#13 - Meeting ANOTHER Friend In Real Life

I am always so blessed when I get to meet someone in peron who I've gotten acquainted with on-line.

This was my privilege March 23, 2012 when I got to meet Shari England.

Some background:  I have been blessed to meet 12 people who I met as a result of this PENLESS WRITER blog.  Shari, which makes #13, is the first person I originally met on fb.  My introduction to Shari was from my close friend, Jeanne, who told me one day, "I think you'd enjoy reading her posts."  Jeanne later blessed me with an autographed copy of Shari's book, Lesson's From The Sticker Patch.

So, in January when Shari contacted me about our meeting somewhere mid-way between her home in Medford, OK and mine in Coweta, OK I was more than delighted.  We settled on meeting in Stillwater.  I knew I wouldn't make that drive alone, since it was a couple of hours, and especially since I'm not at all familiar with Stillwater so I immediately contacted Jeanne and asked her to make the trip with me.  Since Jeanne knew her, since Jeanne's son had attended Stillwater, and since Jeanne is ALWAYS such a huge help to me (Christmas Party for The King's Kitchen the past two years - Co-hosting Britney's Baby Shower,- she and her husband have been on the delivery team of King's Kitchen from the beginning, etc., etc.) I felt she would.  

Picture of Jeanne & Tim.

I had my camera with me and I was mortified when I got home and realized I had not taken ONE single picture of us meeting.......so I lifted a couple of pictures of both Shari & Jeanne for this blog post.  Usually I am taking pictures right and left :o(

On with the story:  Due to one reason or another, each time we planned to meet something would come up and it didn't work out.  FINALLY, Friday, Jeanne and I made our way to Stillwater in my little orange HHR and Shari made her way from Medford.  We meet at 1:00 at Joseppi's Italian Kitchen.   At first they tried to seat us at a table in a noisy area but we wanted a quiet corner.  There was none but Shari had seen another dining area and asked if we could be seated there.

We all had a wonderful spinach with chicken and strawberry salad and water with lemon to drink.  Shari & I added dessert and coffee to ours, I had Creme Brulee and Shari had cheese cake with a strawberry topping.  

We talked, and talked, and TALKED some more.  We had arrived at 1 and did not leave until 3:45.  I even kidded with the waitress and asked her if they were going to charge us "table rental!".  It is truly amazing the connection that can be made, meeting someone for the first time,  because so much ground work has been laid through the prior network sharing.  

A BIG thank you from me to both SHARI & JEANNE for making this another occasion of meeting a cyber friend in REAL flesh and blood a reality.  

Now, who will be #14????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I'm ready - Are YOU?