Wednesday, June 8, 2011

8:55 am, 50 degrees, grey and cloudy

8:55 am, 50 degrees, grey and cloudy.

Not 50 degrees, not cloudy
 No, we aren't talking about Arizona. 
50 degrees and cloudy is the daily weather report from my pen-pal, my blog friend, in Minnesota (Hi, Jo!).

OK, I admit we only have an online relationship. We "met" when one of us wrote a comment on the other one's blog. I don't exactly remember how it all started. But we "met". And we wrote. I think we started writing about our dogs, as her dog Stella looks a lot like our dog Shado. Common ground, so we wrote. 

Our Shado, my bond with Jo.
 From dogs, we progressed to books we read, to movies we watch, to hobbies we have. Jo reads a lot. And my list of 'to read' has grown a mile from her. We found out we both enjoy Powell's book reviews and interviews, we both use our library cards weekly (or more), and we both enjoy complex themes in our books.

Then we started on movies we have watched. My 'to watch' movie list has grown, too. And TV shows? She knows the oldies, right down to the cast of characters from "Homicide: Life on the Street". Pembleton is her favorite.

And Jo loves to quilt. I am just learning. Jo guides me; she takes a task I find daunting and reassures me that it isn't. You know what? Jo is right. Step by step, each cut, each stitch, each 'rip out' is easier than my brain wants to visualize.

So, I finished my first quilt top. Not a work of art, not spectacular. But I'm bouncing with excitement that it even looks like a quilt! And Jo? She is 'dazzled' by the photos I sent her. Dazzled!!!! WOW! I bounce again.

Jo is the next door neighbor I don't have. 

Jo starts every email to me with her current weather report. Which is where I started this post. Though I may never meet Jo, though Shado will never sniff Stella, though our life paths are so different, I am with Jo when I read "8:55 am, 50 degrees, grey and cloudy".


10 comments:

MadSnapper said...

2:27 pm backyard temp is 100 and it is HOT HOT HOT. i have a relationship with ginny, we are like sisters, and we met in blogland 16 months ago and now we are family, just like you two

Anonymous said...

Oh, you can't write what you wrote and NOT show us the quilt...

Brenda's Arizona said...

I was hoping someone would ask...

Ashley said...

That's so cool to find each other and have so much in common! I'm thinking that weather report was from a few days ago..because we've been having Arizona type weather the past few days in Minnesota. It was 85 and sunny on my drive into work yesterday morning and hit 104 as a high! How are the grapevines?

Cyndi and Stumpy said...

Ha! You really got me with the temperature in the beginning of your post. I was like, "Wait! What? It was 62 here this morning!"

We love Jo and Stella, too! And pictures of the quilt are required. Or it never happened!

Happy, Waggin' Tails, FUREVER!
Stumpy and me

Stella said...

Ashley,that weather was right from this am(6-8) and right now it has warmed up to a balmy 59 degrees at 2:50.Now it was 90 yesterday, but that was then!

Brenda, you have warmed my heart with this post! Thank you!!!!

What I remember about this is you had written part of a Billy Collin's poem Dharma in one of your
blog posts, I loved the poem and wanted the rest of it, so I ordered a used copy of Sailing Alone Around the Room, and found someone had handwritten a poem that I liked and I told you about it much later. We shared that and its been like you said. Shared books, shared movies and shared thoughts. Its been very nice! Thank you for being you!

Cheers and hugs,
Jo and Stella ((Woof, Shado!))

Kathy said...

Funny how those bloggie friends seem to become special, isn't it?

Pat Tillett said...

Okay, so where is the photo of the finished item?

Banjo52 said...

That's a nice story. Do you happen to know the story of the big and fearsome 1960s NY Giants tackle, Roosevelt Grier, who took up quilting or knitting or both in his retirement? I always enjoyed that little fact (I think it is one).

Thérèse said...

I thought you were gone on vacation!
See how the blogosphere is rewarding!
Blogging, for me at least, is a world of free exploration and a way to see things from a different angle and yes sometimes great come together!
Can't wait to see the quilt... I quilted too...