Mzgoochi and Demandn

It's funny how images can make you think of a person so fondly. Lahoma aka MzGoochi reached out her hand in friendship from day one of "meeting" her.  I have to hold onto the laughter that she caused/created around her so that I do not dissolve into tears. Lahoma knew that I loved monkeys, so she sent me so many graphics of all kinds of monkeys...she knew I would have a ball with them. I, on the other hand, made her laugh hysterically at the above picture of my own daughter and grand babies. We live a great distance from each other and I had not seen the twins in several months. I got this picture and freaked...my daughter is half Japanese - how are the babies blond? I swear Lahoma was rolling with laughter at me over my perplexion. Every time I think of it - it makes me laugh. I also felt very protective of Lahoma she was the same age as my Alisa, and she had been through so much in her young life...losing her Mom, Dad at an early age, radical breast surgery at 30 years of age...scary stuff. Lahoma loved her son Cameron and her "better half" Robert so much. I worry for Cameron being so young still. I know a lot of the younger journalers were very close to Lahoma and I feel so much for them too. She was such a helpful person, even when she was being picked on several years ago she still managed to reach out and help newcomers.

 I am so glad that I did get a few years to know her, I'm going to miss her like crazy...no more emails, no more ecards, no more "hey Sandi, check this out"...Fly to heaven's gate on the wings ofan Angel sweet child.....

Kim aka Demandn...a warrior's spirit that would not give up, fighting till the end. She was a beautiful girl, a loving wife and such a devoted Mother.  She wrote very well, and took you right into her life with her down to earth stories, even about routine things. I remember her getting incensed over an ex-wife's nonsense and man, it was like someone lit a fuse under her. And leave her kids alone, if you don't want a lioness in your face. Lord, how she loved her family...I feel so sad for them.

She also loved to take photographs, she had an excellent eye for it and some of the photo's were breathtakingly beautiful. Kim used to get on my case about finishing my stories that I started...I guess I left people hanging waiting for the endings. She did spur me on to complete some, for which I am grateful. Oh, Kim was so proud of her daughter's singing voice...she put on a recording on her journal and the voice is wonderful...so much talent. I hope she goes on to do something with it, it would be a living tribute to her Mom.

 I know when we mourn we are not grieving for the departed, we are crying for ourselves because of our own great loss in losing them.  I will remember these two wonderful friends until the day I die...hoping, someday, to join them in that great Garden in the sky.....Sandi