Two Paths Diverge In One Weekend
Today was spent working in the coal mines- yes, I really am a coal miner, honest. I have just returned from a wonderful 5 days in Virginia. I drive down Tuesday afternoon to spend a couple days with my blog sister Kat and her family. We talked quilting, we talked, blogging, we talked faith, food, fabric, and of course we talked about our daughters because they rock our world. I got to spend time swimming or perhaps more appropriately diving in the pool with the Munchkin who has this toy that dives quickly if you can't throw it properly. I dove about 3 times as much as her.
Friday began a weekend of getting to know many of the bloggers that I have been reading for the past year. I went to the Blogs United For Free Speech conference I was declared an honorary Virginian for the weekend because I drove the farthest and because while I am from Pennsylvania girl I have friends in high up places- like Alton who set the whole blog conference up.
I just wanted to thank each of you for allowing me to be a part of your conference. I so enjoyed talking with all of you and of course it was not important to me whether you were a dem or a republican, Eileen. I guess that is because I don't talk politics- ok, not too much Josh. I did slip into it sometimes but I left the big guns like Kilo, Kat, Alton and the others to talk it all out. I was the comic relief in a political circus I guess. I was so pleased to meet Flora and Anne and Mary, babe, if you ever need a sister I am totally available.
I was impressed with the flow of the whole weekend. From the food to the venues but what inspired me the most was to watch the interactions. Very easy as an outsider who didn't know a lot about any of you. The first night at the country club there was such separation. Tables were made up mostly of people of very like minds, and if you don't remember I do have pictures to prove it. Oh, but I also have pictures to prove that walls were obliterated this weekend- I don't believe that it was just the cigars that made the difference either. I watched people talk. There was very little spin happening when you talked one on one or in small groups. Suddenly it became apparent that we often want the same things but have different ways of getting there. Sort of like me taking one set of roads to get to Virginia and another series of roads on the other side of the state to get home. I was explaining to Josh of Raising Kaine that I don't like people much but I cherish persons. People develop a crowd mentality, persons have to look each other in the eye, have to ask tough questions, have to have their own thoughts to be able to stand without the others holding them up. Yep, I prefer one on one to the crowds and I was pleased to see so many of you break away from true comfort zones and venture out only to discover persons are way cool. God bless all of you both as a group and as individuals that I will call friend. Thanks again for letting me share in your fun. Oh and PS. I am checking web links to see if new names are being added to the sidebars because of this weekend.
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