So Nice To Meet You (and Other Random Thoughts For the Day)

Hi everyone!  I've had a really "off" week since I published my last post a week ago.  I just wanted to say to those of you who have kindly visited my blog this week, your visits and comments have been noted and appreciated.  I normally try very hard to visit back and reply to you and read your posts, but it just hasn't happened this week.  I apologize and will visit as soon as I can.

This post doesn't focus on any one subject in particular; I just had some thoughts I wanted to share.  First of all, have you noticed my new blog header?  I want to give a shout out to Barbara at 21 Rosemary Lane for her great tutorial on how to make a blog header using PikMonkey.  Thank you Barbara!  Barbara is multi-talented, and she has a lovely blog, just in case you haven't already seen it.
 

I had been making all my headers using Picasa and Google Blogger, but the last time I tried to change the color of my title, Blogger wouldn't cooperate.  It's like that particular application (which I've been using since Day One of my blog) had ceased to function.  Very frustrating!  So when I spotted Barbara's post and tutorial on my blogroll, I just had to try it.  She gave very clear and easy-to-follow instructions, and I'm always appreciative of that.  I had so much fun, I've already made my Easter header.  :-D

The funny thing is, I've started to like the technical aspect of blogging -- playing around with the way things look on my blog.  That's kind of scary; I never thought I'd say that...out loud.  :)  I still don't get HTML though; I think that will have to be for another day.

The next thing I wanted to mention is how many lovely people I've gotten acquainted with online, and I hope to meet more of you in person someday.  I wrote several months ago that I got to meet my friend, Barbara from Staten Island, who blogs at Two Birdies and a B. at the Southern Bloggers Conference last fall.  She came all the way to North Carolina for our first conference in Raleigh, and it was such a pleasure to meet her!  I met Shirley at Housepitality Designs, another North Carolina blogger, and a very sweet, talented lady.

I also met Kari of Thistlewood Farms who lives in Kentucky.  Kari was one of the bloggers who received the "2012 Country Living Blue Ribbon Blogger Awards."  Kari was featured in Country Living magazine this month as one of the best new bloggers for decorating.  Kari was also one of the speakers at the Southern Bloggers Conference, and she did a great job!  She's so sweet, friendly, and talented; and she's absolutely a character.  I mean that in the nicest way, Kari, if you're reading this.  Kari has a unique, fun style of writing, and her posts always make me laugh.  If you haven't visited Thistlewood Farms yet, I hope you'll do that soon!  Kari is a real people person, and some days I think I'm more like Linus Van Pelt.

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My husband and I love Charles Schultz and the Peanuts gang, and we joke about this particular quote a lot.  So lest you think I'm a terrible curmudgeon, I promise I do like people; but some days I just don't get them, and they probably don't get me either.  How about you?  :-D

I bet that many of us have wished at certain times in our lives that we could have the chance to have a do-over; you know, choose to do something differently than you did the first time around.  I feel that way about many things.  I really wish I had a do-over when it comes to Kitty at Kitty's Kozy Kitchen.  Kitty and her husband were in North Carolina last August to visit Asheville and to tour the Biltmore House.  Kitty e-mailed me and asked for suggestions on where to visit near the Asheville area.

Kitty lives in Texas, and I was so excited that she was coming to North Carolina.  I wish now that I'd been more assertive and offered to meet her for lunch one day in Asheville.  But we had just returned from a trip to the mountains near Asheville, it was really hot there at the time, and I was kind of worn out from our trip.  As well, I didn't feel like I could just take off and leave again right away.  I didn't know if she and her hubby really wanted extra company, and I hated to intrude.   But I would love to meet Kitty; she is such a special person and the sweetest blogging friend.  Plus, all her recipes look really good.  :)

Another special blogging friend I would love to meet in person is Bonnie from Living With Thanksgiving.  Bonnie also has a lovely blog, and she's a really talented gardener.  She's a sweetheart, and I always enjoy her comments.  We've talked on the phone a few times, and maybe one day we'll meet face to face.

In winding up this post, I wanted to share that I met someone online strictly through something I had pinned on Pinterest.  This led her to my blog, and from there she contacted me through e-mail.  She kindly sent me a complimentary copy of a book she's written, and I'll be doing a post on it next month.  Blogging has definitely broadened my horizons!

I can't mention all the bloggers that I want to today, or my post would be way too long.  So, I'm going to do more posts on the talented folks, and their blogs, that I look forward to seeing on my blogroll every day.  To those of you who read my blog, some I know by name, and many others I don't -- Thank You for reading!!!  Your interest helps inspire me to keep writing.

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful weekend!

Denise