Remember Me?

Remember me? It’s been awhile I know and I have no defence other than the fact that my previous level of busy-ness escalated for awhile but has now settled down to general chaos. All my good intentions to post and visit over the last couple of weeks have simply contributed yet another paving slab on the road to hell.

I have missed the interaction with my blogging friends and fear that my status as AWOL has meant that some previously well trodden virtual paths between my blog and some others are well and truly grown over. For those tenacious souls who have dropped by just to say hi, I want you to know that I truly appreciated your thoughtfulness. Thank you.

I am afraid I haven’t done much except work or chores or sleep so in the absence of anything interesting to blog about I thought I would share some quotes from a page a day desk calendar I have on my desk at work (given to me by CrazieQueen last Christmas). Everyday it provides a quote about friendship and while some are sickly sweet some are worth sharing:

“A true friend never gets in your way – unless you happen to be going down”

~ Anonymous

“A good friend – like a tube of toothpaste – comes through in a tight squeeze”

~Anonymous

“The proper office of a friend is to side with you when you are wrong. Nearly anybody will side with you when you are right”

~ Mark Twain

“True friends are those who really know you but love you anyway”

~ Edna Buchanan

“The loneliest woman in the world is a woman without a close woman friend”

~ George Santayana

“You can always tell a real friend: When you’ve made a fool of yourself, he doesn’t feel you’ve done a permanent job”

~ Laurence J. Peter

“No people feel closer or more friendly than those who are on the same diet”

~ Anonymous

Based on these I think I can count my real friends on one hand, but then I have never been one to keep associates.

Meer-friends

Meerkats ~ Longleat October 2007

I have always have a soft spot for animals of just about every type. I grew up around animals and have had a pet of one sort or another for the majority of my life. So it is no coincidence that many of my days out are to zoos or wildlife parks or animal reserves of one kind or another. It is also no coincidence then, if we follow this line of logic, that many of my photographs are also of animals and I have also found that I love taking photos of them. Sometimes you capture a moment and it paints a wonderful picture of the animals personality. That is why I love the picture above. These Meerkats look like two old friends (though more likely to be family members) sat out enjoying the late afternoon sun. I was stood behind them and couldn't get to the other side of the pen so I waited until one turned his head and got the shot. I love the way the light makes their fur almost glow around the edges.

While I am on the subject of friendship, I thought I would share some quotes from my 'friendship' calendar which was given to me as a Christmas present by CrazieQueen.

"Friends are those rare people who ask how we are and then wait to hear the answer"
~ Ed Cunningham

"My friend if I could give you one thing, I would wish for you the ability to see yourself as others see you. Then you would realise what a truly special person you are"
~ B.A. Bilingsly

"Laughter is the shortest distance between two people"
~ Victor Borge

"The friend who holds your hand and says the wrong thing is made of dearer stuff than the one who stays away"
~ Barbara Kingsolver

"No road is long with good company"
~ Turkish Proverb

"Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is slow-ripening fruit"
~ Aristotle

"The worst solitude is to be destitute of friendship"
~ Francis Bacon

When Two Worlds Collide

When your seven worlds collide
Whenever I am by your side
And dust from a distant sun
Will shower over everyone

Distant Sun ~ Crowded House

I used to (and still do) love Crowded House. I remember when they hit the UK charts in the early 90's with 'Weather with You' as a hereto unknown band from down under. Their music always manages to throw a veil of calm on my chaotic life but that is not why I have posted their video. The lyrics in the song talk of seven worlds colliding but earlier this week only two did just that when I met a blogger from down under.

When I heard that Melody from 'Biglittlesister' was coming to the UK I just had to see if we could meet up. I have been visiting Melody through her blog for some time now and I have always loved seeing her part of the world through her blog. We had arranged to meet up in Trafalgar Square one day when I was up in London and I must admit I approached Nelson's Column with a little trepidation. I mean, knowing someone through their blog is one thing but actually seeing someone face-to-face is another matter altogether. I needn't have been concerned. We saw each other at the same time and there were big waves and smiles all round. We immediately decided that a pub was the best place for a chat and without further ado we were off.

Have you ever met someone before and just got along as if you've known each other for years? Well, that is exactly what we did. We sat and chatted, laughed and exchanged stories over a couple of beers and the time flew by. All in all it was a most pleasant way to pass a lunchtime. In the end the real world beckoned and I had to go back to work. We met as two Bloggers from different sides of the planet but left as friends. I hope we get to meet up again one day :)

Sailing on the friendship

I have spent a lot of time sat at my desk in front of my computer while I have been doing my MBA project. This of course is a totally different desk and computer to the one I spend the rest of my waking time at which is at work. On my study desk I have a little calendar which was given to my for Christmas by my friend CrazieQueen. It is one of those page a day calendars and apart from telling me what day it is, and which month it is (very important stuff) it also imparts a little thought about friendship in a pretty little floral way. Sometimes these quotes or sayings are philosophical, some are deep and meaningful while others are humorous, but all of them ring true in some way. I thought I would share a few of them with you:

A loyal friend laughs at your jokes when they're not so good, and sympathizes with your problems when they're not so bad
~Arnold H. Glasgow

Friendship is one of the sweetest joys of life. Many might have failed beneath the bitterness of their trial had they not found a friend.
~Charles H. Spurgeon

I don't need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better.
~ Plutarch

When friends ask, there is no tomorrow.
~ Proverb

A good friend is a connection to life - a tie to the past, a road to the future, the key to sanity in a totally insane world
~ Lois Wyse

Constant use will not wear ragged the fabric of friendship
~ Dorothy Parker

One loyal friend is worth ten thousand relatives
~ Euripides

I haven't got a huge circle of friends. I tend not to keep associates but would much rather have a few good friends. The sort that are there to enjoy the fun and frolics of the fair weather but also the rough sailing too. My life has been so out of kilter that I have not been able to indulge in my friends as much as I would like to, but I know they are there. And when I get this MBA project out of the way, and then the final essay I can start to return some sort of balance to my life and see my friends again.

I won't be around much for the next few days, due to work and study pressures, but as with my other friends, I will be back to socialise here too very soon.