Alkelda, you know we’re all about the TMI here, so don’t you worry a bit about sharing your hairy lip story. We embrace you and your mustache.

Christen, I know you’ll do fine. You have one of the more exciting lives out there, Ms. Heelies, Ms. Pole-Dancer, Ms. Pink Hair.

Little Willow, how sweet to give yourself permission to have FUN! Yay! And happy belated birthday!!

This week, I allowed myself to have FUN. I let myself to connect with people. I celebrated my birthday - which I thought I’d be alone for, no need to feel pity here, I’m just being truthful - because my castmates insisted upon it. I stopped apologizing. Okay, I didn’t stop, but I tried not to do it as much. I looked at the sky and smiled.

Thank you so much for your kind words. Everyone has been making me feel like the strongest woman alive this past week. =) I keep telling people that my head knows what I’m doing is right… I’m just waiting for my heart to catch up. But I think it will soon! And I looooove my girlfriends! They make everything so much fun!

So, I’m hoping to have some awesome activities to add to the Friday List from here on out!

Robin, yesterday I said, “I’m going to declutter the whole kitchen!” And hey, I got the hutch next to the kitchen done. I broke a wee trinket Bede had given me (that was bad) but I found the vinyl record behind the hutch that a friend of mine is going to copy onto a cd (that was good).

Okay, this may be a bit TMI for some folks, but one good thing I’ve done for myself lately is use really effective waxing strips for my upper-lip. (I use Parissa, for those who are interested.) Those who can relate to dealing with unwanted hair on their upper lips will understand what a splendid thing it is to find effective hair-removal systems.

Sheesh, I wonder if this is going to show up to haunt me someday: FAMOUS STORYTELLER REVEALS LIFELONG SAGA OF HAIRY UPPER LIP.

Also think I sorted out my order for your book on Amazon.de, with my non-existent German, rather useless translation widgit on my Desktop and a Lot of Hope. If you hear of dramatic sales in Germany, you’ll know I’ll have many copies to give friends and family.

And I found, read, loved and LJed at some length about Forever Rose , Hilary McKay’s final Casson family book. So good.

Finally, started reading Mindful Knitting by Tara Jon Manning and The Knitting Sutra by Susan Gordon Lydon. Very different, but both wonderful, and helpful in a lot of ways.

Oh right - serendipitously, I made homemade pizza for the first time in ages! Thursday night, rather than Friday, but I like your idea of making it a regular scheduled event.

So I’m exhausted, but I just had to see what you’re all up to, and all I have time and strength to comment on right now is–

Christen! I’m so sorry! But better now than after the deed if you were feeling like it wasn’t right. But I’m sure it was still an awful experience to call it off. So yes, please do all those nice things you mentioned. These are the times when we need our girl buds.

Everyone else, good luck on the organization, the cat-training (electronic collar, Annette? Boy, you’re harsh), the catching up on sleep, the reconciling with your car (Adrienne, what a drag car trouble is–sorry), the sleeping, the drawing, the reading, the shopping, the planting, the cooking, the eating–I love to know you’re all in good hands because you’re taking the time to treat yourselves right.

Ahhh. Now I can rest easy. Night-night.

P.S. Thanks, Kari, for ordering my book! And thanks, Dylan, for reading it! And Jules, let me know what you think of A,V, M. Did you see what Kari wrote? It rocked her world, too.

Seriously, good night.