Now I am not going to spread "honey" about all of my friends....I am just going to tell you all the truth about them at the end of this story.

But first I've got to tell you that "honeyb" is my real name...well not the one on my birth certificate..but the one I was given when I was four years old by the man who I love dearly and miss with all my heart ...my Daddy

Now there was a time in my life. I am not so sure he felt the same way and I know my four brothers didn't because I landed each of them in the hospital and if not in the hospital for a day or two...at lest in the emergency room on different occasions.

We lived on a farm in the beautiful Western North Caroline Mountains...and although there was an abundance of animals...hores to ride...cows to ride (Yep!my youngest brother fell off a running cow and broke his arm in two places) all kinds of living critters...but guess what.....?

My favorite was the bee hives...and there were usually at lest 20 of those little white boxes sitting away from everything but close to the woods.No one wanted to get close to them...that is except me..

I thought those little bees were wonderful..I would sit for hours and watch them fly and land on the flowers in the garden..(their special flower garden Daddy always grew)...one day just watching wasn't enough I wanted to live with them and fly with them,I wanted to hold and touch them.

So off I flew to them (well I know it was pretend)and landed right on top of one of the hives..now I was careful when I landed...I sat down very carefully...then one bee lite on my hand..pretty soon they were all over me...they loved me and I was so happy.I remember laughing and singing "Jesus loves "us" me and the bees.

All of a sudden all "hell" broke loose.(I didn't know the word back then) I sure know now it broke loose big time.My mother was screaming "Oh Lord God..Harrison get her" and Daddy screaming "How"?

While all this screaming was going on...there I sat very happily kicking with both feet the bee hive...by now I was covered with them and Oh how I loved it...and the last thing I was worried about was the anguish my Mother and Daddy were in.

I suppose being a good parent and loving me in spite of this mess..he decided there was only one way..and it was going to cost him bigtime.

So in Daddy rushed to grab me and the bees...now the bees didn't like this one bit...after all we were just getting to know each other personally.

I remember when he sat me down in the pond with him...I thought it was a barrel of fun...and I laughed with joy.

Off we went to the hospital...because Daddy was in pain...God surely loved those bees...but my Daddy didn't and ....Me ??? I just went along for the ride.. my little friends had not left any of their little stingers in me.Instead they decided to make my Daddy a pin-cushion...and a strawberry at the same time.

This would not be the last time..and the next times would take brothers,and Mother along to the hospital...even after the fence was put up...

Spankings never helped...in fact nothing did..and after about the eighth time...they just let me and the bees alone...to enjoy each other until I became of age at about 6 and discovered little boys were far more interesting...

I love my bees and can still walk up to a bee hive and sit on it...gently kick it..and out they come to visit with me and have never in 55 years stuck one of their little stingers in me...now that is being a friend

That is how I became a "real" honeyb.For my wonderful Daddy I was always his little honeyb,it was a name that somehow stayed with me...

I have meet many friends here in Cyberspace,I came here to write a book and I got hooked...as a matter of speech.I meet so many wonderful caring people that I could not give credit to each and every one of them but I would like to say to the women at the "Cafe" you have meant so much to me..

It cost you nothing but you create so much.You enrich those of us who need it.

These quotes could have been penned about all of you.

"Truly good friends are hard to find,hard to leave,and impossible to forget."

"A friend is someone who reaches out for your hand and touches your heart."

"A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and sings it back to you."

"Real friends are those who,when you've made a fool of yourself,don't feel like you've done a permanent job"

"Many people will walk in and out of our lives ,but only true friends will leave footprints in our hearts"

And I along with the rest of you know that "Beautiful young people are acts of nature,but beautiful old people are works of art...

We have lived and learned..to treasure friends and forever hold them dear.

PS...I love deadlines.I especially like the whooshing sound they make as they go flying by....did I meet this one..??

I must have because that wasn't a hot flash I just had it was a power surge....

Dinah started our group...Our circle of friends..and like that circle..there is no beginning or end.....Honeyb