series.

Kali, gang; live in Milwaukee, and my hubby was one of the many enjoying themselves at 1 degree above zero yesterday (although I hope, I very much hope, NOT one of the barechested ones! :) ) Anyway, baseball is my game; started as a Braves fan (yes, here in Milwaukee when I was just a sprig), have become a Brewers fan. I can enjoy any baseball game; when we vacation outside of Duluth in the summer we go to Duluth Dukes games; fabulous fun, e specially if the San Diego chicken is visiting.

i've got to know how to make a good pizza any ideas????????

Must have a stone, Yair. That is the first thing -- unless you are doing deep disih. Amy Who Used to Live in Chicago

Amy: Another connection, Cheryl. I grew up as a Tiger fan too. Stormin' Norman Cash, Al Kaline (saw him hit a grand slam once), my mother's heartthrob, Rocky Colavito (sp?) Cool, Amy...I still look back on my 9th birthday as very special...I spent it with my Mom at Tiger Stadium watching a Twi-Night Double header against the hated Yankees...Tigers won both games, Al Kaline hit a homer in one, Mickey Lolich got a one-hitter i n the other and the Tigers went on to win the Series that year ('68,of course, not '84!) Can still sing the Tiger fight song I learned in 4th grade..."Sock it to 'em Tigers, show 'em how to play...)

Not 'Teach me tiger', Cheryl????

We're all behind our baseball team. Go get em tigers. Right? Go get em, Detroit Tigers. Go get em Tigers!

I like the Saint Paul Saints--Northern League team that put the fun back into going to see baseball games. They are a total hoot. (Daryl Strawberry slept here)

Terry, Amy -- St. Louis is my home town. I remember seeing Stan Musial play at old Sportsman's Park (I was a tiny child, OK?) There ARE no announcers to compare with Jack Buck and Harry Caray describing the game on a hot August night on KMOX -- "this is t he Cardinal baseball network."

Yay! More baseball fans! Wow, Mari...you're an even older Bravie than I am...I got hooked back in the eighties, when they still sucked...a great time to love baseball, b/c every game was personal. Fay Vincent was even threatening to review our status as an Atlanta team! I still have my Dale Murphy baseball card collection...over 300 cards, including his two rookie cards and one I got autographed. --- Good pizza? Zachary's stuffed is the best...they make their dough with beer and put the sauce on top and the toppings inside (go figure)...unfortunately, you can only get Zack's in Oakland and Berkeley...:(

Talking, pizza : fav : thin crust with pesto, goat cheese, green and black olives, onions, prosciutto and walnuts. Other one is curried chicken pizza If you're in the vicinity of Montreal, go or order at Pizzedelic.

Another Braves fan here! The Murph was great, also BRUUUUCE Benedict and Jeff Treadway and Lonnie Smith (so what if he fell for the deke--they should have been able to get him home). Go Braves!!!

LLohr (lilah)''There ARE no announcers to compare with Jack Buck and Harry Caray describing the game on a hot August night on KMOX -- "this is the Cardinal baseball network."'' Lilah, I beg to differ; there is nothing like driving home from your summer vacation and enjoying Bob Uecker announcing the Sunday afternoon Brewer's game...''Get up..Get up.. Get outta here....''

Mari, I'd just about settle for any announcer describing any game...are football and basketball seasons over yet???

I grew up in Minnesota BEFORE the Twins and the Vikes, so am thrilled the 'Pack is Back'. Saw my first major league game in Tiger (then Briggs) Stadium because that's one of the things we always did when we visited our Detroit relatives. Great memories. .are they really going to tear that wonderful stadium down, can't believe it.

Moved to collapse topics: Tue, Jan 14, 1997 (10:14) | Laura McCarthy (LauraM) Sorry, but I must do this. GO PATS!!!!!!! JAMBALYA YA JAMBALAYA YA.... Think of me doing a really stupid dance right now. 4 responses total.

Yep, Meggin...Lonnie Smith remains my all-time favorite left-fielder. And Bruce one of my favorite catchers...and Jeff Treadway my favorite second-baseman. BTW, I have one of Jeffy's broken bats...something only the biggest fan would want, considering h is relative obscurity! ;) Oh, and Jeff Blauser is also a god...because he's a Californian...;)

Oh, and Laura...I support your Patriot Victory Topic... :::) Solidarity among the sportsfans!

Cheryl and Amy- how could you forget Denny Maclean? And not a bad piano player for a jock. What I remember best about Tiger stadium was the smell of the Wonder bread factory on the way in, cruising the Lodge with the windows down. And CKLW on the AM radio.

Bruce: Cheryl and Amy- how could you forget Denny Maclean? Bruce! Another Michigander has come out of the closet! ;-) I have not forgot Dennt McClain, they could not have won the '68 Series without him! But it was Lolich who won the game I was describing. ;-) I hadn't thought of the Wonder Bread factory in ye ars! Thanks for the reminder! Fresh bread--what a wonderful smell!

Nice collapse Amy :-)

] forget Denny Maclean? __ Hey Bruce. Another link. Tigers and Bob Seger. Nice combo. Denny MaClean, the million dollar arm with the 10 cent attitude. re the Lodge: kid story about that another time. Where did you guys grow up? Me, in Mt. Pleasant, but I worked in Detroit for a couple of years right out of college (Central Michigan)

We have a Tiger Wood topic in sports by the way, the sports conference here.

Did I say we had a sports topic here? I believe a Pats topic would be supportablee there, my dear.

I meant of course, sports *conference*. Imagine, an entire conference devoted to sports and austenites are more than welcome to elucidate on any topic there.

Amy: Where did you guys grow up? A Michigan Revival Meeting, eh? ;-) I grew up in Pontiac, a blue collar factory town, about 1/2 mile from the Fischer Body plant...walked many a picket line in my youth...;-)

Grew up in Albany, New York.............but left in 73'.

And for the favorite pizza person........ i found that it you use the pilsbury pizza dough it is pretty good, brush it with olive oil and heat it up first with nothing on it for about 3 to 5 minutesR 350 DEGREES then add just all fresh ingrediants......fresh tomatoes, parley, basil, oregano, thyme and ground pepper (both red and black).....Crushed red pepper is ok if you cannot find whole to grind..... then chopped onions, green and red peppers, sliced mushrooms..... then add a fresh ground italian sausage or a good hard sliced peperoni cover with a mixture of cheeses 50% shredded mozzerella and the other 50% a mixture of romano, parmasian, provalone and white chedder return to oven until cheese is melted........

thanks tj but after having second thoughts about it i think i'll keep on letting dominos do the hard work. does anyone know anything about bangkok thailand i'm going to go there and i can realy use some guiding .

Kali, send me a splinter sometime! :)

You got it, Meggin! :)

Boy am I an outsider here! Never seen a game of baseball or whatever you're talking of with such eagerness.( Small chance in Sweden .) Have copied and saved those two delicious sounding pizza variations, though. And thanks Hilary for Tiger memento...

Come visit, Ann2, and we'll go to a game...

It was thirty years ago that we all met. Five very silly fourteen year old girls. Together we practiced for womanhood. Clothes, make-up, and boys. Little did we know that what really prepared us for the future was the simple act of being together. We would talk deep into the night. Eating junk food and chocolate, sipping sodas. We spoke of our hopes, dreams, and fears always starting so seriously and always ending in laughter with tears running down our cheeks. We grew up together, the five of us. Transforming from girls to young women. We ran gaily then. Each of us, one by one meeting, falling in love, and marrying our soul-mates. Those years were filled with bridal showers, weddings, baby showers, and chil d-birth. After each milestone we would gather, talking deep into the night. Eating junk food and chocolate, sipping wine. We spoke of our hopes, dreams, and fears. Always starting so seriously and always ending in laughter with tears running down our heeks. We went head-strong into our thirties. Each developing a new found independence and calmness which comes when you have finally begun to feel comfortable with yourself. Our careers were established, our children growing, and all five marriages still stro ng. We had all done our jobs well. It was no problem to leave our families for short periods of time. It was then that we began our "Enchanted April" weekends. Off to the mountains or the ocean. Talking deep into the night. Eating junk food and choc late, sipping wine. We spoke of our hopes, dreams, and fears. Always starting so seriously and always ending in laughter with tears running down our cheeks. Our thirties began to come to a close. Each time that we would meet, we would sound like a Jane Austen novel -- "How is your mother?" "How is your father?" -- this would follow with tales of illnesses and hospitals. When or how our chain calls started, I don't really remember. It was a instinctive reaction designed so that the sufferer would not have to repeat their story more than once. One would call the other, each in turn. "One of us is hurting" we would tell the next until we made a complete cir le. Again, we would gather. Talking deep into the night. Eating junk food and chocolate, sipping wine. We spoke of our hopes, dreams, and fears. Always starting so seriously and always ending in laughter with tears running down our cheeks. One by one our parents began to leave us. We held hands and our breath and tip-toed into our forties. We now gathered most often at our parent's funerals. Although our husbands tried to comfort us, it was the five of us that we would seek. Talking deep into the night. Eating junk food and cho colate, sipping wine. We spoke of our hopes, dreams, and fears. Always starting so seriously and always ending in laughter with tears running down our cheeks. Just this week another mile-stone has occurred. One of us became a widow. How can this be? Up until this moment, we all still remained with our one and only husbands. How lucky we were -- how well we choose -- how smug we were -- how fearful we are. Did we never think that this type of tragedy would happen? All along the chain call, each one said the same thing, "I am so scared. We now must face the facts. There will be a time when one by one we will start loosing each other." Tomarrow we will bury her husband. After the sevices, when everyone else leaves, we will remain. Talking deep into the night. Eating junk food and chocolate, sipping wine. Speaking of our hopes, dreams, and fears. We will start out quite serious and somehow end laughing. Funny how there will still be tears enough to run down our cheeks. Thank you for letting me ramble.

Oh, Candace - that is absolutely beautiful. Now where is that box of tissue! Please do share this with your five-some, too.

Candace..........THANKS

Candace, it should really be the other way around....I thank you for letting me follow your rambling. I feel an ache in my throat and my eyes are a bit dim. This past autume my mother died and I miss her so. This life is ours to handle with care, and the way you and your friends do it together is just.... Oddly, I find it comforting that it is the same for us whoever or whereever... We must part from the one's we love. Better think of it now and then...