From the Woods

Here I am in Strider's sitting room, staring out a huge picture window on miles of Maine mountains. This is such a big room that she added the bed and a side table without having to move any furniture-and now this great old wooden kitchen table for me to work on and a chest of drawers fill her front room and still she's nonplussed. She installed a john, too, since I can't do the stairs these days. Am I spoiled? Yes. And I'm loving every single thing. Because every single thing is because she loves me.

Strider's house is beautiful. I'd almost forgotten how unbelievably beautiful she makes her living spaces. Colors. Textures. Brilliant touches, like cutting and replacing the cat-scratch places on her big stuffed sofa and chair with funky carpet patches that look better than if it was all brand new. Like the thriving plants that she's always had a talent for growing. Like the tons of books and amazing array of good movies and tv series. Like the wonderful things that are everywhere that you look. Pieces of art, pieces of nature's own art, fanciful things that seem to each have a story- and that's the thing, they all do. She's got such talent at creating a home. I've never seen anyone else in my whole life who creates such spaces. And I can't believe how I'd almost forgotten what it was like to live with that force. It's happiness.

All that's happened- going gimp, moving from the building that burned down soon after I left, moving to The Shire, The Shire being flooded and leaving that, living at Aunt Nancy's Ashram, everything has moved me forward to being here. And yeah, sitting right here at this table, looking out this window, I'll finally finish the book. I almost got up and started writing in the middle of the night last night. But I was sabotaged by a pastel kitty named Clemmie.

Life astounds me. Truly when one door closes many may open...you just have to pick a good one and trust a little. And always go with the people who love you, because no matter how far you fall, you'll be okay. Better than okay; you'll get to know how much you're loved. And there is nothing, nothing, nothing better to fall on than love. It's the softest, bestest thing in the world.