Blended Friendships

See this photo above here? This is yet another award I received today from my Blogger Buddy, Dianne over at Forks Off the Moment. In her post today, Dianne said some really, really nice things about me, her perception of me and probably the part that was really true would be where she mentions that I was one of the first people to "find" her and her blog.

That part, I will agree with! I do remember finding her, but now, I have no idea HOW it was that I came across her blog and her first two-three posts. But what I do remember about it was reading these pieces on her blog and just knowing, then and there, that here's a lady who speaks her mind (oh, most definitely, she does that,) someone who is right up there with my dear late Aunt Mike as what I would call perhaps a rabid animal lover, a very hard-worker, a devoted mother/mother-in-law and most importantly to me, someone who has great intelligence and a fantastic sense of humor -both of which she employs quite generously in her posts too I must add!

If you've not yet read Dianne's blog, go now, do that and enjoy. Trust me! You'll love it -and her too!

I think it is now safe to say something again about my "Reader" that I use to help me keep up with the sheer volume of blogs I check in on -usually daily -(but I had to take a two day break this weekend due to having to run the yard sale Mandy had set up here at the house over Friday and Saturday.) I "think" (translate that to "I hope") I finally have my Reader operating on the up and up now. Now, with that reader, I keep tabs on roughly 160 plus blogs and some of those bloggers have been with me, so to speak, since shortly after I started my blog almost two years ago now. Over the months, years now, that I have been blogging, there are more than a few fellow bloggers who I have come to feel that I know them almost as well as I know some of my neighbors and friends.

Sadly, one of my favorite bloggers died suddenly last year -Bob Johnson who used to write several blogs - Letters I Wish I'd Sent, Rotten Robert, Bob's Odder Blog, to name a few -and let me reiterate here and now that when I learned of Bob's death, it hit me every bit as hard as if he had been my next-door neighbor because of the relationship I had formed with him, strictly through our blogs. Many times since then I have thought of something -a bit of humor, a political thing, a question about computers or blogging and thought, "Gee, I'll have to tell Bob or ask Bob about that" and then realize he is no longer with me, with us, in the blogging community. I tell you this now to explain this is the type of relationship one does often develop through this thing called blogging.

So, with that in mind as a guide, here's how I am going to pass this award on to other bloggers:

First, to the very first three bloggers I "met" and who have stayed with me over time.

Paige at Paradise Valley2
Barb of Skittles Place
Shelby at Time With Shelby

A few other bloggers who I have from time to time exchanged not only comments on each others posts, but also have become comfortable enough to share e-mails with on more than a few occasions. Some are -like Bob Johnson was -now comfortable friends, each in different capacities and interests, but who I look on and classify in my "friend" department.

Keith - Debo Blue - Mary Ann - Linda - David - Terry - Janey - Paula - Eric - Dave - Danielle - Gene - Singing Owl - Terri and Linda - Trav
Each of these bloggers and the various communications I have had with them have become friends to me over time, sharing information as well as comments with me that often helps me to answer many questions on lots of things besides blogging.

Then there is a blogger, down in Georgia- the Produce Man better known to many bloggers as "Meloncutter" who I rely on to give me a dose of humor most every day. We've also often conversed in the middle of the night or wee hours of the morning while he's waiting on his morning coffee to brew and I've often still been up and awake for various reasons -that I am a night owl, for one, or when I was unable to sleep much thanks to a nasty bout with Shingles and nights too when I was still up because the grandson was up, wide awake and fussing! On many occasions, the little chats on the messenger was nice to have with him as it made me feel not so alone here then.

And then there are these ladies too who I have come to regard as friends -those with whom I share even more with than just our posts and comments. Those who I read their posts, comments, e-mails and we tend to have much in common. I definitely can't over look them as I frequently sit here, coffee in front of me, reading their words of wisdom, their sentiments, advice too from time to time, and always feel that I am sitting across the kitchen table, talking to them.

Vic - Sandi - Mary - Maggie - and Pat

If you were to go through all the blogs on my reader -which is my "Blogroll Favorites" -you would find quite an eclectic collection of folks there. Many different personalities, many different age groups/generations actually, represented there. People who I connect with through shared beliefs of many types, interests, levels -from grandmothers, like me to young mothers with small children, people who are deeply religious, others -maybe not quite so much but with a strong sense of interest in social problems, politics, and especially people who I found and linked in to and stayed there because of autism and the effects the disorder has on someone near and dear to us. Many things drew me to these bloggers, just as many things keep me coming back to them, connecting on various levels from time to time, to provide humor, friendship, information and dare I say it, even love.

A long list of people I want to give this award to as a way of thanking them for providing me with many different opinions, and keeping me motivated, moving, enjoying not just blogging, but life a little bit removed from my home and family -and yet, not really removed as they seem to me to be part and parcel now of my family.

To equate the way I think of these folks especially along with all the others on my favs list, it's like the two ladies -my real neighbors and life-long friends, Kate and Shirley -who I mention both of them in my posts from time to time. These two ladies are sisters and I grew up two doors from them. Today, I live about six doors down the street from Shirley's house and two doors up the street from Kate's. We share many common interests besides having grown up on the same street and being friends all our lives -church, family, kids, grandkids, crafts -a lot of things.

Over the weekend, with the big community yard sale, Shirley stopped by my house to chat and visit both days; Kate managed to get up to my house on Saturday for a short visit. And yesterday morning as Kate and I were walking into church together, she informed me that her sister, Shirley, was in the hospital -having fallen Saturday evening as she was leaving Kate's house and she had broken her hip. Terrible news to hear, you know.

Kate told our pastor prior to the service about Shirley's fall and being hospitalized and when before the start of our service, the pastor announced this news to the congregation. Shirley is very well known in our church -as well as around the community -and as soon as the pastor said what had happened to her, there was a very loud gasp from those in attendance there!

And I feel very much about those on my blogging list, those named above, as I do about my very good friends, Kate and Shirley. Comfortable to talk to each of you about many, many things and worried, upset, hurt too at times, when I know some of you may be going through a difficult patch in your life.

Friendships grow on from many types of seeds and progress on many levels too over time. And truth be told, each of the bloggers on my list should also be given this award because each of you has welcomed me, listened to me ramble and rant, loud and long from time to time and kept coming back to me, inviting me back to hear you say more too!

And, that's the way it should be whether it is in real life or a "virtual" one we form via blogging, don't 'cha think?

Peace, my friends!