blessed with friends

i have very humble, way-cool off-line bloggy friends; meaning they have visited my blog but have not commented for whatever reason. they have, however, graciously contacted me via email and we now have acquaintance-type friendships.

one such friend is Heather King, who authored the book "Parched." she was kind enough to send me a copy (signed, wooohooo!!) which copy i am currently devouring when time permits. she is honest like Anne Lamott but without the sarcasm that can be biting. i am enjoying this book immensely and would highly recommend it to others for their reading pleasure.

another such friend is only known to me as erica, but i am supposing i would have her full name if i were to really look hard at the return address of the package she just sent me. erica is an artist, a weaver of beautiful things, more specifically -- as an aside, did you know the name Penny means "weaver"? /digression -- she just finished a course and is in a juried show and i believe will make out wonderfully because she is an amazing talent. pictured above is one of her pieces and one that also resembles what she just sent me as a gift. i cannot even begin to tell you how i felt when i opened the package and pulled it out - i was blown away. i don't know what i ever could have done to be so deserving of such a fine gift, but i am humbled that she felt me to be as such and will cherish it always.

i have often heard of others receiving this or that from friends they have met through blogging and this isn't the first time i have been the honored recipient (nor is it rare that someone receives something from me, however thwarted one might be by, say, Customs and Inspections in Philadelphia...)

what this is rambling on (and on) to say is that i recognized how blessed i am with my internet friends and that the negative comments are few and far between; i wanted to accentuate the positive and perhaps divert a little from what was deemed a bit *negative* to me.

and for the reasons enumerated above, and for those bloggy buds i have not mentioned in sending me wonderful things (you know who you are!), i find it high time i pay it forward.

and so i shall :)