Dear BIG and fellow FML'ers,
BIG, I read your post today ("Back to Basics) with some of the same sadness
I felt coming from you.  I've been thinking today about the amazing impact
this list and the people on it have had on my life, and I wanted to share it
with you.
 
As I write, the beautiful Heidi von Fredonia is playing around my feet - she
came to me by way of the Fredonia Rescue, which I learned of here on the
FML.  Last night, I spent @ an hour in chat with Razz, who helped coordinate
that miraculous event.  She has become a friend and confidante, through the
FML.  The email Xmas cards I sent this year were the ones I learned of here.
I have 9 Arcadia ferrets sleeping and playing in their cages around my
house, brought into my life by friends I met here.  (Thanks Mike!)
 
My alarm is set for early tomorrow, because I'm making a run to Gainesville
Fl to pick up 5 more Arcadia ferrets to bring to Susie & Carin to take to
South Florida - people from the FML.  They know me in part because of my
involvement with Kodo's case - learned of here - which brought Jackie and
Margie and Mountain into my life - good friends all..
 
Part of my Xmas this year was printing out PawPaw's Xmas story from last
year - where is he anyway?  - his sweet self brought such joy when he was
active!  I use David & Lisa's links page all the time to teach my neighbor
kids about ferrets - and who can forget the wonderful ferret wedding these
two wonderful ferret-folk engineered?  I'm still laughing.  Tonight after
Xmas dinner, I was explaining to my friends how ferrets make great pets
because they 'fold in half for easy storage' - a line I got here - they all
laughed - and they're a tough crowd!!!
 
I guess my point, BIG, is just that whatever personal nonsense people want
to involve themselves in, however personally judgmental they want to be, it
doesn't stack up against the good work and love and ferret friendships
formed here & forged in working for the ferrets.  Some of us can and do
overlook flames and nastiness because we are here, as the wonderful tle
says, for the ferrets.  The sweeties are what brings us together, and will
keep us together for the long run.  Those of us who are here for the long
haul know that.  The others will either get bored & go away or learn to keep
their malice and judgmentalism to themselves.  With that said, I have to
tell you that the Arcadia Evacuation was the finest piece of organizing I've
seen in years of political work.  We were there to evacuate those babies &
we did.  None of us had a hidden agenda.  When one of us grew tired, the
others filled in and switched jobs without cavil.  We worked together like a
well-oiled hinge and it was wonderful - thanks Mike & Lisa, Karen, Carin,
Mike, and inimitable Barbara for organizing it.  It was a powerful example
of the finest aspect of the FML - love is an action verb.
 
BIG, thank you for giving us all a place to make things like Kodo's campaign,
the Fredonia rescue, the Arcadia evacuation & many other ferret actions
happen.  I look forward to meeting you in person in Orlando, as well as my
other friends.
 
Big ferret hugs to all of you,
Paula Bryder
Tampa Fl
[Posted in FML issue 2166]