[images of the Lumber Baron's sunflowers]

Ok…so I’ve been trying to figure out how to tell this story now for a couple of days.

I’m in a tricky predicament & want to make sure I both honor, respect & truly convey how appreciative I am for the wonderful gift from my Korean friend earlier this week. But at the same time…it was an experience worth telling in all it’s outrageously funny glory.

So my friend (and you know who you are), if you’re reading this….please, please, please, please, please, PLLL-EASE don’t hate me. I can’t thank you enough for everything you did!

And you were right, the first few days I felt completely exhausted…but I was amazed to recognize how much better I feel today. And all of that is because of you.

So I hope you are able to read this in the spirit in which it’s written…out of great love, respect for our cultural differences and the laughter that those differences can bring.

[ahem]

Without further ado…ladies & now 3 gentlemen of the blog…I bring you the tale of…

= HOW I SURVIVED BEING BEATEN WITH A BAG OF NICKELS =

Monday was a car day for me. Meaning I dropped Eric off at work & I took the one car we share for the day. There was an errand I had to run (which is another story entirely). But in the process of running this errand, I ran into my friend – let’s call her “Mary”.

Mary has been very sick for the past couple of months. Like me, she was trying every doctor, every treatment available to her…and unfortunately, she too was getting the run around.

The doctors couldn’t pin-point what she had, what was making her sick in the first place or how to treat it. So they decided to “manage” the symptoms with medication.

The medication left her near comatose…walking around like a zombie when she was awake. She was exhausted, pale, droopy-eyed, slurring a bit and emotionally spent.

But when I ran into her Monday it was like night & day.

She looked GORGEOUS!

Beautiful clear, glowing, youthful skin – and she had NO make-up on. Her eyes were bright & alert. Her speech was excited & she was happy. Even a total stranger could tell how healthy & vibrant she looked.

She had found an alternative treatment for what ailed her…and for her…it had worked miracles. She was completely sold on it and rightly so.

In fact, she was so convinced on how great a treatment this was, that she immediately told me I needed to try it. Given all the headaches I’d been having earlier in the year…the lack of diagnosis for what’s ailing me…she thought this might help me, too.

So before I knew it she was scheduling time to come over to my house with the girl who treated her in order to give me a partial treatment – just my neck & shoulders – for free.

It was her gift to me…and I had no idea what I was getting into.

[part 2 tomorrow]