when I say that I have some gorgeous friends, I am not messing around.

Here are those Wilson girls—Jane, with music in her heart, Katherine, our sensational, happy, smart, loving, and blog fabulous Newlie, and Carolyn, with whom I could stand and talk for hours, and why, oh why, can't we have more hours?  We did not pre-color coordinate (those Wilson girls have other things on their minds), but I suspect you won't believe me.  But I am proud and lucky to know this family, and to have known them for so long.  Every radiant inch of their outsides is equaled by who they are within.

Gorgeousness is also my friend Kelly Simmons (The Bird House, Standing Still), who drove all the way out to Exton, PA, to see me today.  I love Kelly, and I love that she surprised me, and I'll never forget us rearranging the mall furniture so that we could pretzel ourselves up and talk books.  I only wish I'd thought to take your picture, Simmons.

SIMMONS?!  :)

Kelly, thank you.