A Very Special Follower

Mr. B picking apples at Justus Orchard in Hendersonville, NC

September 17, 2011

He's A Special Guy!

Like all of you, I love it when a new follower pops up on my sidebar!  I'll never forget the thrill I felt when the very first follower signed on to read my blog regularly.  Actually, it scared me to death!!  I just wanted to write - I didn't even know what a follower was.  And I certainly didn't know how that person found my blog or why they cared to read it.  But a second one soon popped up and I quickly learned the joy of reciprocating.  

My sweet husband, whom you all know as Mr. B, does in fact, read this blog and I had often kidded him about remaining anonymous even going so far as to call him a lurker (lovingly, of course)!  About the time I had 50 or 60 followers, he one day said in jest, "I want to be your 100th follower."  I'd more or less forgotten about that as I've never done anything to solicit followers and had no clue if it would be months or years before I reached 100.  Believe it or not, he noticed almost immediately when it became 99 and asked what he had to do to become 100!  So my friends, I want you to know that ALL of you are special, but number 100 makes me happiest of all.  I hope all of you will give a very warm BlogLand welcome to my sweet husband of 34 years, Mr. B!  He is truly a saint to have lived with and loved me for 34 years.  We're hoping for at least 34 more.

I've just kept feeling the love this week and truth be told, I've sorely needed it.  No need to go into a whinefest, but let's just say I'm glad this one is in the books and a new one has started.  I received this award.........................

...................from two very special bloggers within days of each other.   Thank you so much, Joy and Michele for thinking of me when passing along an award that translates "favorite" or "love."  The rules are very simple.  You are only required to pass it along to other blogs you love which currently have 200 followers or less.  Those who immediately came to my mind have already received this award, so I'll put on my thinking cap and find a few others.  

My determination to Live Expansively has encountered a few setbacks, but I will not be deterred.  The intent behind that heartfelt post was genuine and although I refuse to live my life in a small way any longer, sometimes small things truly rise up in a big way!  But I'm not going there today except to tell you I'm fighting.  And I will wage war against every small irritation with double excitement over the joys.  

Here are just a few of those joys from last week.....................

1)  Monday, I was back on the hiking trail with my best hiking bud and we are eagerly anticipating making many miles (and memories) during the next several months.  This week's trek was only six miles, but took us up Jake's Creek Trail along this........................

past this...................

 

to our ultimate destination which was this......................

Backcountry Campsite #27 - Jakes Creek Trail

Great Smoky Mountains National Park - September, 2011

You see, we are decades old friends as well as hiking buds and we had not spent any time together since May, so our destination was this rock where we perched for 1 1/2 hours getting caught up on what's happening in each other's lives.  As we left, we both turned back to the rock and reminded it that what's said on the rock, STAYS on the rock!!  It was truly a great day.  We've got another one just like it planned for Tuesday of this week.

2)  Wednesday, I was so excited to meet blog friend, Kimberlynn, for the second time.  The conversation flowed as easily this time over lunch as it did the first time on a hiking trail in the mountains.  When we left, I realized we had been there for 2 1/2 hours.  I had NO idea!  We're making plans for more time together and that excites me.  She's a kindred spirit, a kind soul, a wonderful writer and now, I'm happy to call her my friend.

3)  Thursday morning, I had a wonderful walk along one of our beautiful greenways with my niece.  I only have two nieces and I don't take the privilege of being an aunt lightly.  Can't share her life story, but a big decision about her future that is somewhat out of her hands will be made in the next few months.  If you are of the praying sort, please remember her.  This concerns admittance into a very specialized grad program that only accepts a certain number of persons each year.  It is highly competitive and being the non-partial aunt that I am, I can't imagine her NOT being selected, but she knows there are others with higher GPA's and other criteria stronger than hers.  She is very busy and we don't get to spend as much time together as I'd like, but she'll be gone before I know it and I take advantage of every opportunity I can.  Oh, I can't forget to mention that for the second week in a row, I managed to get completely drenched while walking.  Yep, we got as far away from the car as we could get and it came a downpour.  All we could do was laugh!

There were other valuable life experiences for me this week and when you look at the big picture, the frustration and irritations, although painful, do tend to fade away.   I've got so many fun and exciting things coming up in the next few weeks, I can't wait to start sharing them.  A meeting of new friends who don't "feel" new at all and a fall break adventure that is totally hilarious, but let's me mark another one off the bucket list.  Betcha can't wait for that one to be revealed!  Now who wouldn't want to come back and read about that?

What's coming up in your life you can tease us about???