Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Phil 4:6-7



Thursday, September 06, 2012

Meeting Margaret


When I sat down to write this post I wondered just how long I have known Margaret.

I have been blogging for six years (I had to check my archives and I almost didn't believe it) and so I am guessing I have known her for at least five years. That's a long time to know someone and not meet her in person. Chat on the phone, yes. Email a lot, yes. But never sit together and have coffee.

Now that I think about it, we have met in person and still not had a cup of coffee together. Oh my, I guess we have to do it again.

Well, here's the story. About two months ago, Faith got a letter from Margaret's girls (her girls recently became pen pals with my Peach). After Faith read the letter she brought it to me and showed me that the girls said they were coming to Ohio and they were excited to get to meet her. They said they were going to stop and see us on their way to Delaware. I broke the news that they must be confused about where we live, because we are not on the way to Delaware from Minnesota. "Maybe they will go through northern Ohio, honey, but not Columbus," I said.

Well, it turns out we are on the way to Delaware, from Springfield, Illinois, which is where the Minnesota Mom family was visiting before they headed East to Delaware.

Margaret emailed a few weeks later and said they would be passing through Columbus -- would we be available to meet?

You have to understand, I thought we would both be in our dotage before we would meet. Ohio and Minnesota are just not quite close enough to hop in the car and make a road trip.

So, Yes, I was available.

I tried to talk her into staying a week, or at the very least a night, but no go -- a couple hours would have to suffice.


Our husbands took photos, mine using his phone. Note to self: do not let husband take photos for important blogging moments.


The report: the Minnesota Mom family is darling, just as cute as they look on the computer screen.

I don't know about you, but after blogging for so many years, there are some people that I just kinda wonder "Is she the real deal?" Frankly, it's easy to be a different kind of person from inside the computer screen. You don't have to be real on the internet, not really.

But, Margaret is real, and so is her family. She is cute, and witty, just like her blogself. John is much more cute in person (teasing), and the kids are darling. The girls hit it off right away with Faith -- all bright, shiny peas from the same pod. The boys were sweet (I really do love teenage boys), and Margaret's oldest (Joe, to you) even tolerated us singing "Happy Birthday" because he and my Noah have a common birthday -- the Feast of the Assumption. Like I said to Margaret, "When will we ever again be in the same place at the same time this close to their birthdays?"And last, but not least, little Neeners George is just as cute as you have imagined. If I could only have had a week with him.

Maybe Margaret will put him on a Greyhound bus to me.

I don't want to gush over them, though I'm sure Margaret can handle it. {wink} I'll keep a few thoughts unpublished. Just so you know, they are just the kind of people you would really like to live next door.

And if he did, little George could come over for milk and cookies. Sigh.



Teenage boys. (Sigh.) That was the most happiness they could muster. My Noah is on the left. Joe (to you) is on the right.



I only got one photo myself. Frankly I didn't want to miss a minute of the real thing.

In a split second it was over and they were all getting back in the van. Well, except the ones hitting the potty one last time. Then, they were all back in the van and pulling out of the drive.

I am hoping it was just "see ya later," and not "goodbye."



16 comments:

  1. I am so glad you two got the chance to meet! Maybe one day I will be so lucky.

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  2. I loved reading this! I've "been there" myself, and what a joy to meet in person someone who has long been a very dear friend. Thank you for sharing these happy moments with us.

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  3. Can I cry? No, I can't, because I am heading out the door to an OB appt. (25 weeks!) and should have known better than to read this before leaving.

    (Couldn't help but notice that you didn't extol the virtue of my patience in this post.)

    I love the Catholic blogosphere for bringing me near--in spirit if not in miles--to sisters of the heart such as yourself. What an unfathomable blessing! In the words of C.S. Lewis:

    “Is any pleasure on earth as great as a circle of Christian friends by a good fire?”

    And also:

    “The next best thing to being wise oneself is to live in a circle of those who are.”

    Hee! Didn't want to end on too, too serious note, after all. :)

    Love to you, dear Barbara, and to all the other sisters of the heart who read BOTH our blogs and who, God willing, we will one day meet. God is so good!♥

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  4. Jenny,
    I am not sure who you want to meet (more), me or Margaret ;-) but I am geographically closer to you than she is.

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  5. Ah, thanks, Nancy. That was nice.

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  6. Margaret,
    First I have to say when I opened up the comment box, Faith was standing next to me, and when she saw your face, she made this little "ooohhh" sound, and said "I KNOW her!" You are such a rock star now.

    Anyway, you may NOT cry. Wet eyes, ok; no sniffling. We WILL meet again, and I promise it won't be five years.

    And about "patience," I told you I left some unpublished thoughts. Patience was in there. :-)

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  7. This is just so beautiful! I love seeing two of my faovrite people together! I'm crying now too. I think I'm just tired. Oh... and incredibly envious. In a good way I think though, not in a "I need to go to confession kind of way".

    And can I just say that I love that both your boys have the same expression on their face! My manchild would have fit in right there next to them with that expression.

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  8. They DO have the same expression, Charlotte. Isn't that a hoot? That's why I love teenage boys. They are so predictable! :-)

    I must say, our visit could only have been made better by having, what did Margaret say? "a circle of Christian friends by a good fire." Including you. A big love fest!

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  9. I met Margaret too! at Jamies home. She was the first blogger I ever knew and loved reading her posts. She inspired me to start.
    I ditto everything you said about her and her family.
    Cute teen boys. Mine would have fit right in with the silly grin.

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  10. I was so glad to see that the two of you got the chance to meet. Two very sweet souls, you both are.

    I know I've only had the chance to chat with Miss Margaret a couple of times, but she sure is a sweetie. We Minnesotans are proud of our MN Mom blogger :) And a nice namesake for my littlest girl too.

    I hope that you two get to meet up again very soon.

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  11. Well, you are always welcome to pop by us while we live in HI! We will likely send our car/van to the West Coast (Seattle) and drive across the country (just 'cos that's how we roll and the kids can see family and the country on the way back to MD) . . . and we have to drive through OH. So . . . opportunity abounds! I loved meeting a few of the bloggy friends I have thus far - I've been richly blessed in that (Easter, Esther, Fr. Daren, Kissy-Christine, and????) I mean, we are the body of Christ - I think we all reflect that very well.

    Love ya, toots!~

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  12. Oh, this drive will happen in summer 2014, I think. :)

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  13. You know what would be wonderful? If the three of us (and all the kiddos) got to meet up together. A girl can dream, can't she?

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  14. For some of us, dear Barbara, Ohio and Mn ARE close enough for a road trip!! Its only 12 hours each way going South from Duluth, thru Wisconsin to I74 in Illinois, then due East... (wink!!) BTW, I've done it a few times... but its certainly not a DAY trip! :-0


    Those boys are such a hoot, aren't they!??

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  15. How FUN! I'm going to make her be my friend as soon as we move to MN. LOL! =)

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  16. I can't believe I missed this post! I just recently caught it while looking back through your sock posts. I loved reading about your visit and seeing your sweet photo of the two of you. I'm like Charlotte, envious in a good way. Maybe I'll be so lucky to meet with two of my favorite people on the web someday, too. :) Ah, well. I can dream.

    Well, I'm off again. I came home for a quick stop to make some sandwiches before heading out again. I loved getting to talk with you earlier. I now have my happy knitter face on instead of my disgruntled knitter face. ;)

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I appreciate your comments -- sometimes I feel like I'm talking to myself!