Finally the big time arrived. When I got to the Ranch with Laurel I just didn't want to get off the car. I was shaky and felt feeble. It took me a few minutes to compose myself. When we finally had the opportunity to see the cast and Jane I was by that time shaking again. Having said before to some friends that I didn't know if I was going to talk to Jane or even take a picture with her, people kept pushing me to get my picture taken. I finally did but we didn't talk, just took a picture, thanked her and I left. Before that she had a look at me straight in the eyes with question marks as if she was thinking of something but I'll never know what and I hate to be scrutinized but by Jane I accepted. I've been told that I look like Nancy Mckeon(Joe) from Facts of Life so maybe it was that. I got my pictures taken with the others and then (forgive me but I don't remember who, because it all went like a blur in my mind) someone wanted to take a picture with me and Jane so this time a introduced myself and told her that I had seen Touching wild horses and she was pleased with that. She turned around and said to someone: She saw Touching Wild Horses in Canada! " and she asked how I liked it. I loved it and so did my children and husband I told her and we took another picture and this time she has a big grin on the photo.( lol) Since I have a big mouth mysel, it's funny to see both our large smiles with teeth all over.

I was so nervous that my mouth was completely dry and my teeth kept sticking to my lips. Like Nina told me, I had no more "spit" :-) in my mouth. I never drink one drop of alchohol, but this time I took someone's glass to take a sip to moisten my mouth. Rose was watching over me like a mother hawk and she told me to be careful with wine. In just a few days I had acquired so many friends. I reassured her that I never drink and went to get a glass of water.

Shawn was a darling and all of them for that matter. I had a talk with Helene Udy(Myra) and to my surprise she speaks Quebec french because she comes from Montreal so we had a good talk together. I met Ashley and Allison and their mom. Allison is editing my stories and Ashley is posting my stories on her web site. I had been writing to them for 2 1/2 years but I had never met with Ashley and Allison so it was something to add to this wonderful time. They were the blond twins who was always smiling!

When Jane came out with the painting I was just in front of her and I suddenly felt a huge mass of people accumulating behind me. :-) So I bent down for other people to see. I thought that my camera wouldn't take the picture because I was so close but turned out like a great one. Jane is standing next to her painting and she's looking at it. Great!

When Pam introduced the fans to the cast and they stood and clapped their hands it was weird though. Felt funny to have a standing ovation. :-) I was introduced to Beth by Mary ann (Thanks) and I was surprised when she jumped in my arms after she was told I was from Quebec. She was very warm and wanted to know if she had met me before when she was there. I told her no and that it was still a sore spot for me as I didn't know about the filming in Montreal and the internet community because I surely would have gone since it's an hour and a half from my home. She felt sad for me and I was treated to another hug.

When I came back from the reunion we were a bunch of people sitting in the lobby just talking. I suddenly stopped the conversation going: "Hey!" They all went "What?" Afraid that something was wrong with me. "I just realized that "I" was with Jane just hours ago! Will someone pinch me please so I'll know it wasn't just a dream." They all laughed. I wish Joe had been there or William but ...

After our chat in the lobby I decided not to go to bed and stay up because the shuttle was taking me at 5:35 am and rather then sleep and feel bad when I would woke up I just didn't go to bed. I had a nice flight back home but I was very tired. My husband was litterally towing me up the stairs at the airport. My children were jumping up and down to get their surprise but they were sweethearts. They each wanted something to carry back to the car. My son Charles 6, had nothing to carry so he took my jacket just to have something. He kept stroking me and wanting to be seated on me or very close. The next seat beside me wouldn't do! lol. The kids were happy to get their mom back only after 4 days of separation. :-) I think I must have slept for two days straight and over the week-end I lost 6 pounds.

I didn't want to get back home as I was thinking of all the friends I had made over the week-end and if there's another opportunity for me I will go with no questions ask. When I landed in Montreal, everything seemed so green with lots of space and green. When I was going on the highway I thought it seemed so small with it's two lane and I thought there was so much space between the cars. Home sweet home. But I'd go back anytime! Oh yes I would, just tell me when and I'm there! (lol) I certainly wish that the crew will sometime come back to Montreal and that I'll get to meet with Joe too.

Actually I started writing my thanks and how I felt on the plane but since I wasn't alone I stopped, because it kept me crying and smiling but mostly crying. Since I didn't want to make a fool of myself I concentrated on something else. Here is what I manage to write: People on the plane must be thinking I'm crazy because I keep smiling to myself remembering my encounter with Jane and the cast and the good time I had. Then I get tears in my eyes because I'm leaving.

Now I'm on this scary plane gazing outside at the small puffs of clouds passing under the wing just as I saw friendships over the week-end, passing and each leaving his own unique trace, to form a comfortable pink puffy cloud around my heart!

Well back home I'm struggling with the shock of regular life with the quarreling of children behind me in the car. "Mom! Charles made a face at me!" Christopher is complaining. "Did not!" Charles immediately retorts. "You did! Stop it!... Mom?!" "I didn't. Mom, Marika won't stop." Charles complains. "Christopher started it!" Marika answers, and there we go again! :-)

When I woke up the next morning I thought to myself. Did I dream all this? I lifted my head and saw my posters and pictures on my piano in my room and I slumped back down. "No it was real!" Or everyone with me on the week-end had the same dream. :-)

Thanks everyone! I'll never forget it!
Cynthia L. (The one that no one could say her last name!;-)