A little over a year ago, I wrote a post about The Best Friends I’ve Never Met to celebrate the fifth year anniversary of our Where Bloggers Live series.
It was a nice chance to acknowledge a diverse group of women who have sincerely impacted my life for the better: the blogging women, of course… but also those of you who generously come to read… and comment.
From reading a few blogs, to finding one where I felt a genuine connection with the blogger (I’m looking at you, Jodie) and some of her followers (how I “met” Leslie C.), to becoming a frequent commenter BECAUSE of that connection, to starting a blog of my own, and eventually finding a genuine connection with people who have graciously visited and commented… it’s been a full circle of friendship.
Our Where Bloggers Live group is having a bittersweet celebration of friendship this month, as we honor two of our members who–for VERY different reasons–will no longer be participating in our monthly missives.
First, is our friend Leslie Clingan, who is discontinuing her lovely and entertaining blog, Once Upon a Time and Happily Ever After. If you’ve ever tried blogging, you know that the technology side does not come without a plethora of issues.
Leslie has been plagued by several unsolvable tech problems that truly take the fun out of blogging. (I am likewise fighting bot subscribers that have caused me to mostly abandon my MailChimp email subscribers despite the fact the non-bot names account for 90% of my legitimate list.) Add to those problems the fact that you are paying for the privilege of that frustration, and throwing in the towel becomes an attractive option…
I’m fairly certain I originally connected with Leslie in the comment section of Jodie’s blog and after stalking her back to her blog we shared a few exchanges and, voila! another friendship.
Of all the places with easy-to-pronounce names to have been born, both Leslie and I originally come from Tonawanda, New York, and our homes were about 3 miles apart as the crow flies.
Leslie’s joyful spirit, playfulness, love of family, and talent for writing quickly turned me into a fan, and I was hooked. She wrote and posted very entertaining short stories and I looked forward to them regularly. (She would make an excellent author if she ever decided to write a book!!) I also enjoyed her bucket lists and was inspired by the way she makes dates with her PC (Prince Charming) both a priority and an adventure.
Whether in a blog post, a comment, or an email, Leslie’s skill for words and her use of them with sincerity were reflective of both her thoughtfulness and her gift of written language. Her words were descriptive enough to make you SEE, and the way she relates her love of husband, family and home gives you all the feels. You can tell how much she loves and is loved. And you just KNOW that as a retired librarian, she is one of the people her students long remember and who they will credit for their love of reading.
“Off blog” there are some of you with whom I correspond via email exchanges; the modern day equivalent of “Pen Pals” perhaps, but so much simpler to go back and forth on demand… This past year has had some personal challenges, so I’ve done less of that. But it’s kind of cool that the whole Where Bloggers Live series has become, at least for me, it’s own little circle of interconnected friends.
…ALL THIS TO SAY that “Cathy from Missouri” (a friend I met through the Where Bloggers Live posts) reached out to share some very sad and shocking news that our mutual friend, Iris, of Iris Originals Blog, had passed away.
Iris had battled some health problems lately, most of which seemed tied to medication side effects. She was blessed to have family living with and near her to help with some of those challenges. You can read the lovely notice her family posted here.
I was lucky to have “met” Iris and Koda through our blogging leader, Bettye. Iris and Bettye shared an on-line friendship that spanned over 20 years!
Via her blog, Iris shared so many wonderful stories about her life and family (including Chuck, the love of her life)… She was gracious, smart, witty as heck, and became an inner voice to me that cut through any lame excuse I could give myself for procrastinating (and I give myself a lot of them).
Iris may have described herself as “older than dirt” but her chronometric age didn’t seem to have much impact on her can-do spirit. She was an extremely faith-filled person and worshipped through song and prayer. I am certain she was welcomed into the arms of a loving God and hope she had a very joyful reunion with her beloved Chuck and the loving family who preceded her. Not insignificantly, Iris joined her husband exactly 20 years to the day of his passing.
Iris was always understanding and encouraging, and when Leslie emailed all of us to say she was hanging up her blog, it was Iris, who, in all caps, suggested Leslie try Blogger.com as a way of just staying connected via these groups posts… (no, pressure, Leslie, it IS an option, haha).
Speaking of Cathy from Missouri, I shared one of her very lovely emails with my daughter. If God ever sent an angel of encouragement, it’s in the person of Cathy from Missouri. What a delightful, thoughtful person to send such kind words in response to the ones I plop on these pages.
And Marsha…who has a very large blog with many followers…manages to take the time to pop in and find my latest “plop” and leave a thoughtful message.
And Joanne, in Pittsburgh, to whom I reached out when my daughters were attending a major concert event of this “era” and she gave me some very helpful suggestions as to where they should park and other logistics.
The internet can be a very cold, hostile, and opinionated place, but not when you are uplifted by the Jodies, Bettyes, Sallys, Daenels; Leslies and Irises; the Cathies from Missouri, Marshas, Joannes, Tinas, and Vees; Ruths, Helens, Pattis…
If I missed you today, you’re a casualty of haste, not a lack of appreciation. Trust me, there’s a place for everyone in the circle and if you’re here today…thank you for bringing me into yours!
Drop in on my blogging pals to see what’s on their minds as we close in on Thanksgiving… Check out:
Daenel at Living Outside the Stacks
Bettye at Fashion Schlub
Sally at Within a World of My Own
Jodie at Jodie’s Touch of Style
Welcome to “Where Bloggers Live.” It’s kind of like HGTV’s “Celebrities at Home,” but…Bloggers!
Who doesn’t like to peek behind the scenes and see inside people’s homes?
The second Friday of each month is when this group of bloggers link up to share their workspaces,
homes, towns… or whatever our fearless leader, the fabulous Bettye, proposes.
Make sure you visit everyone to see where the magic happens!
This is such a beautifully written tribute post. I’m sorry to see Leslie end her blog as well. It feels like she and I have been blogging buddies since the beginning of time. And, oh my heart, it breaks for Iris’s family. The connections we make online can often times be more authentic than face to face relationships. All that to say, I’m grateful for our blogging community.
I’m one of the many who really hated to see Leslie quit blogging. We do keep in contact via Instagram and email because we have decided we are probably second cousins twice removed and very long lost! I’m so very sorry to read of Iris’ passing because your little asides when you were “talking” to her reminded me of how my mom and I would often talk. Now, I’m not sure if I’m the Marsha you’re talking about, but gosh, Em, do I love reading what you “plop” into the blogosphere! This whole blogging venture is wild! I do feel I have some true friendships with people I’ve never actually met. But, somehow, just as the vile keyboard warriors use their anonymity to vent, I find my blog and comments (on my blog and on others’) is akin to therapy! And, I will end there because I could go on and on about how much I enjoy your blog as that seems to verge on fawning instead of the fangirling I’m actually doing!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
OF COURSE YOU’RE THE MARSHA!!!
Who else but you would pick up on and remember the Iris asides! That is so touching, Marsha. My posts are easily skimmable and it means alot that you read carefully enough to note those! Iris humorously called me out in a comment once and it just stuck. I asked her permission before I started doing that because I didn’t want to offend her. But, I think she kind of enjoyed that, too. I confessed to her that when I get too far over my skis my dad would likewise call me “little Mary bullshit.” Makes me happy that you did that with your mom…I think banter is super healthy!
Also, I’m always open to fawning and fangirling, haha. But, sincerely, your words are a generous gift and much appreciated!
Shout out from the Burgh!
I love these shares and had noticed one of your bloggers had stopped, sigh. I pray she does write a book! Please keep us posted! Again, I am often amazed at how we get pulled into each other’s orbits! I ran into a Canadian childhood friend 20 years later when we found our families each had a family member attending the same university…. in Texas.
Speaking of books, i love that a book was published detailing the life of an accomplished and inspiring man. I was so intrigued, i ordered the book and am considering buying copies as gifts. Our world def needs some uplifting right about now.
Iris, she was such an encouragement and I love her photo!!! My heart goes out to her family and loved ones.
Em you are a delight and I have missed some of your posts! I hope you and yours are doing well!
Jo
Hey, Jo!
You keep popping into my head every time I hear something to do with the ‘burgh…which is often lately bc my son has been back and forthing to enjoy concerts and sporting events. I envision you inside your beautiful tudor looking out at your gorgeous yard, or going to the symphony. (Just mini-snippet envisioning, I’m not creepy, haha.)
I have a lot of catching up to do on instagram… I’ve been an equal opportunity MIA friend this year!
I love the way you write and I look forward to your blogs. They are always a visit with a friend!
I’m sorry your friend passed and the other friend has tech issues. They are no fun.
Hoping you have a great day! Vee
Hello, Vee!
that is such a kind thing to say!
I am likewise, always happy that you drop by to visit!
I haven’t been on my D&D Instagram account much this year… I haven’t updated it in forever.
I’ll have to check in to see what you and your cowboy are up to these days.
Hope your sunroom is bathed in light, as are your days!
What a memory you have ! I’m sitting in my sunroom now with the sunlight, my plants and the cat! Beautiful day. My Cowboy is in the garage working on glass. Keep on smiling 😃
What?? I didn’t know you and Leslie grew up so close together…what a small world.
And it’s really quite heart warming, the friends we meet on this platform. Who knew??
But in retrospect (and as you basically pointed out), it’s not much different than pen pals. Finding someone who understands you and is a loving soul makes all the difference.
Love ya,
XOOX
Jodie
if I recall, Leslie lived there until she was two and they moved somewhere else after that.
I think we actually discovered it in the second WBL post, but it was a crazy coincidence that set the scene for a lot of ways in which we reconnected. And for me, it all started with you and you’re welcoming ways that make your followers feel like your friends.
Quite a precedent, you set!
You are absolutely a very loving soul and the time you spend connecting with everyone is just an illustration of that.
You and Leslie are from the same town, 3 miles apart from each other?? That’s wild! Thanks for the lovely tribute to Iris and to the very real friendships that we can build online.
I know! Isn’t it crazy!? Leslie actually lived two or three streets over from my husband‘s childhood house.
I’d have to go back and look it up, but I think we discovered it in one of the earliest posts where we talked about all of the homes in which we lived.
when I think of Iris and Leslie, and all of you, I do think the friendships are real… particularly because I honestly think I’ve interacted more with all of you over the past five years than many of the people I’ve known over a lifetime.