B here now...

This month i am doing the A-Z Blogging Challenge.

B. Well, B makes me think of many things, and it's hard to choose only one to go with, so i won't.

B is for books. i love to read, and used to devour a good book in a few days. Family life and making art eats up a lot more of my reading time these days, but i still try to squeeze a book or two in when i can. i love all kinds of books; if it's a great story, i'll read it, true or imagined. As far as authors, there are so many... Joseph Campbell, Tom Robbins, Barbara Kingsolver, Clive Barker, Douglas Adams, Roger Zelazny, Louis L'Amour, Richard Brautigan, Anais Nin, Rumi, Henry Miller...oh, i can't just pass over Henry like that. Although i had been writing long before i read his work, Henry Miller made me yearn to be a writer. More than that... He made me yearn to really live, taught me to look at the world in a different, but wonderful, way. Books have the power to make you laugh, weep, understand... They can be life-changing. Books. Are. Necessary.

And, brothers. i've got two of them, both younger than me, both awesome people that i'm grateful to have in my life. They make me laugh, a lot. They stand up for me. They are there when i need them, as i am for them. One of my brothers is having a birthday today, and as i am reminded, once again,  of how quickly the time goes by, i am thankful my family and i are close, and that we've spent the years that have passed so far together.

The letter B can't help but make me think of my friend Barb Black. i mean, the letter B begins her first and last name, and i sometimes call her just B. She is anything but "just B", though, let me tell you.

Barb and i met several years ago on the internet. We've only talked on the phone once, but she is one of my closest friends in the world. i remember when i first saw her posts in a forum we were both members of. i was completely new to forums at all, and as i read through the threads, Barb always stood out. She was hilarious, first of all, and i am drawn to those with a great sense of humor. She also showed intelligence and an open-mind, and i remember thinking, i want to know her, but i'm new here, and why would she want to talk to me? Eventually, we did start talking, and over the years, a deep friendship developed.

She is an amazing person. i have a great deal of respect for her honesty, her candor, her raw nature, her generosity, her wisdom, and ofcourse, her stellar sense of humor. i am extremely fortunate to have her in my life, and to share as a part of hers. i really wouldn't want to imagine a life where i didn't call her a true friend, for that is certainly what she is, and those you hold onto, tightly. Ofcourse, if they're a true friend, they hold back.