What did you do on the hottest day in the history of the Universe? Beth and I walked two miles through the forest, examining bear scat (poop), and a cluster of three black trees that appear to have been hit by lightening. I thought I had heard an impossibly close explosion last week, and that might have been it. What the lightening hit I mean.

Oh and for the first time in all my years, the forest felt muggy and close, yucky in twin talk for why walk here today? Because Beth wanted to take photographs with her new camera and that was that. Stopping Beth in mid-desire is like stopping a train by sticking out your hand. Don't even bother.

Besides, she makes everything fun anyway, which is how she manages to remain at the tippity top of my AAA list forever. Oh and sensitive, caring, competent, good cook (all true, more to come) really compulsive house cleaner. When she comes to see us, our house shines for years. One time Beth took down our bathroom fixture and emptied out the dead flies. OMG we laughed at her for hours, and she kept justifying how easy it was, and how she enjoys doing it... she should start a cleaning service - she'll make millions.

Beth has one downside. She won't answer e-mail, and you know what that means to me. It's like my life, I am addicted to my laptop. I could survive in prison if I had my laptop. And Baya and Esme could come for overnight visits! E-mail, Poobah, Rebecca, Nathaniel, the twins, a few friends, and the laptop. And Stevies' special home cookin'. Yup, my version of "Martha Stewarts" 'cell'. Of course I am assuming that LuLu and Maxx came with Stevie for daily visits. I wouldn't expect them to stay in a tiny cell, but who knows... they might be happy. But then someone like Beth goes and ruins it all for me. She wouldn't even know what had happened to me, because I would be exonerated by the time she checked her email. Sixteen years later.

So, our walk. We were chased and bitten by horse flies, and deer flies, who have no respect for deep woods off. Or you have to buy a new bottle every few years. My head has bumps all over it, since I am no good at spraying my head without spraying my eyes. Yes, you are supposed to spray your hands, then pat your head, but well, I am always taking this particularly unsuccessful shortcut.

Our walk was because Beth had the bad judgement in my not humble opinion to move to Myrtle Beach, SC. Everyone envies her and all that but I just want her back home. I haven't ever had a 'my own age' friend like her. She is such a smart/goofy person all at once. And we are both such control freaks, that I always imagine the Lord watching us and laughing her butt off. So to speak.

We are so unequal. Beth is very very smart, and tall, and athletic. I am not. Leave it, just leave it there. I am funnier, let's say, and so you won't think I am putting myself down for no reason. She is very funny too, but we both love to read equally. We also both have one biological daughter and both named that child Rebecca. When they were very little, in order to know who we were referring to, the older - mine - become 'Big Rebecca', and the younger one belonging to Beth simply became Little Rebecca, or, as i currently call her, Little. Or LittleR.

The irony of that, is that both Rebeccas are now lovely and young ladies, and Little Rebecca is about 6" taller than Big Rebecca, or for that matter, me. She is a good friend to me now also, and has been her whole entire life, nearly. It is a pleasure to have friends like this, like Beth, like Shirley, who are like this:

No boundaries. Total sympathetic listening. Revalations of spiritual growth and enlightening books and hope for the world and good recipes too. From the least important of things to the way to run the world correctly - in truth we three (there are really five of us but that is too long a story) could reshape the world. Or so we think, if only someone would listen. we have no idea how to get politic, but Shirley is fencing her way to wicked feminist fame. I bet on her.