“Lean on me, when you’re not strong . . .” RA, Pillar of Strength.

 

It’s 4:50 a.m. on a Friday morning. I woke up abruptly after falling asleep pretty quickly last night.  It was a hard day, shooting two separate events, standing on an unforgiving gym floor for several hours before my work day was over. I struggled last night to make it up my front steps and onto the deck.

 

My back is angry with me yet again. Forgive me if this is disjointed and a bit scattershot . . . that’s sort of the state of my brain at present.  I am at once so grateful for the work and the fact Pecan Ridge Productions is becoming better known, and so frustrated my body keeps failing me. In three hours, I will be back in town standing on that same gym floor behind a camera. I am beginning to think I should have just slept there. Then again, my back really wouldn’t have liked that!

Benny’s been ill with the type of crud that turns your digestive system inside out.  And then he started passing blood, not huge amounts–a teaspoon or so here and there, but enough to be alarming for me. Didn’t want to go to the ER because of the co-pay. The bleeding seemed to stop while I was in town shooting with Harry. Fingers crossed . . .

I haven’t spent much time Armitaging in recent weeks because I have been so busy, so wrapped up in our video production business, up working well into the night on projects, sometimes sleeping, sometimes not. Wanting to make one particular project something really special. It’s our first two-DVD set, with an hour of bonus features, nearly all of those edited by yours truly. And then wouldn’t you know we’d have to miss the big DVD premiere party at the Ritz? I think I would have cried except for the fact I was too tired to squeeze out those tears.POTR cast member and local pharmacist Jimmy Ansley offered to promote the DVD at his business. He has this display on his front counter . . . he snapped this photo and posted it on FB. Good to have a cheerleader for the project.

 

The good news is, the cast and crew LOVED it. We’ve gotten compliments on the editing, sound quality, how the images really pop on the screen,  that the bonus features are fun and informative and creatively done . . . so we are feeling good about the response.

I did take some time out to look at the new and new-to-us images of Richard popping up this week. The Sarah Dunn photo is simply gorgeous, but it’s not the one that resonated with me the most. It was that still from “Into the Storm” that really grabbed my attention. Armitage as rescuer, savior, hero. The idea that when the going gets tough, this is the guy you’d want in your corner.  He doesn’t give up or give in; I am trying to hang in there, too, and work through the pain and fatigue and know it will all be worth it in the end.

And so I made the little collage you see above. I have leaned on Armitage in various ways these past seven years, through disappointments, humiliation and heartache, through pain and grief. Even when I don’t spent much time “with” him, I always know he’s there, this pillar of strength. This powerful yet gentle man, with his kindly, compassionate eyes and arms that encompass you, murmuring words of encouragement.

“Brave girl, brave girl.”

Thank you, Richard, for once again helping me without any earthly idea you are doing it.

And now, time for half a muscle relaxer with a side order of fuzzy feline . . .