I've not been on much due to problems in my life, and I started to sign in last week after Annie, who had left me in peace to do my thing for a while, offered to come and help me out, dodged a rather tearful and feeble attempt to put her off coming over, gave me a big hug, listened to a lot of moany drivel about my sorry state, then spent a good hour helping me catch semi feral chickens to spray the baldy bum ones which I hadn't managed alone in all the stress of "not coping with stuff". She then left to resume her own life, and at least 2 phone calls in that time came in from folk in similar situations to myself tho in different ways - she was helping them all to the best of her ability and that is some ability.. and she also took away my receipts for me to make sense of them for my tax return which I need to do early in order to keep my WTC payments going, pretty much the only money coming in right now

That is what a real friend in need is and does - not try and fix you, tell you what to do, or agree with you no matter what they really think. I wish I was as good a friend to others and to find she's gone off here now I've just come back because of her actions in my life, that is very sad.
I won't push her to return any more than she pushed me, but believe me I look forward to any day she chooses to come back. Experience of life and how to deal with stuff is great, the heart that goes with it in some folk, that's something else.
Robert, thanks for the post, my limited experience of you is equally positive

and I look forward to disagreeing with you about something, tho having no pigs I don't know what about