Lucky Charms

I have, without a doubt, the best friends on the planet.

This past Saturday night Chez DeM. hosted a celebration of good friends, good food and good times, not to mention good margaritas. It was both a reunion (with out-of-town friends who could not have timed their visits more perfectly) and a farewell (for me)...and it was wonderful. Besides some of the best grilling this side of the Mississippi, dodge-bocce ball and buckets of "whimsies", I was presented with the best goodbye gift a girl could ask for - baubles! My funny, fantastic friends had made me the most beautiful charm bracelet and they had each contributed a charm that in some way represented our friendship. I've been wearing it nonstop since and can't keep from fingering it and smiling at the memories it brings. It will be one of the most priceless things I'll be taking with me to the Philippines (next to my passport, of course). Words, none that I write anyway, cannot express how much all these people mean to me and how much I will miss them.

Teardrops and tiki huts and toucans and celery seeds and messages in a bottle and courageous cats and prayer scrolls and margarita glasses and buffaloes and evil eyes and hands of Fatima and words of wisdom and horseshoe crabs and.....Elvis.

If this thing doesn't keep me safe and bring me luck, nothing will.