EMERGING FROM THE HOLIDAZE

The Philly family visit was most delightful at Christmas, with my sister Sue (on right) and I enjoying SPECTACULAR Longwood Gardens with my father. We timed it so that we experienced the DuPonts' party houses & ballrooms (now the endlessly-winding acres of greenhouses) both during daylight and after the fairy lights transformed everything. It was JAMMED--and for good reason.


One day Soeurx (my pet name for my sis, sortof a combo between French for sister (soeur) plus Siouxie (of the Banshees fame), and I trekked across Temple U.'s Ambler campus into the woods for a lovely, brisk woodland jaunt through the mists.



Among other things we encountered a confederacy of asses. The two with their heads together reminded me of the Kurt Vonnegut tale--I think it was Slapstick-- where two idiots put their heads together and became the president of the United States. Vonnegut had obviously envisioned the future! Thank God that era is passing, in just a few days. Hooray!


I also had the pleasure of meeting Tricia Gallagher, Creator of Team of Angels http://www.teamofangels.com. What a dynamo! She's currently developing a "Friendship House" for women experiencing depression and that empty-nester aimless feeling. I donated a copy of my award-winning inspirational book, BACK TO THE GARDEN: Getting from Shadow to Joy http://www.artofchange.org/april08 as well as the CD of Selected Chapters to her library for Friendship House, and here's what she had to say about it: "I was driving to Princeton right after our meeting and was so engrossed in listening to the CD that I went to Trenton... I kept thinking of how I wanted each of my kids to listen to it, and my friends too. I have listened to Wayne Dyer and all the big wigs for years and honestly, I got more out of this than anybody else. And then the book... I love every bit of it...the story, the message, the beautiful design, colors, photos, everything..." Thanks, Tricia! She is currently looking for funding for Friendship House, so please contact her if you have suggestions.



A day before my trip my new best friend and I visited my young friends with a Santa load. I have to tell you, even in the most dire years they've had up a Christmas tree--even when they were living in that dumpy little motel room in December 2006. Well, this year, no tree, no gifts wrapped, nothing. This was the day before Christmas. And the two teenage girls with their 3 little boys (pictured here with me are Aunt Kesha with her nephews DeAngelo on my lap, Davon & Davonte) had just been kicked out into their own apartment again--after moving back in with mom and the slew of other relatives living in their little house six months ago. The boys' mother works at Mrs. Winner's. At least she has a job.

Yes, it does take a village...I'm glad to be of the small service that I am to these kids & this little family... It's going to be a long road.... I hope some of the new social programs can help keep families like this on the road to recovery.