yesterday i spoke with my sister berit in santa cruz.
well, she's really my soulmate friend. she was my dear friend and roommate in oakland and since i am an only child, we decided when i moved to los angeles and she moved to santa cruz to become sisters. that way, we will forever be in each others lives. she lives downtown there with her husband and is having a baby in less than two months, i am planning a visit when that happens. i remember a few years back when i was fed up with los angeles and how lonely and isolating it can get here, i went to visit berit, who was living with her friends vicki and scott at the time. vicki has 3 kids and the house was full of toys and fruit and flowers and visitors, and the yard was one big garden. vic and scott always had people staying with them and i decided when i got home to re-create what i really wanted here in LA. since it is such a driving community and people don't just knock on your door on their way to/from anywhere, i promptly started inviting people into my home for coffee and conversation, opening up and letting people stay with me whether i really knew them well or not. as a result most people i know have crashed at my house at one time or another, whether during a break-up, graduating college, visiting LA, moving back here, saving money to travel, between places, whatever. i even once moved my friend Melinda and her 5 year old daughter Marlon into my one bedroom when they were having some hard times. we had a slumber party that lasted for about 3 months. the joke at work is that almost everyone in LA has lived with me or crashed in my bed at least once.
It feels good