I found MaryAnn's Joyful Puttering blog through this post on my friend Cherie's blog.
(I first met fellow blogger Cherie in October 2013 when Lynne and I travelled to St. Louis for Lynne's all-day class and next-day lecture during Quilters on the Square's biennial Quintessential Quilts show run by Cherie's quilt guild.
In 2014 Cherie and Lynne were two of the SSOBB gallery quilt makers for my book, BUILD A BARN. Cherie and I met up during the 2014 Paducah quilt show where See Rock City was on display along with Vicksburg, one of Cherie's quilts.
I met up with Cherie again in 2015 when we took a class with Sujata Shah, in 2016 at AQS Paducah and AQS Chattanooga including a class with Lynn Harris who was filling in for Gwen Marston, and again in July 2018 when I presented a trunk show to the Thimble and Thread quilt guild.)
I thought Cherie's Joy Journal made by MaryAnn was so wonderful that I asked MaryAnn to make one for me using bits and pieces from my stash.
Now, if you follow either MaryAnn's or Cherie's blog, you will have seen/read the story of the Traveling Flowers made by Cherie's dad.
What wasn't shared in those posts was the fact there was also a set of Chuck's flowers for me sharing that same cross country ride.
Once home, Cherie found a large wine box to ship my flowers but when she took the box to the post office, they wouldn't accept it because of it being an identifiable wine box. So . . . Cherie took the box back home and "decorated" it (on all four sides, two shown above), which meant the post office was finally willing to accept the box and transport it to Tennessee.
So what is the happy ending to this multi-pronged saga?
My flowers are here including a bonus hummingbird!
An early morning photo in the back yard with one of our potted hostas . . .
. . . and another against the fence where I take so many of my quilt reveal photos.
THANK YOU Chuck and Cherie!!
* * *
I know much of the world has moved beyond blogging to other platforms that shall not be named, but the connections formed between those of us who have blogged for years are as real as the sunrise and sunset.
I am so grateful for my blog readers and the many friendships that have come from sharing words and photos here. And I am equally grateful to those who have not abandoned blogging and continue to share their words and photos with the rest of us.
Quiltdivajulie
"Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom."
Marcel Proust
15 comments:
Lovely post 😊. We also met up in Chattanooga for the class with Lynn Harris….I hadn’t realized we’d met up IRL so many times and each was a joy. The flowers arrived so quickly! BTW, did you notice the hummingbird can move from flower to flower? YM might like moving it. So happy to have your flowers ride along with the Traveling Flowers.
I am grateful too for the many bloggers who are good friends now. I can't imagine stopping posting on my blog but since I am one of the oldest regular bloggers, I suppose it might come to an end some day. I have met at least 6 of my blog friends (including you and your husband), maybe more. Some have visited me 3 times or more as they pass through the area.
I am not a blogger, but I'm an avid follower and very appreciative of the quilters who continue to blog, sharing their talents and projects and providing inspiration to others. And I consider many of those bloggers as online friends. Thanks for sticking with it.
Pat
I have 'heart connections' with fellow bloggers, many of whom I have had the opportunity to visit f2f. Love these opportunities to meet others which whom we have already shared so much!
I am not a blogger, but faithfully follow & truly appreciate those who do. You are a bright spot, & I learn something from every one I read. So fascinated with the colors & shapes, & hope my quilting improves from all I've learned.
Love this.
I love your flowers and your connection stories. I treasure those who are still taking time to write blog posts, share inspiration, hope, and joy. I am happy you are here too.
Well said, Julie! I cherish the connections I've made thru blogging, your friendship especially. What a joy to have such a community! You may remember we met IRL when you came to STL for Thimble & Thread. And of course I'm grateful for your generosity to my guild's charity efforts. Cherie and I were friends in STL and we've stayed connected even though we both moved away over 5 years ago. Cherie stays with me when she comes to AZ, and she brought me a Chuck flower with a quail that lives on my patio. I'm so thankful for both real life friends and blogger friends. My world is bigger for those friendships.
PS - Happy Mother's Day!
Well said, Julie! I cherish the connections I've made through blogging. You might remember, we met when you came to STL for Thimble and Thread. We hung out with Kevin and Cherie until you gave your talk. And of course I appreciate how generous you've been to my guild's charity program. My world is bigger because of real live and blogging friends.
Cherie gave me a Chuck flower with a quail that lives on my patio. She and I have stayed connected since we both moved away from STL over 5 years ago, and she stays at my house when she's in Arizona.
I agree with you about blogging! I am grateful to you for blogging and grateful for all bloggers. I made a real life friend through blogging!
Please don't give up blogging! I enjoy reading your blog and several others I've bookmarked along my quilting journey. I do not do social media, so if all of the bloggers leave, what am I to do? LOL! Thank you for sharing your journey!
I met you, my best friend, through blogging and I am so grateful. I also formed lasting friendships through blogging and like you I am grateful for those. I will also maintain my blog and am grateful for my loyal readers who follow it.
I’ve got a set of Chuck’s flowers too and I love them.
I met Cherie thru my blog and was gifted some of Chuck's flowers last year! Now Cherie and her husband come to several of my nephew's shows (he has a band and I run the merch booth) when the band plays in PA. Last year she surprised me and showed up at a show in Kent, Ohio! I visited her last year near the time of my birthday and she had a family member personalize one of the shirts the band sells with my name on the back with a Cricut! I can't wait until I get to wear it to one of the shows as it is my "uniform". LOL!! Blogging may be considered passe, but I find it more personal than other forms of social media.
Love the connections - and what a beautiful flower gift! the hummingbird just makes it!! So glad to have *met* you here!!!
I have blogged since late 2009. I used to be a lot more regular about it than I am these days, but I just can't give it up entirely. I have followed you and many others for a lot of years, and I still look for new blogs to follow. My blog has served as a reliable journal of the projects I've worked on as well as projects of my close friends, when I think to blog about them. It was a pleasure reading your thoughts on blogging and these comments, too.
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