[happyhollergal]

Fred, what a story! I was cryin with ya, tears of sadness turned to joy. Thankyou for sharing that. It reminded me of my own troubles this past year, that I've been reluctant to share with anyone here. I guess I still hold on to that old garment of pride every now and then, not wanting to trouble others, and just always be happy, which for the most part I am. Anyhow, last August I met my mate, fell in love, and moved from southeast coastal Georgia to a very small country town in North Carolina. Before I moved, I had been growing and selling unique flowers (lilies, irises, amaryllis, tulips, etc) and was doing well with my little business. The flower business came about as a recommendation from my doctor that I find a hobby, since I had been diagnosed with lung cancer due to extensive exposure to chemicals that I used during the twelve years that I owned and operated a residential and commercial cleaning service. Anyway, I figured that I could sell flowers anywhere, so off to NC I went. Not long after arriving, I was introduced to the world of Avalon, UFOs/ETs/Conspiracies, etc, after having my own sighting. Now before that night of seeing the craft, I was a total non-believer. The craft was clearly not of this planet, and I immediately launched into what has become a year long investigation, that began when I found a video of Bob Dean and Neil Freer (UFO Insiders). Wanting more from Bob Dean, I found Camelot, then became a member of Avalon. During the winter months, I did my best to sell Amaryllis, didn't do very well, but I had plenty of time to look for the truth. I visited Avalon several times each day and followed up on what was written here. Since I was brand new to this reality, I felt unqualified to post anything, so I basically stayed silent most of the time. Well, springtime came and hopes were high for selling my flowers, and for about a month, I had lots of sales, then the recession hit hard and I understood that people had to eat rather than buy my beauties. My mate (who cares for the elderly) got extremely sick and lost his job of 6 years. We were hungry many times, but someone would always show up at the darkest hour, to buy something. After nearly 3 months out of work, one of my customers happened to need someone to take care of her 87 year old mother, and she thought of my mate, so he ended up with a better paying job under much better conditions than he'd had those 6 years. The flower sales just stopped, but we've been able to pay the mortgage and electricity and eat, so we're getting by. And, right after he got the job, my daughter and 4 year old grandson needed a place to live, so we were able to bring them here and take care of them too. Life has been tough, but I found something I've never had before; the purest love and sweetest spirit in my mate. I've learned to appreciate what money cannot provide. And the friendship of fellow truth-seekers is a treasure to me, but I would not have that if it wasn't for a generous soul who gave me a gift subscription to Avalon during my times of financial hardship. So to everyone who is about to give up hope, just keep believing and being kind to others, because you never know when someone is there paying attention that can and will help you. Love to all, and thank you for all that you've contributed to the past year of my life.