She's Two!

The blog world is full of dark messages today. And no wonder.

That was a bad day, 9/11. (I'm sorta into understatements.) I was at my friend, Betty Jean's house. I was staying with her to help her take care of her grandson. I was getting ready for work and happened to walk by the tv just when the tower's were being attacked. She was sitting on the couch, stunned. Time did stand still. It was shocking. I'll never forget what she said. "I hope it wasn't white people who did this." ?????? What the fuck? God love her. She used to say some backward things. I said, "What in the hell are you talking about?" She said, "You know... like the other guys... the unibomber and those kind of guys. It seems worse when we Americans are attacking ourselves." I said, "Betty, I know this comes as a shock, but there are lots of Americans who are not white." She giggled in her little schoolgirl way. "Oh yeah." I miss her silly self. She lost the battle to ovarian cancer the following year. It's hard for me to think of the events of that day without thinking of her.

But the most shocking thing, to me ~ the thing that made it hard to concentrate on work that day, that made it impossible to do much but stare at the computer screen ~ was the idea that people could be so intentionally destructive. (Gosh, Teri, have you ever heard of war?) I didn't see it as an attack necessarily on Americans. There were people in that building who were not Americans. And all of us came from somewhere else, except the Native Americans, right? I saw it as an attack on mankind. It was pure evil, through and through. No matter where you stand politically.

The response of the nation I can only describe as horrifying. The sudden view of any mideastern person as "the enemy." The sudden desire to give up our freedoms, right and left, in the interest of "security." We felt powerless. We felt as if SOMEONE had to do SOMETHING! So, no matter the request, we were there. Even if it comes down to traveling with just the shirt on my back (no pants or shoes) I'm ready to do it! JUST MAKE IT SO THIS WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN! What a bunch of dolts we are. As if any of that has any effect on whether or not this will happen again.

So here we are. Time marches on.

Two years ago, my granddaughter was due to be born around this date. People almost unanimously said, "Oh! I hope she's not born on 9/11!!" And I'd say, "Why?" They would normally just say, "um.... I dunno.... just seems like that would be bad!"

I said, "I think it's a good thing to have new life come to remind us that it doesn't end there." And so it was. She was born on 9/11/04. I'm pretty sure she's not the only one.

Recently, I was reading about the Biship Pine. A forest fire can sweep through thousands of trees and cause great destruction. How in the world can we replace so many trees? The seeds. As it turns out, "the tight-fisted pinecones only open in the heat of a fire." There is always a provision made for life.

So we remember the dead and celebrate the living. Can't do one without the other. Would make for a terribly imbalanced life.

So to celebrate BrynLeigh Jade at two, I'll repost the poem I wrote for her just after she was born:

Sweet light that shines from those bright eyes,
Makes heaven wish for bigger skies.
The sun could warm the darkest place,
Yet still not match that precious face.
And in her orbit, gorgeous moon,
Seeks to make a dim world swoon.
But all her efforts pale in vain
When those small sighs our hearts obtain.

Haven't Got Time For The Pain?

As a mother, you feel you need to absorb so much.
Not having ever been a father, I don't know how it works for them.
But I can only describe it as like having to...
absorb impact.

My little son was so sensitive and sweet. He was just made that way.
There were people in his life that were much too hard on him.
And I had to let them be hard on him. I let them convince me that
he needed to be tough. And of course, this is true. We all need to
be tough. Unfortunatly, sometimes we forget that the world will
be tough enough. We don't have to be the ones to do it.
I still remember his big blue eyes. They are the same eyes of my
granddaughter, his baby girl. But she, being a girl, won't have so
much "toughness" inflicted on her. It's okay to be soft and sweet
with girls.
After I had my girl, and saw this, I realized that it's so much easier
to be a mother to a girl. When I became pregnant with number three,
I thought to myself that I would die if I had another boy. My heart
couldn't take it.
But it was a boy. And he was nothing like the first. He was rough
and tough and rarin' to go. Like a little tank. I came to understand
the toughness that boys get exposed to, when they handle it in a boy
way. But the first boy was not like this. He needed tenderness.
And I gave him plenty of it. But he needed more. He needed
acceptance. And I gave him plenty of it. But he needed more.
Now he's grown, and I watch in agony as he goes through diagnosis
after diagnosis (the current one being schizophrenia).
I watch as he goes through the hardness of life and the continued
lack of acceptance. As people continue to judge and "assess" him.
Yet he's entirely a charasmatic being. People flock to him.
He could be a pied piper.
He's charming, intelligent, handsome, creative.
When he plays the piano, it's almost a spiritual experience to watch.
He's a truly gifted individual. And he loves his baby.

I once said that being a mother is like having a steel pole driven
through your body. And the only way it will kill you, is if it's removed.
I feel like that every minute of every day.
You get used to the pain and you choose to be happy.
And you know what? They do too.

Feast or Famine

When my ex and I decided to separate, it was an amicable agreement. Sure, it was my idea, but he was alright with it. We were separating with a view to reconcile. We were to get counseling and try to work out some of our differences. Neither of us had a desire to throw away eighteen years of marriage! Really, in this day and age, that is nothing to sneeze at! *achoo!*

I started looking for a place to stay. He would stay in the house because he loved the house. I didn't. I never wanted to own a house and I still don't. He could keep the kids with him, as long as he kept the house. Truly, it was his behavior AFTER the separation that sealed the deal on the permanence of divorce. His behavior then put his behavior during the marriage to shame! (And it was pretty shitty!) But still, at some point, he suggested we go out one last time. Just to keep things nice, ya know. (this was while it was still amicable)

He is a cop. He had received an award for making the most drunk driving arrests the previous year and he had a certificate for free dinner for two at a pricey restaurant in San Diego. He thought this would be a fun way to go out with a "bang," so to speak. :) So we took off to the south.
We stopped in La Jolla to walk on the beach. At this point, he turned all ... hmmm... what's the word... well he turned on some ancient boyish charm. He carried my shoes. Told me stories of the history of the land, and such, proving his superiority intellectually. In short, he was wooing me. Didn't really work, but it was kinda cute. When we got into the car, he didn't even fuss at me about getting every single grain of sand off of my feet before getting in. He was like a real person. But sad, in a way. Just like a little broken boy. :(

Back on the way to the restaurant we were. He asked me to get the certificate out of the glove box so he could see the address. Up to this point, I didn't know the name of the restaurant we were going to. It was here that the humor of the situation hit, even as the final nail was hammered into the coffin of that union.

The name of the restaurant: Dick's Last Resort.

On a Lighter Note

I just got back from visiting family in Utah. My youngest son went with. In fact, he did 98% if the driving. He hadn't seen his niece since Christmas, so it's been awhile for him! And her second birthday is coming up on 9/11.

I was there two nights, and both nights my grandbaby spent the night. The first morning, I got up with her so her daddy could sleep in. I made her some scrambled eggs, toast and then she had some applesauce. I was tired, though, as I'd been up until one that morning. I took her outside to swing on the old swing in Mom and Dad's back yard. We had moved there in 1970, and I can't remember whether this swing was there already or if Dad put it up. Mom and Dad were gone on a trip, so I couldn't ask them! It's just a portion of fence, hung up with heavy cord onto one end of the clothesline. Just under the big tree. It's a real swing where you have to learn how to balance in order not to flip over on your head. Not like the newfangled things these days where you just get to put a kid into it and just let 'em hang there until they're sick of it. She was getting the hang of it, but was nowhere near ready to do it herself. So I picked her up and I walked and skipped and ran up and down the hill and played catch with her. I did this for about three hours and then went into the house and woke up daddy (and uncle). I said, "WHY would anyone ever have children? Now get up and take care of this baby. I'm going back to bed!" :)

(I forgot to add that I was going back to bed 'cause I'd been up all night partying! Like every grandma should!)

Okay... Here's More Things About The Thing

Here is what I said at another site about porn. (It's three posts, so it's long!)

Number One:

I used to feel pornography was to be accepted as something men... oh, for lack of a better word... need. I have a sister who's husband was addicted to porn. It wound up ruining her marriage. I tried to counsel her to take it easy on the guy. I mean, how is a man to resist it? I feel differently now.

I don't have a moral agenda against pornography. But I do believe (and many sex therapists will back me up on this, cause I've heard it from them repeatedly) that porn is detrimental to a healthy sexual relationship. Often, people who are struggling with sexual issues watch porn in order to help with them. Sex therapists will sometimes (not always) tell them that this will make things worse. And I believe it does skew the way men and women see sex and sexuality.

But all of that aside, let's address this porn insecurity issue. I was involved with a man who had not had a relationship with a woman in ten years. He pretty much totally depended on porn to... er... stir him up and keep things going. He had a pretty good sized collection. When we met, he was bowled over to find a woman who was so sexually driven. He said, "Oh I dont need this porn anymore! I have you!" (Well it is kinda true.. I am kinda like walking, private porn!) I told him I didn't care if he wanted to watch his porn from time to time. It was his business. After a time, he convinced me to move in with him. God knows how. It goes against every fiber of my being to actually LIVE with a man. We had a very active sex life. Then he started getting up out of bed and going online and watching porn. While I was in bed in the other room! And I was horny, too! I would go in and say, "what's up?" He'd sorta try to hide it and say, "oh, nuthin.. just readin emails" Hmmm... I said, "why are you in here looking at these girls when you have one who is ready, wiling and VERY able right in the next room?" He gave me some lame answer about getting ideas and doing it for me. (God help him. Poor guy.) Now, some of this was the "forbidden fruit" syndrome. (As I said, it wasn't I that forbid it... he grew up believing porn was wrong.) But really, I should never again like to be involved with a man who would rather watch porn alone, while I am at hand!

Number Two:

I realized after some serious thinking why it should bother me for my important person to be regularly viewing porn. It's because I want all of his experiences with naked women to be with me! There are arguments about whether or not "online" encounters are cheating, and I put this on the same level. Any intimate sexual encounter (and I am pretty sure that intimate emotional encounters count, too) should be classified as cheating, in my book. I would be extremely disturbed to find that my lover has been having cyber sex and/or phone sex with another woman. And even though with porn, you are not enjoying the participation of the woman, you are experiencing something intimate with her in mind. I think this would be highly destructive to your own exclusive relationship. If you don't want to be exclusive, then just don't be. Last I checked, this was still a free country!

Number Three:

Trouble is, porn can be a real addiction. Has nothing to do with the woman and whether or not she's making him feel wanted or if she's open and playful in the bedroom. Many a man really does feel the "pull of the screen" when the woman he's with has done nothing but make him feel all the things a man wants to feel. In fact, I think it's important to point out to women that if their guy is thus addicted, it is NOT a reflection on her inadequacies. Such is the same if her man is cheating on her. I do believe the old adage that if you don't give your husband a blow job, somebody will! But I don't think this should be taken to mean that men have license to go get it. It just means that they usually do. And when they do, it's THEIR trouble in dealing with their own needs properly, not YOUR failure to do so!

Seduction always begins in the mind. I believe pornography leads to discontentment and over time will lead to a man believing he is somehow missing out on something. It encourages infidelity. Any person who thinks it is strengthening the sexual bond is highly misled. Would it not then follow that swinging and other extramarital indulgences should strengthen, rather than weaken?

The relationship between a man and a woman is not based on sex or sexual experiences. Sex is the expression of what is happening between a man and a woman. Not the other way 'round. It doesn't get any more simple than that.

Lost in Spaces

In a previous post, I mentioned another space where I write. I don't write there any more cause they don't let me use words like shit, fuck and... well any of my favorite things. And sometimes, those words are just necessary to make the point! But it is a site where it's easier to post pictures, and I have plenty of pics of the entire family there! So visit it at will:

http://veriveriteri.spaces.live.com

I also have a "myspace" but that's mostly just to keep in contact with the kids in my life. (Yeah, Leslie, I just called you a kid!) Not much to see there, except maybe the comments of my biggest fans. And, no lie, sometimes their adoration is the very thing that gets me through. Someday I'll tell the story of how I feel about myspace.

www.myspace.com/veriveriteri

Okay, Here's The Thing...

I have strong feelings about pornography. Feelings about it's detrimental effects on men. In short, I believe indulgence in porn hinders him from becoming sexually mature. But I'm not a snob. I don't FREAK OUT about porn, or porn shops. Or if I see it on tv. In fact, about six months ago, I applied for a job at a sex shop. I think sexual freedom and growth is a great thing.

So, I was just today wondering, "How does my current boyfriend feel about porn? Does he spend his time watching porn?" Well first of all, he works A LOT and he drives A LOT and almost every spare moment is spent either sleeping or eating or sexing (that's my part.. hee) ~ and second of all, I asked him about an email I sent him about two months ago and he said, "I don't remember the last time I was online." (Not that I think porn is only available online.)

We met online. We first chatted on the phone for a week or two before meeting in person. I remember I would just ramble and ramble about what I thought about things and such. He is a man mostly of few words, but he was responsive and would stay on the phone a long time. I do recall bringing up the subject of porn and even asking how he felt about it. BUT, on the day we met, I was so overwhelmed by his... well here is where I lose it. I can't even think of the word for it. I even told him that day, "I don't usually date guys who are prettier than I am." He's just so... oh gosh... well he's like a viking that stepped out of some ancient battlefield. He's just so... (honestly, right now I'm weak just thinking about him) Well, anyway, ever since that day, I've been speechless. And I don't recall anything we talked about before we met or anything! My only hope is that this will wear off and I'll come to my senses! Or maybe my hope is that it won't! :)

I Have No Use For Eva Longoria

This post might have some random statements, such as the title.
And I have no idea why my background template decided to change. I was scrolling through the various options over a month ago, and I clicked on this one called TEQUILA, cause I thought, "ooooooh... I love tequila!" (Yeah I know. Good Reason.)
Anyway, I wanted to see what it looked like and it just never showed me. So I moved on. (It's true. I know how to move on from those things.)
The other day I guess it decided to change! Haven't decided if I like it or not. I had the rose-colored one for so long. I'm not sure I want to see things without the rose-colored glasses. Time will tell. It always does.
So I'm kinda pissed off today. My son is dating a girl whose step-father is a neanderthal. In all fairness, I know almost nothing about him. But everything I do know so far is negative. Well... he does make a very good carne asada, which is nothing to be sneezed at! Her mother is an idiot, at best.
So why should I be upset? Because now son and girlfriend are expecting a child. Which means (you guessed it) I am now linked to these two undesirables for the rest of my life!
Yesterday, the caveman found out about it. Parents' responses to their teenage daughter's pregnancy is always fascinating to me. I'm sure you can imagine that I've seen a lot of these responses. I have rarely seen a case where their first reaction wasn't in light of the reflection this will make on them as parents. They feel like they've failed. They are not happy about letting people know that they are failures. In short, it's all about them. As humans, it's only natural that our initial responses be about us. We are egocentric creatures.
This creature decided that he would insist that the "kids" get married. So I called a meeting. I told him that I understand his shock and concern, and that my son is clearly ready to take his responsibility in the matter seriously. His life has now changed drastically and will continue to do so. But I will not stand idly by while a "shotgun wedding" is performed. The man then proceeded to tell me about his upright view of the sacred wedding vows and their importance and blah blah blah... to which I said, "I don't agree." So he said, "Well then what do we do?" I said, "I say it doesn't matter what you or what I think, it matters what they think... let's ask them." And so we did. He conceded that the wedding was not going to be a priority that he would try to force. Fuckin hell. What's next? I can see that it's not going to be an easy journey. That's alright. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger, right?

Scary Women with Signs!

Yep. I'm talking about the women who are working the crosswalks during school hours. I rarely see a man doing it, so I'm gonna go ahead and presume to write this story as if it applies to the women of that ilk alone.

You can imagine that, over the years, I've been exposed (well not literally.. hehe) to a great many of these sign-holders. And they are not messin' around! You break some rule, which no one would have a clue exists, and they would have your head if they could! I mean I think they even have stuff like, "only blue cars are allowed on this side of the road, the red cars on the other, and all other colors are shit outta luck!"

Since the school district decided to stop offering the school bus for free, there is a LOT of traffic coming and going. So I have no doubt that these women have all rights to going "postal" at any given moment. (Someone else can think of a word that would apply to this job, as opposed to "postal." I have a migraine.)

My son drove me to pick up my little charges yesterday. He has only had to do this a few times and he was literally shaking when we got close to the crosswalks. It's like stunted driving because you are sure they are going to yell at you any second! Should I stop? Should I go? I said, "What's wrong? She's not in the crosswalk, you don't have to slow down." He said, "Those ladies scare me!"

Emotional Integrity

Worth every penny you pay for it. I lived for years without it. Didn't even realize I was doing so. It's kinda like being sick, but not knowing how very sick you are. Until you're well again. All those years of telling myself I was staying for the sake of the children. And I wasn't lying to myself. I really believed it was doing them good. At some point, the discomfort of the comfort of having things stay the same became too great to pretend away any more. So I had to go. After 18 years of a bad marriage, I finally walked out. It devastated the children. I don't believe there is any way to dissolve your marriage without devastating them. I don't care what "ideal circumstances" you come up with. But these seven years later, it's clear to me that the only thing to regret about the whole thing is that I didn't leave sooner. The children learned a much greater thing in seeing the end of that wretched union. They learned the difference between a home of darkness and pretense and a home of truth and light. There was a false sense of security that they didn't much like doing without at first, but when they came to know what REAL security stands on they were the much better for it. It all cost a great deal of pain, but every one of us wound up with the prize of emotional integrity.

I had the wonderful privilege of having dinner last weekend with my beautiful and vibrant daughter Erin (along with my visiting niece, Graci). Graci wants to leave Utah and go SOMEWHERE, ANYWHERE. She loved being here with us so much and even said she wanted to stay without going back home to pack up for the move! She hemmed and hawed about needing a job, etc. I told her, "When I came here, I had nothing... when Erin came here, she had nothing... and we've both had nothing several times since! But we'd rather starve in southern California than thrive anywhere else! You just have to decide to do it... and go... or you never will!" My daughter then interjected with a very serious look... she turned to me and said, "Mom, I know many people have criticized you for the methods you've chosen in child rearing and for some of the choices you've made, but I need you to know, that it's only because of the way you've loved me no matter what... no matter what kind of a shithead I am... that I have had the strength to do the sort of thing you're talking about. You have always made me feel beautiful and loved and important and strong and it's your belief in me that keeps me going." A mother can't ask for greater words. All three of my children have said things like this to me. After all the struggling and striving I went through, not knowing if it had been a mistake to leave their father... to find that they love me and admire me, even through my greatest weakness, was the great treasure I didn't even know I would find. I heard a phrase yesterday that I asked my youngest son about this morning. He was almost twelve when his dad and I got divorced. He's eighteen now. I said that I heard children would much rather be from a broken home than to live in one. He said, "That's true, mom... I most definitely agree. And have I told you today that I love you?" (Of course he had, he tells me all the time.)

The more men change.....

... the more they fuckin stay the same!

Yesterday I changed my yahoo profile to read that I'm in a relationship and I added "If you're interested in making friends, feel free to contact me... but condescending assholes need not apply" ~ sumthin like that. Figured it MIGHT filter out some of the asinine random contacts I get. I don't mind meeting people. In fact, I like to. Even now, I'm chatting with a girlfriend from Kentucky I met online a few years ago and we've become the very BEST of girlfriends! (HI BECKA!)

Anyway, today I received two random contacts... one new one ~ a married man looking for fun. We had a short but pleasant conversation, but only after I made sure he could read and knew that I was NOT interested in the fun he's after. At the same time, I get a message from a previous dumbshit who sent me a message a year ago or so and here is how today's convo went (his nick has been changed to protect his dumbfuckness):

adamsmith: hi
adamsmith: from, usa
adamsmith: i m adam amale

teri: hello...
teri: have we chatted before?

adamsmith: i think yes

teri: I think so too

adamsmith: i am adam and you ?

teri: I think I didn't really like chatting with you before... and I doubt I'll like it now

adamsmith: thanks
adamsmith: your asl please

teri: okay.. that's enough... now fuck off

Honestly, no wonder I have to write a book.
I can't make this shit up!

For Where Your Treasure Is, There Will Your Heart Be Also

The Clan of the Nordic Bear had a lovely gathering on Terrace Drive this last Easter weekend. Of course there was food and drink that wouldn’t quit. (Our new fun thing is the “bucket o’ margaritas” which makes it oh, so easy to drink one after another!)

Amongst the eating and drinking and merrying activities was a very nearly dead heat round of Balderdash… and no end of laughter. But midway through the game Grandpa Bill (aka Papa Nordic Bear, aka Dad) came in and made an announcement (even with his golf hat atop his head). “I found a plastic egg that must have been missed in an Easter egg hunt years ago in the front yard. In it, I put something silver and something gold and hid it in the back yard. When you are finished with your game here, everyone go out and search for it!” (He knew the egg was from years past, as it’s been ages since we’ve had children of egg-hunting age in the family.) So after Erika properly won the Balderdash game, we all went out smartly to find a little lone egg in a fairly large back yard. Yes, go ahead and picture it… a group of thirteen or fourteen adults wandering around aimlessly… saying, “Now where would I be if I were an egg?”

At one point, I began asking for clues. Dad would respond, “It’s in the back yard.” Ha. And then I’d say, “Is it visible?” He’d say, “No… hence the word hidden.” Ha ha.

Tami finally found the egg in the bird feeder, buried in sunflower seeds (after Dad relented and gave us a hint that it could be found North, Northwest of where Jim was standing at the moment). He made us all gather together while she opened it and inside was a neat surprise. A rock with some silver in’t and a rough little piece of gold from the Santa Fe National Forest he’d obtained years ago. Pretty cute treasure.

A Car Seat with a View

I played George Michael’s “Father Figure” for the grandbaby yesterday, while we were in the car driving to Auntie Tami’s house… this is what she probably heard:

Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah … loves you … blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah … daddy … blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah … loves you … blah blah blah blah blah

Just goes to show you… things can be so different, depending on where you’re sitting!

Things That Don't Make Sense...

This list, of course, is NOT exhaustive... I will feel the need to add to it from time to time, and you are all (all? that's funny... how many readers do I have? Five?) welcome to do the same... by all means ~ add to the TTDMS list!

1. People who drive big vehicles (i.e. SUVs and TRUCKs)forgetting to remember that, when they are pulled up to a stop sign, that the little cars can't see around them. When a person with a big head or a big butt is in a theater or at a parade, they are constantly aware that they might be a hindrance to the field of vision of the people around them. Why does this rule not apply on the road???

2. Women who get upset when the toilet seat is left up. I mean, really... can't you just put it down before you sit on it? Is it all that necessary to be able to sit on a toilet without first looking at it? Are you approaching the bathroom with your eyes closed? You ARE facing the toilet when you walk in, right? You don't walk in backwards? (Once, while visiting a bachelor friend, he said, "I always tell the women who visit to be sure and put the toilet seat back up please!!!" ~ he was a character.)

3. Why do you hear people say they need a bigger bathroom? What do they plan on doing in there... dancing? Seriously, how much room do you need to shower and use the potty? Even a bathroom with an oversized, fun tub... you just need room to walk from it to the bedroom, right?

4. Reminds me of a joke:

Why men will never understand women:

A husband in his back yard is trying to fly a kite. He throws the kite up
in the air, the wind catches it for a few seconds, then it comes crashing
back down to earth. He tries this a few more times with no success.

All the while, his wife is watching from the kitchen window, muttering to
herself how men need to be told how to do everything.
She opens the window and yells to her husband. "You need more tail".

The man turns with a confused look on his face and says, "Make up your mind.
Last night, you told me to go fly a kite."

Today... while the blossoms still cling to the vine...

March 10, 2005
Bill & Ginny
Celebrating 49 Years Together
with the fringes of love blossoming on the Family Tree… as always



The Dance: In dancing, the women usually know the steps and the men know the holds.

Marriage: Having someone to witness your life.

A wedding anniversary is the celebration of love, trust, partnership, tolerance and tenacity. The order varies for any given year. ~Paul Sweeney

Love is the thing that enables a woman to sing while she mops up the floor after her husband has walked across it in his barn boots. ~Hoosier Farmer

The bonds of matrimony are like any other bonds - they mature slowly. ~Peter De Vries

Spouse: someone who'll stand by you through all the trouble you wouldn't have had if you'd stayed single. ~Author Unknown

A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person. ~Mignon McLaughlin

We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love. ~Author Unknown

Love does not consist of gazing at each other, but in looking together in the same direction. ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Are we not like two volumes of one book? ~Marceline Desbordes-Valmore

True love stories never have endings. ~Richard Bach


And finally…

Remember, if you smoke after sex you're doing it too fast. ~Woody Allen