Dear Bluebird,

How are you, my dear friend? Did you get my last letter? I've been trying to work up the nerve to write to you for months now. I hope it made you smile; I would like that very much.

Things here are extremely platitudinous; nothing much has changed since we last spoke. Things still aren't great with my best friend, but we're working on it and I see hope for the future of our friendship. You met Alex, didn't you? Yes, now that I think about it, you most definitely knew her, although I don't know that she remembers you. Anyway, I think perhaps I will finally be able to confide in her again, at least a bit. I haven't told her anything that has happened in the near past, mostly because I was afraid she wouldn't care. That's why I'm so glad that I finally wrote to you. I am convinced I would have burst if I didn't tell someone. Thank you for listening, by the way.

My garden is coming along, if you consider dead plants intermixed with thriving ones to be marvelous. I am proud of their effort at life... it makes me happy to see the good plants growing. How does your garden grow? Well I hope. I can imagine that it is beautiful; you probably don't think so. Gardening is more your parents' thing, huh? Well, regardless, I hope it is doing well.

Has the weather finally decided to warm up? Things here are warm a-plenty. It's actually rather hot here. I'm almost afraid to sell fireworks because the extreme heat could ignite any sulfur or magnesium, which is a very real possibility. Did you know things light on fire because of the heat and energy produced by a flame, not because of the flame itself? I didn't know that, so I thought I'd tell you. Oh, the things you learn in chemistry!

Did I tell you about music production class? I'm fairly sure I did. If I didn't let me know, because you would love to hear about it, I'm sure.

Well I can't write much more right now, so I'll talk to you again soon.

Maren