Welcome to JOYFUL REFLECTIONS. Also welcome to MARCH!!!! My header picture this month is a photo I took of the pretty Crocus blooms in our yard... The Crocuses and Daffodils are the first signs of spring here in Tennessee. I am definitely ready for SPRING...

Thursday, August 12, 2010

VERY Special Blog Friends


I am so excited about this part of my Birthday trip ---that I'm going to jump ahead from Thursday to Saturday evening. We spent the night that night in Staunton, Virginia. AND---George had arranged for us to meet some special Blog friends who live nearby in Waynesboro, whom we had never met before,
GINNY and Phil.

Ginny and I (actually both George and I) have been blog buddies for quite sometime ---and I was hoping that we could meet her/them sometime... Well---meeting both of them was pure JOY. The four of us, from the minute we met, felt as if we had been life-long friends. It was awesome.

We went to their home ---where Ginny surprised me with a delicious Birthday cake. We sat and talked for hours (not nearly long enough though)---and then they took us and showed us their gorgeous church, where they are VERY involved. It was a wonderful evening --and hopefully, we'll meet again OFTEN. George wants to go back to Virginia to do some Civil War history travels ---so I said, "Why not do it in the Fall when we can see the Autumn colors ?" SO---maybe, just maybe, we'll do that.

Here are some pictures from our evening. Above is a picture of our special friends, Phil and Ginny. Below are more.



Here is a picture of the pretty cake which Ginny and Phil had, JUST for me!!!!!!




Oh what a picture!!!!!! I'm not sure whether I (with that big mouth) was getting enough air to blow out ALL of those candles (only three??? ha), or whether I was getting ready to INHALE the entire cake!!!!!! Ha Ha Ha




Phil even entertained us with his special "Flying Saucer"..... I was ready to jump onboard, and go and search for some aliens.




Ginny and Phil took us to their beautiful church, the Waynesboro Mennonite Church. What a gorgeous church!!!! It was dark outside, so we couldn't get a picture of the outside of the church. But--it is a beautiful little 'church in the round'.




Here's a great picture of Ginny, George and Phil --taken at the church.




Finally, here are Bestest Bloggy Friends, Ginny and me!!!!! If you have not checked out Ginny's blog, click HERE. She has a talent for talking about things in 'real life' --and then relating them to a scripture passage. Her blog is VERY interesting ---and once you get to know Ginny, she will be your GREAT friend also!!!!!

I love meeting blog friends, and have met several. IF you haven't met some of your blog friends, you SHOULD.... It's magical and totally fabulous!!!!

Thanks Ginny and Phil for such an incredible evening!!!!! We love you both!

Hugs to ALL,

67 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good Morning Betsy, How wonderful that you and George got to meet with Ginny and Phil. That's a delicious looking birthday cake and the church is beautiful. A trip back in Autumn sounds like great fun and don't you know the foliage will be brilliant? Have a great day.

Jane said...

Good morning Betsy,

It sounds like you guys had a really great time. Here's hoping that you will all be together again in the near future!

Jane

Kirigalpoththa said...

Hey,
I want that Flying Saucer! :)

Beth said...

Hi, Betsy. I've enjoyed reading about your wonderful Birthday Trip. I know it must be exciting to meet your blog friends in person---I hope to do that someday myself. Ginny and Phil really do look like nice folks. That flying saucer is so cool---maybe you'll get to meet the aliens on your next trip! :-)

Deb from WhatsInMyAttic said...

So nice to be able to sit and chat! Blogging is geat, but face to face is always the best when it's someone you really enjoy! Good for you, and hope you get to take the trip in the fall!

Arkansas Patti said...

Aw-- what a nice visit. I'm thinking inhale cake but I could be wrong.
Isn't it wonderful to meeet bloggers? It is more like a reunion than a meeting.
George is just so thoughtful.

Kirsty Girl said...

Betsy... That is so SWEET! Happy Birthday!

Unknown said...

How fun! I love your upbeat enthusiasm that just oozes from your words. This menopause thing is kicking me in the hinney the last few weeks, and i needed to hear happy words!

I was just at a Blog School yesterday meeting with five other blogger buddies, and it does take on a whole new kind of fun to actually "know" the person behind the words! I am so glad you four were able to meet and have so much fun. Virginia in the Fall sounds BEAUTIFUL! Enjoy! :-)

Darla said...

What fun!!

Jo said...

Hi Betsy;) I agree; we just have to meet fellow bloggers wherever we can. A [much younger] friend who lives at the foothills of Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and I have mailed since 2005 (met in a diet-chat room) Last year in May, when she was in South Africa, awaiting the arrival of her second baby, she and I met in Johannesburg. We chatted non-stop from the word, get-go. Meanwhile another fellow blogger from the US went on a hike with my son when she visited SA. My hubby and I JUST missed her travelling down the country while we were motorcycling up the country, by ONE day. Today when my hubby saw your post, he said, we should go to the USA and meet all these wonderful friends of yours. Imagine that! Mmm, I LOVE the look of that cake. I hope you all enjoyed it. The church and Ginny and Phil look lovely. Have a blessed day my friend. (((Hugs))) Jo

Joe Todd said...

Many Blessings. Weekend is almost here

Neal said...

I vote for "You're getting ready to inhale the cake". :)

It's funny how you can get so close to people we're never met. That had to be very special. That is a beautiful church building. Have a great day!

amelia said...

What a pretty cake you lucky lady!! Did you get to eat the whole thing or did you have to share it??

You won't be forgetting this trip in a hurry, will you!!

Catherine said...

Gosh ~ what a terrific time you must have had Betsy. How wonderful to meet some blogger friends and how sweet that they had a cake for you! It looked beautiful and I bet it was yummy. Love the photo of you blowing out the candles.

I think it is just so wonderful all the fun you and George seem to have. I aspire my hubby and I to be like the two of you when we get older. :)

I hope you have a terrific Thursday Betsy!
xo Catherine

Karin said...

What a special event! So excited for you! That cake looked marvelous! Love Ginny and Phil's church and the pictures of you all. Thanks for sharing this with all of us. Hugs!

Anonymous said...

How wonderful that you and George met Ginny and Phil. What a wonderful birthday present. Great pictures of all of you ... and that cake Wow, it looks delicious!

Susie said...

How nice that you got to meet them Betsy! I hope someday to meet some of my blogging friends. If we are ever your way we'll be calling on you guys.

RoeH said...

They ARE wonderful people, aren't they. I, too, love the way she ends each post with a scripture that goes along with it.

Fred Alton said...

I loved reading about your meeting with your blog friends Phil and Ginny. Also, the pictures inside the church were very interesting to me. It follows the principle of the theater in the round at U.T. which I learned about when my wife was taking English Drama back in the '60's. It gathers you into the action. I like that. Too, I think it's so considerate of your husband to think of these special things on your birthday. Be Blessed.

Snap said...

How wonderful, Betsy! Blog friends ARE real!!!!!!!!!!!!

Unknown said...

What a lovely birthday celebration with your buddies, Betsy. BUT YOU WERE IN STAUNTON ... oy! You weren't that far from us. Staunton is such a lovely area. So glad you & your friends had such a lovely visit. Isn't it great to meet in person!

Have a beautiful day ~
TTFN ~ Hugs, Marydon

marmee said...

how wonderful to meet up with blogging buddies and to instantly hit it off. happy belated birthday betsy.
i've been a busy girl this summer but it is nice to see your smiling face once again.
happy summer days.

Diane AZ said...

Hi Betsy, I've been enjoying the posts from your birthday trip. How wonderful that you and George were able to meet Phil and Ginny. I love the picture of you blowing out the candles and that flying saucer is really neat!

Thank you for your concern, we're all doing fine. The weather's kind of hot for hiking and I don't know what to blog about. :)

Auntie sezzzzzz... said...

George certainly planned an amazing Birthday Trip for you! Even a meet-up with blog friends! Super!

Now I'm wondering, what do you do, for his next Birthday? -giggles- He is a "tough act" to follow. :-)

nanny said...

that is so great that you got to meet the blogging friends.....

my daughter and I met another mother, daughter that we have been keeping up with for almost a year...it was so much fun and I consider them great friends.....we all 4 had instant attractions...

blogging is the best experience!!

Anonymous said...

Betsy, you & George are so sweet, it's no wonder ya'll make so many friends!!!

I just love ya'll! God bless you both!!!

Busy Bee Suz said...

What wonderful fun for you!!!
Blog friends are like long lost cousins...I love them all.
Sweet cake, and aliens??? gads!!!

MadSnapper said...

first i want to say Wow Oh Wow and Oh Wow again on your new header. i have a very large wide screen monitor. when the new header came up with the sun and clouds you have as your background, it filled my screen with nothing buy sunrise (sunrise to me since i never see sunset, but they look the same) I just sat here and stared for a full minute.
then i found these wonderfl photos of you and ginny and Phil and i could not stop smiling. what a wonderful treat for all 4 of you. the chuch is lovely,the people are even more lovely and you already know ginny is my twin separated at birth so this post is making me happy

Cicero Sings said...

So fun to meet blog friends ... I met one too, recently, as you probably know ... making for 4 blog friends that I've met in person.

Thoughtfully Blended Hearts said...

What a special birthday Betsy!!! I'd go for the "inhaling" that cake!!!

NCmountainwoman said...

This has been a very special birthday for you. So many days of celebration. That George is one heck of a guy. One thing I noticed about reading about your celebration is that you have not once mentioned physical gifts. You focused on the REAL gifts, nature, companionship, love and friendship. And that's what it's really all about.

Together We Save said...

How exciting that you were able to meet Ginny... she is one of my blogging buddies too. I hope you had a wonderful birthday!

Pam said...

Great! What a fun thing! Happy belated birthday and I'm so glad to be a new follower as I see lots of good things here. That cake looks great and it was so nice of Ginny and Phil to do that for you! By the way, I love TN, it's one beautiful state!

Elenka said...

We have done that once and I feel we have great friends as a result.
Boy, we didn't have this blog world when I was growing up. It think it's great.

Ruth's Photo Blog said...

Thanks for sharing these magical moments with me.I couldn't
help but notice the name Mennonite in their church.I am a Mennonite,so this caught my attention.
Blessings,Ruth
Now it's over to Ginny's blog to check it out.

From the Kitchen said...

It was great fun seeing you and George with Ginny and Phil. I feel as if I know all four of you and am a little jealous not to have been at the party!! I see you have your camera at the ready with your birthday cake!! My sister used to live in Staunton and now lives in Stuarts Draft so I've visited that area every October (during my Roanoke trip) for many years. And what a great place for a history buff to be!

Best,
Bonnie

Elettra said...

Betsy happy birthday and congratulations for friends

Anonymous said...

Another super-dooper post today Betsy! Isn't it nice to have such good friends? Sure it is!

I Am Woody said...

What a very special day!

Diane said...

How wonderful that you could meet them, Betsy. That birthday cake's beautiful! Diane

Sciarada said...

Ciao Betsy, I think you have many good friends and this post is wonderful to me very excited!

Ginny Hartzler said...

We love you and George, too Betsy!! And now we must buy your cameras, because we looked so very thin in these pictures!!! I don't know how that happened, but I love it! Charlottesville and Dayton have tons of Civil War Sites. In Dayton alone there are so many tanks and cannons, and trails in Charlottesvulle! I can send you some shots of the artillary and tanks if George would like them. I have lots of pictures, but haven't posted any of them yet. There is also an exact replica of The Liberty Bell, 53 were cast in France and one given to each state. Hope to see you both soon!

Sey said...

OH Ginny is so sweet, she prepared a cake for you. I am glad you had a wonderful trip and meet your blog friends. Take care and God bless you!

Melanie said...

I had to stop by and say hello because we're almost neighbors! I live in the northeast corner of TN!!! :)

What a special time with very special friends! Thank you for sharing this with us. I look forward to more of your posts!
Melanie
~ melscoffeebreak.blogspot.com ~

Rose said...

Now that was a special treat for you...that cake looked delicious also.

I am off to check out Ginny's blog..at least open it. Might be later before I really get to it but if I open it I won't forget!

Katherine Roberts Aucoin said...

Happy belated birthday Betsy. Sounds like you had a wonderful trip. It's such a thrill to meet people who have become your "blogging buddy".

imac said...

Its always good to meet blogging friends.

DayPhoto said...

I know just how you feel...I love meeting blogging friends in person.

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

Hi Betsy!

What a nice get together you and George had with with Ginny and Phil! That looked like a delicious birthday cake ..what a sweet thing for Ginny to do for you.

I have been fortunate to meet a few blog friends over the years ..it's always fun!

penny said...

That was so sweet of them to have a Birthday cake for you, Betsy. They indeed very special people.
You all seem to enjoy each others company and have a wonderful time together.

D said...

Betsy, I'm so happy you enjoyed your birthday trip.. what great fun you must have had with your blogging buddies. Have a wonderful weekend.

Glenda said...

Life is so much richer because of our friendships! You and Ginny are both so bubbly and seem to enjoy life so much, so I'm sure your time together was filled with laughter and great conversation! I loved seeing their beautiful church.

Bill said...

It is true what you say about meeting other bloggers, we had a lunch with the Sydney bloggers recently (6 of us) when we were down there. It was great. Pity you are so far away from Alaska otherwise we could have come down and met you too in a couple of weeks.

T said...

What a special treat!

And happy Birthday Betsy!!!!!

Velva said...

What an awesome opportunity to meet your blog friend Ginny. A very special time indeed.

Happy Birthday too.

Velva

Connie said...

What a fun surprise to get to meet your blogging friends, Betsy, and that cake looks yummy! Glad to hear you had such a nice birthday. :)

Love Of Quilts said...

Betsy that was just awesome that you got to met a blogging friend...and so thoughtful of her to have you a cake.You look younger then you say you are in the picture with your cake....and you looked to be blowing out your candles....I'm going to check out Ginnys blog.
Have a good tomorrow cause today is done gone.
God Bless Trish

carolina nana said...

What a nice birthday gift to get to meet 2 new friends. You're smart to go back in the fall,I've been told Virginia is a really colorful place that time of year.
Blessings to you
Marilyn

Mary Isabella and Kiley too! said...

What a wonderful visit you had...m...

Regina said...

Great friends! Wonderful post Betsy.

Happy weekend ahead and regards.

NENSA MOON said...

What a fun thing Betsy, you can meet the bloggy friend on your birthday's trip... It's such a bonus gift birthday for you...
I love your pose when blowing the candles...it's really awesome...haha...
Thanks for sharing your happiness with us.

love and hugs,
nensa

Carletta said...

It sounds like you had a beautiful birthday Betsy!
What a wonderful thing Ginny did making you a cake.
I've never met a blog friend and think it would be super.
George pulled out all the stops didn't he? :)

SquirrelQueen said...

I think it is absolutely wonderful that you and George got to meet Ginny and Phil. I can't even imagine how much fun the four of you had together. That was so sweet of Ginny to make you a birthday cake but knowing Ginny I'm not surprised.

Hope you get to go back in the fall and see them and the autumn leaves.

ruthinian said...

what a wonderful story of friendship. glad that you had a wonderful birthday celebration and had amazing friends like Ginny and Phil.

Pedaling said...

I've met several blog friends in real life. It's always a treat.
I can see why you would take the time to meet Ginny & Phil- what a treat.
I love the church banner "All for the glory of God."

KathyA said...

I, too, enjoy meeting blogger friends. What a gift blogging has been for me!
It amazes me how we've all been able to reach out and meet and get to know so many different folks all around the world. Who would have thought technology could be so humanizing?

Jenny said...

What fabulous fun. Love the star fish on your cake. And the big smiles on everybodies face.