Amid the chaos that was my life the last two weeks I’ve played with some new features that I’ll be doing more of on the blog. There won’t be a set schedule, but each feature will have a specific focus (of sorts.) Today is the first in Laundry Lane. Laundry Lane is where I’ll talk about everything from friends to family life to toe woes of losing wieght (which doesn’t go so well when you eat junk food and stop working out) to chatter about fave TV shows or movies or even updates on the puppy (because I know that last one is what you all are burning to know about. lol)

So, Friendship.

Have you ever had the kind of friend who you could call on for any thing at any time and know they would be there for you with no qualifications? Or a friend who every time they hugged you, you got all squishy and warm inside? Or a friend who had a habit of wearing a really fabulous perfume that one brief sideways hug was all it took to cover you in the scent and have you thinking of them all day? Friends who you love to see their name on caller ID because you know that regardless of what the conversation topic is, one of you will laugh at something before it’s over? A friend you miss terribly when you go days without speaking or emailing or IMing?

I had friends in school, and I cherish my memories of them. Unlike CIS and a few of his friends though, we lost touch. I don’t know if our relationships would have turned into what I mentioned above, and I would’ve liked to find out. However, I wouldnt’ change the friends I’ve only recently (in the last year or so) found.

New and not as new, I have recenlty found myself surrounded by women that I respect and look forward to talking to. Women I can reach out to just as readily as they can reach out to me.

For the women in my critique group, The Bloody Pen Sisterhood, that means I can send an email with only FERRET in the subject and they know that’s my 911 call for help. (Yes, it’s an inside thing that will likely be explained later. lol) I hit a mini wall in my story tonight, I shot off the email and they bounced back with more questions and ideas that got me moving again.

Another friend recently cried FERRET, only she said HELP! The result of that plea is that I’m driving to Houston tomorrow morning to teach a workshop I’ve never taught before. Fortunately, I’ve taken the workshop many many times and know what it’s like to go through the process. The workshop is Candace Havens’ REVISION HELL. She changed my writing life first and quickly became one of those friends whose hugs make you all squishy and warm and take you to the brink of tears just from the love she pours into them. How could I not help her, with all that she’s done for me?

So tomorrow evening I will be in Houston, teaching for the Houston Bay Area RWA. Here are the details should you be in the area and interested:
Kirkmont MUD Building
10102 Blackhawk Road
Houston, TX 77089
Meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month, and begin at 7:30 PM, with social time starting at 7:15 PM.

Tell me, what friends mean the most to you? Why? Have you told them they’re important to you?

Come back Wednesday for a Writerly Writ from my Fab Feature!