tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2498719763759636773.post5310734690052912413..comments2023-10-14T18:34:30.879+02:00Comments on Lost in Arles: 48Heather Robinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01316279029849503437noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2498719763759636773.post-442375840112237182017-08-28T22:50:22.884+02:002017-08-28T22:50:22.884+02:00You're a brave person and I admire you; I know...You're a brave person and I admire you; I know things have not been easy, and your ability to "keep on keeping on" is impressive. Here's to a good year.Janhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11219411440961705480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2498719763759636773.post-6486330500164126992017-08-27T00:28:35.218+02:002017-08-27T00:28:35.218+02:00Dear Heather,
I'm late to the party! Have bee...Dear Heather,<br />I'm late to the party! Have been out of town and missed sending you birthday wishes. From this post, you clearly had a wonderful day.<br />Am so glad you are enjoying the summer and spending quality time with your friends. Happy Belated Birthday!<br />All my best,<br />Laura in Santa Fe<br /><br />Laurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13724871775184361617noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2498719763759636773.post-35742557484911805212017-08-21T12:48:29.298+02:002017-08-21T12:48:29.298+02:00I do?? Wow, that is pretty awesome! Yay! And yes t...I do?? Wow, that is pretty awesome! Yay! And yes to change for us both!! xoxHeather Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01316279029849503437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2498719763759636773.post-87249176063857158682017-08-21T12:47:54.187+02:002017-08-21T12:47:54.187+02:00I truly agree with you, R. I am so grateful!I truly agree with you, R. I am so grateful!Heather Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01316279029849503437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2498719763759636773.post-74958224741809142532017-08-21T12:47:27.144+02:002017-08-21T12:47:27.144+02:00And when you have absolutely no idea where you are...And when you have absolutely no idea where you are going or whom you are traveling with? ;)) Yes, thank you for this bit of wisdom. My friendships are so very dear to me...Heather Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01316279029849503437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2498719763759636773.post-7427262525881344122017-08-21T12:46:22.264+02:002017-08-21T12:46:22.264+02:00You ARE so young and strong, Maria! I feel it in e...You ARE so young and strong, Maria! I feel it in each of your responses, the vibrancy and force of your spirit. I am so very sorry for the pain that you have experienced but I am grateful for your reminder that it is possible to move beyond it and thrive. <br />xoHeather Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01316279029849503437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2498719763759636773.post-71222131581203619242017-08-21T12:44:58.490+02:002017-08-21T12:44:58.490+02:00Merci, Ali. That is very kind of you to say (I am ...Merci, Ali. That is very kind of you to say (I am dubious! ;) and for the encouragement!Heather Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01316279029849503437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2498719763759636773.post-57378712897260356592017-08-21T12:44:16.356+02:002017-08-21T12:44:16.356+02:00Thank you, Judi. Your strength and honesty inspire...Thank you, Judi. Your strength and honesty inspire me. xoHeather Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01316279029849503437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2498719763759636773.post-58171016172608200062017-08-21T12:41:58.281+02:002017-08-21T12:41:58.281+02:00Crying. Yet again. Every time that I read your kin...Crying. Yet again. Every time that I read your kindness and the poem, I cry. In recognition, in deep appreciation and profound gratitude I suppose. I love you, David. I know that you aren't joking. Thank you, my true friend. <br /><br />Happy Belated Birthday and how I am sending all Good Wishes of Prosperity as you open up the house. It is going to be a fascinating new chapter, one that fits perfectly. <br /><br />HHeather Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01316279029849503437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2498719763759636773.post-24270047944014319502017-08-21T12:34:58.055+02:002017-08-21T12:34:58.055+02:00Patricia, I can understand that because with each ...Patricia, I can understand that because with each birthday I feel like, "Yahoo! I am still here!" :) I never get that when people are sad on their birthdays about getting older. <br />And something tells me you are a pretty good friend too. <br />xoHeather Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01316279029849503437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2498719763759636773.post-87667854113388910102017-08-21T12:33:37.780+02:002017-08-21T12:33:37.780+02:00What a wonderful wish you gave me, dear Helen. Tha...What a wonderful wish you gave me, dear Helen. Thank you!Heather Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01316279029849503437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2498719763759636773.post-13877609671426247082017-08-21T12:33:00.474+02:002017-08-21T12:33:00.474+02:00No, we are friends, Judith. No modifier needed! Th...No, we are friends, Judith. No modifier needed! There is still a lot that I don't share. And I question that sometimes. It is always really telling what I keep hidden! <br /><br />You have always "seen" me here and I am incredibly, incredibly grateful to you.<br />love<br />HHeather Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01316279029849503437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2498719763759636773.post-40025645155846007182017-08-21T12:31:22.324+02:002017-08-21T12:31:22.324+02:00Sister. I have thought about your response here SO...Sister. I have thought about your response here SO MANY TIMES since I read it. I have. I love you with all of my crazy heart. Heather Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01316279029849503437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2498719763759636773.post-60569520562212728982017-08-21T12:29:42.063+02:002017-08-21T12:29:42.063+02:00How I hope that you are right! And I am working on...How I hope that you are right! And I am working on trusting in that. And I DO try to find the beauty and enjoyment. It is key. :)Heather Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01316279029849503437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2498719763759636773.post-6628354027498995522017-08-21T12:28:48.099+02:002017-08-21T12:28:48.099+02:00Much Mahalo to you Bill, for being the unflaggingl...Much Mahalo to you Bill, for being the unflaggingly supportive friend who is always encouraging me to go beyond what I think that I am capable of. You set the bar high, and I am grateful for you.Heather Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01316279029849503437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2498719763759636773.post-39090202340614539702017-08-19T18:55:22.909+02:002017-08-19T18:55:22.909+02:00We share a birthday :) I am 10 years older than y...We share a birthday :) I am 10 years older than you. 48 seems like a fantastic age. 58 is OK too! A friend of mine went on a journey much like yours... very similar ... and she landed in Italy and is making a life there because that's what she wanted and she did it though many people thought she was crazy. It can be done!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2498719763759636773.post-8557403094631241132017-08-16T19:31:02.965+02:002017-08-16T19:31:02.965+02:00Happy birthday! I love this post. How triumphant i...Happy birthday! I love this post. How triumphant in yourself you sound! Cheers to this exciting new year! Stephen Andrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00657698116552267561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2498719763759636773.post-86840369971595435552017-08-16T15:50:37.930+02:002017-08-16T15:50:37.930+02:00Happy birthday....the good thing is you are health...Happy birthday....the good thing is you are healthy, got stronger and stronger and <br />you have real friends on your side, because good friends are hard to find, harder to leave and impossible to forget Mumbaihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11371965577645396996noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2498719763759636773.post-10709398498468435442017-08-14T15:27:25.688+02:002017-08-14T15:27:25.688+02:00Life, no matter who you spend it with and where yo...Life, no matter who you spend it with and where you are, becomes more precious with each passing year. The moments should be savored a bit longer, the memories tucked deeper away and the friendships cherished even more. Change is scary even when you think you know where you are going and with whom you are traveling. . .Happy Birthday!Jackie and Joel Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14074129927177165084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2498719763759636773.post-12695721024875227972017-08-14T08:56:15.597+02:002017-08-14T08:56:15.597+02:00Happy Birthday! You are a young, beautiful and str...Happy Birthday! You are a young, beautiful and strong girl! I am 65, gone through many bad bad things but after 3 years of crying I feel again young and strong with my white hair! I wish you health and creativity and joy dear Heather. You will find it!Maria Anagnostopoulouhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03190298691825482709noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2498719763759636773.post-66415528839530502152017-08-14T05:23:10.353+02:002017-08-14T05:23:10.353+02:00Happy birthday dear Heather. You are just getting ...Happy birthday dear Heather. You are just getting better and better. Keep on, keeping on....<br /><br />Ali xx<br />Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01087735525738707731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2498719763759636773.post-88383277595435415202017-08-14T03:21:59.395+02:002017-08-14T03:21:59.395+02:00Happy Birthday, Heather! Wishing you wonderful min...Happy Birthday, Heather! Wishing you wonderful mindfulness, joy, and love. JudiJudi of Little Househttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01139266622691344314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2498719763759636773.post-17986892662031046602017-08-14T02:27:26.461+02:002017-08-14T02:27:26.461+02:00Oh, Heather......First of all, the happiest of bir...Oh, Heather......First of all, the happiest of birthdays to you. I don't think you're in need of my wishing you "many more returns"; rather obviously, you're a survivor. And, yes, I usually HATE that term when applied to the divorced (which would, unexpectedly enough, include me, these days)).<br /><br />You're always welcome at this old house, not entirely by the way (and, when the necessary day comes, I'll immediately buy the ticket for you, even if I have to borrow the money to do so)....and I sincerely doubt (reading what I've read on your blog) that you'll ever lack for friends who are MORE than glad to take the supposed chance of putting you up for few months or longer. <br /><br />You do know, I hope, that you're essentially in the position of at least half the "independent" women in the novels of James, Wharton, Forster, etcetera? So am I, for that matter (although my own circumstances are a bit more Tennessee Williams/blanche DuBois than yours are).<br /><br />I turned 57 last month. I haven't held a title or had an official "job" since I was 32. I have no children. I have nothing to "hide behind" (which most folks do, to be frank). I spent twelve years being told, basically, that I SHOULD take it for granted that "we" had an enviable apartment in Paris (inherited from Granny), a house in Perpignan, and no end of married-to-big-pharma perks (isn't it a given that one spends every May in Barcelona?).<br /><br />That's over and gone. It would be have been easier/simpler if that had come to pass without 18 months of lying, evasion, and outright betrayal-of-friendship (How hard is it to answer the question "Are you having an affair?") This month, I'll be opening up this 220 year old house as the B&B it was restored to be (and was, for about a decade in the 90's). I'm quite capable of making my own living as a successful artist; all that remains is for this big, old, rambling house to begin earning some of its own keep.<br /><br />I'm actually quite, quite happy to be doing this. Actually?...it occurs to me right now "Oh, Heather is EXACTLY the sort of person I would hire to come and help me run this place as a high-end B&B....which bedroom would she get??? Would she hate the humidity down here???". I'm not joking.<br /><br />For right now, Heather?....can we simply to say that, at age 48, you've entered The Age of Possibility?<br /><br />Here's the poem I always seem to send to friends on their birthdays. It's an unfinished poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay:<br /> <br /><br /><br /><br />As sharp as in my childhood, still<br />Ecstasy shocks me fixed. The will<br />Cannot entice it, never could,<br />So never tries. But from the wood<br />The wind will hurl the clashing sleet;<br />Or a small fawn with lovely feet,<br />Uncertain in its gait, will walk<br />Among the ferns, not breaking back<br />One frond, not bruising one fern black,<br />Into the clearing, and appraise<br />With mild, attracted, wondering gaze,<br />And lifted head unhurt and new,<br />This world that he was born into.<br /><br />Such marvels as, one time, I feared<br />Might go, and leave me unprepared<br />For hardship. But they never did.<br />They blaze before me still, as wild<br />And clear, as when I was a child.<br />They never went away at all.<br />I need not, though I do, recall<br />Such moments in my childhood, when Wonder sprang out at me again,<br />And took me by the heels, and whirled<br />Me round and round above the world.<br /><br />For wonder leaps upon me still,<br />And makes me dizzy, makes me ill,<br />But never frightened - for I know -<br />Not where - but in whose hands I go:<br />The lovely fingers of Delight<br />Have hold of me and hold me tight. david terryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18009130338123162371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2498719763759636773.post-72207081675232411852017-08-14T01:16:51.641+02:002017-08-14T01:16:51.641+02:00Yes, Heather ... 48 is just a number and a fine on...Yes, Heather ... 48 is just a number and a fine one at that. The surroundings for your birthday are stunning and it sounds as though your friends are equally so. I've always loved the saying that to have a good friend you must be a good friend. Obviously you are. At my age, I feel like every day is my birthday ... Celebrate and keep moving forward! <3<br />Patriciahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05412397722654867858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2498719763759636773.post-71214300239908365212017-08-13T22:57:58.237+02:002017-08-13T22:57:58.237+02:00Hello Heather,
Wishing you a very Happy Birthday. ...Hello Heather,<br />Wishing you a very Happy Birthday. May your year be spectacular and wishing you happiness, adventure and success beyond your wildest dreams. You look fabulous. I love that picture. <br />Helen.xxhelen tilstonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02791882664528962799noreply@blogger.com