This is why Dennis Completely Rocks December 31, 2007

I have a blog buddy. I’ve NEVER met this man in real life, but he still manages to be one of my favorite people on the planet. He’s Dennis of Sergio Leone and the Infield Fly Rule fame.  I can’t even really remember how we ran into one another…I think he was bored one day back on Blogspot, kept clicking on “next blog” and my blog got to be the next one at some point. From then on: I had him hooked. 😉 Then I visited SLIFR, and found a man who writes well-thought out blog entries, is passionate about movies and movie history, is dedicated to preserving the nation’s drive-in theatres, grew up near where I grew up, shares my deep and abiding affection for the Oregon Coast, and also has two bee-yoo-tee-full little girls.

Last Christmas, he sent me a picture of his girls. I had promised to send one of Linnea (at the time, my only child existing outside my body) but time got away from me and I never did. It sort of made me feel like he might think I was one of those internet weirdos, and he’d exposed his sweet babies to a psycho web woman. So when Sarah was born, I made sure that Dennis and his family got a birth announcement that included a picture of both my girls. 🙂 Assuaged of my “internet weirdo guilt”, I sent him a Christmas card this year and was delighted to recieve one in return (and seriously: Dennis and his wife make pretty, pretty girls–and judging by their grins, Dennis’s goose is cooked in about 8 years :)).

But I ALSO got a video Christmas card, with his 5 year old serving as the camerawoman. I was treated to shots of the Christmas lights adorning their house, their lawn furniture on the porch, as well as several crotch shots of Dennis (I get that. Kids aren’t that tall.). It was so fun to hear his voice, to hear his daughter complaining about the rain (Wow. You might want to rethink moving them to Oregon if they don’t like the rain, my friend. ;)), etc. It truly made my Christmas! Thanks. It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever gotten in the mail.

Also cool? SaraJoy (who I’m not going to link to because I don’t think she’s blogged since November of 2006 ;)) sent my girls some PotteryBarn Kids goodness. Linnea got a toiletry bag with her NAME on it!!! It’s just a huge thing for a little kid who can read her name, but who has a pretty rare one, to have something with her name on it. She was so excited! “Mama! It’s my NAME! That says ‘Linnea’–L-I-N-N-E-A! That spells ME!” Cutest. thing. ever.

I’m working (still) 0n a baby blanket for my friend Marguerite deVille’s baby MG. It’s pink and purple stripes, and I’m going to make it a bit bigger–because at the rate I’m going: she’ll be a toddler before it’s done. 😉 Seriously, J, I’m about a third of the way through. I’ll have it done before she’s one. 😉

You read a lot about how the internet is a scary place. And it certainly can be. But in my experience, the internet has brought people in my life who would never have been in it otherwise. Dennis, SaraJoy, and MdV are just three examples of MANY. I have one internet friend who answers all my questions about my girly bits (she’s a gynocological NP–for reals), who makes GORGEOUS quilts, and who has given each of my babies their very own “Auntie Quilts” quilt (Linnea’s has stars that glow in the dark–don’t think that doesn’t rock her world), there’s a host of women who I met through the Stonecutters who came to my ordination 5 years ago…for me, my life is so much richer and so much better for these people who decided to not worry about the “internet weirdo” label and reach out to others.

So I guess what this blog entry is about is not just Dennis completely rocking, but all of you, too. Mojavi–another one I’ve never met in reality, but who I admire HUGELY. Moe, who I know in RL, but never get to see, so her blog helps keep me in the loop on her life.

Tonight, when I say my prayers, I’m going to say and extra thank you to Al Gore for inventing the internet. 😉

Happy New Year, y’all!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good-night! December 24, 2007

Many, many, many thanks to those of you who have left comments or emailed to tell me to blog fer crap’s sake. My only excuse is: I am a retail goddess, in the holiday season, working crazyass hours, and when I come home, I am greeted by roughly 52 pounds of girl children who need to lay on their mama more than anything in the world–snuggling, nursing, pulling my hair, licking me (“Don’t get mad, Mom. I’m a puppy! That’s how I say I love you! Ruff!”), falling asleep on me, etc. And once I get them satisfied…well, then never you mind. 😉

Linnea is nearly excited out of her skin for Santa’s arrival (I told her this morning he’d only come if she took a nap, and then when it was naptime she told me that she’d decided she really didn’t WANT any presents, thankyouverymuch, so she’d just not take a nap. I told her too bad–I’d already called Santa and told him to bring the presents, so she’d just have to take a nap). There is a HUGE pile of gifts out in the garage, just waiting for the girls to fall asleep tonight. My brothers are on their way home for the holiday. I’ve made my terrifically wonderful chocolate caramel pecan pie. The stockings are hung by the chimmney with care. And so: I can take a moment to write a blog entry.

When we gather together tomorrow, to open gifts and revel in the love of one another and ponder the goodness of our God who comes to earth to forgive us, I will be thanking him for all of you–Mojavi, Jules, Dennis, Jess, Kara, Sal, Annie–and others who I don’t have time to name because my sweet, sweet Boog needs me to snuggle her to sleep.

 Christmas blessings to you all, my friends!