RUBY TUESDAY - SPARKLE AND SHINE

Good Morning and welcome to Ruby Tuesday and I hope there will be lots of gems out there in the world for you sparkling and shining to add beauty to your day.   Gems and jewels can be found in all sorts of things - a kind word, a smile from a stranger, someone to open the door for you, to help you carry shopping, move furniture and even take down Christmas, or to make you smile as you take it down. 

I have been gathering Christmas in baskets and now have to put it away - apart from two big tables the furniture is back to normal and the room looks very bare and empty.   Don't be worrying, "Tinselitis" has not left the building - I have my cards sorted for 2012 and lots of other bits and pieces all in an appropriate place and hope to remember where that is.

I had trouble choosing the "friend" music for today's blog but decided on Carol King - I hope you enjoy it.

I have spent lots of time this morning in busy ways, but my mind has kept me company and I have been thinking about the joys of friendship and how it is a "sweet responsibility"  - I like that phrase, because for true friendships to work there has to be a commitment each to the other and an understanding.   There needs to be care and concern and not many people are blessed with more than a few "real friends".

True friendships flourish and grow irrespective of gender and I am so blessed to share friendship with "A few good men" and an inner circle called "The Golden Girls."

I share an on line friendship with the girls in "The Divine Secrets of the Blah Blah Sisterhood", "Merry Little Christmas" and several other groups with common membership - they are a wonderful, supportive, funny and caring group of women.  My Transplant groups give me wonderful support and encouragement and they too contain my on line friends.  I am thankful for the Internet - it has opened up the world to me.


Cool morning in my city today - but it is early and sleep eluded me for a few hours so much going through this busy mind.


Sharing some news with you - shortly there is to be a book release about a nation's reaction and response to the devastating Cyclone Yasi.   I wrote a poem and sent it through to Anna Bligh's Office (Premier of Queensland) and Bernadette Lawson took up the challenge of collating a collection of pieces and it will be released in book form very soon.


I received a copy of the cover for the book yesterday and share this with you now:

So there it is - my poem is included in the book and I feature on the front cover along with all the other people who felt the impact of this event and were prompted to write.


I am delighted although it all seems rather strange to me and there is much discussion as to if I should attend the launch in Brisbane on 3rd. March - time enough to make that decision.


So many lovely things happening to me and I am in love with my life.


Take care wherever you are and take on the sweet responsibility of friendship, show your care, be there, listen, advise, laugh together, cry together - just be together.   Friends are the family we choose for ourselves and I am sure I have chosen wisely.


Thanks for visiting the Musings from My Heart and I wish you a wonderful Ruby Tuesday with lots of sparkle and gleam.


Love and hugs,