Believe

So something incredibly unbelievable happened a couple of weeks ago. I've been too lazy to post anything. I'm sorry.
I have embarked on a journey that will likely take me a very long time to finish, but in the end it will be well worth the trial. I am putting my life down on paper. Mostly for my boys' sake, so that they will know everything and there will be no more secerets. I have spent many, many years seeking answers to the mysteries of this person that I call Sandra. Who am I, where did I come from, what was the journey and how do I survive?
One piece of this puzzle was for me to speak to the people who were important to my Mom. The ones whom she called a friend and who were maybe close enough to her that she confided her deepest, darkest secrets. I suspect there were many.
So I took a leap. I have this picture of my Mom and a beautiful young lady sitting with her. My Dad tells me the story of how, in 1976 my Mom went into a very short remission from her cancer and she asked him to take her to meet this penpal that she had only ever corresponded with through mail. This was her wish and so my Dad made it come true, God Bless him.
Two provinces later, my Mom was united with this penpal and the friendship that had developed through letters proved as solid as they hoped.
33 years later, I have found her!!!! After searching every site possible, googling her name, etc, I decided to write the town that she lived in 33 years ago. I simply told them that I was looking for this person, why and asked if they could email me back either way.
Not even a week later, I received an email from THIS PERSON!!!
She sent me a picture of my Mom that had been given to her, and in return I sent her the picture that I had of the two of them.
She is the most incredible person. So kind and her beauty rosonates through her words that she writes to me on a regular basis.
She has been looking high and low to try and find some letters that my Mom had written to her. Can you IMAGINE????? OMG! It may seem strange to most people, but having lost her when I was 2 years old, having some sort of memento of her, something that I could read and re-read and actually get a feel for her and her personality...it's not even something that I can put words to. It is all I've wanted, all my life.
I have learned that you just have to put yourself out there. Take the risk and accept that it may not turn out the way you hoped. But have faith. Look at what faith got me.

Sharing

If I share, will it make summer come???? Or maybe even spring??
A friend made this drink for me while I was having a visit at her house. She assured me that it was incredible. One sip had me hooked. It's completely guilt-free and you won't feel your thighs growing with each sip you take!! or maybe I'm the only one with that problem...

Strawberry Cloud
2/3 C. frozen strawberries
2/3 C. light vanilla soy
2 tsp fat free french vanilla coffeemate powdered creamer, disolved in 1 oz of warm water
1 oz sugar free strawberry syrup
3 packets of splenda
3-4 ice cubes or 1/2 C. crushed ice
2 Tbsp fat free redi whip

toss this all into a blender, blend until smooth and enjoy!

Here's what I did, as I didn't have all the ingredients that it called for:
handful of strawberries
eyeballed aproximately 2/3 C. skim milk
splash of sugar free french vanilla syrup
splash of sugar free strawberry syrup
handful of ice
a couple of good shakes of the vanilla coffee mate

I blended this up until it was smooth. It wasn't as creamy as my friend's but it was still incredible and the whole family enjoyed this. Kind of put a bright side to all of this cold, nasty weather that we've been having. Enjoy!!