An unapologetic plant geek shares advice and opinions on gardening, the contrived and the natural landscape, as well as occasional topics from the other side of the gate.

June 24, 2009

Coloring Out of the Lines

While I don't presume to speak for anyone but myself, I think a lot of people keep their lives compartmentalized. I myself have my work circle, my family, our friends, the people I see at various associations and lately the people I have gotten to know on-line. When any of these spheres collide it can sometimes seem awkward. It has to do with context, as in it is hard to imagine people out of the normal context that you associate them in. More surreal still is meeting people you only know electronically through the Internet, wondering if your mental image of them will match reality.

That said, it was such a pleasure and not at all awkward to meet Helen, Janet and Racquel on Monday. We had our own mini version of Garden Blogger's Spring Fling on the second day of summer. Only no one had to take a plane or rent a hotel room, then again there was no sea of salvia to roam through and no Cloud Gate - but there was a chance to get to know people (albeit too briefly) who I hope I will see again soon.

10 comments:

  1. Local blogger meet-ups is how Spring Fling was born. Congrats on your local get-together. Making real friendships out of online blogging buddies has been enormously rewarding to me.

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  2. Sometimes interestes don't spill into others' interests... like gardening and music or books or movies. Life as a Venn diagram..? .? ,maybe.
    After our meeting and thinking about the internet anonymity I now prefer to think of this blogging event as a giant penpal exchange. Penpals can meet. Think mental images go both ways...my mental image of myself has me a lot younger!!
    We will get together again I am sure. Looking forward to it. I do plan on joining the new class when they come over to your shop. Racquel and I have talked about seeing the rose garden at the James River Park, by the YMCA. We should have exchanged numbers and emails.

    Think the Vitex is our sea of color?

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  3. It's so much fun to meet a blogger/gardener~I've met a small group of Tennessee bloggers and we've grown and probably need to get together again. I like Janet's description that we are penpals! Gail

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  4. I've met many bloggers and find there is really no awkwardness except within the first 5 minutes, then it seems like they are all old friends-gardening friends of the best kind who are kindred spirits, no matter the context we can all relate to this. It is a neat thing to get to know one another online. So glad you all got together. Helen was quite excited about seeing your garden when I met up with her Memorial Day weekend. You know, even though we all compartmentalize at times, it is like Janet says, Venn diagram. The lines surely overlap, and that is as it should be in my opinion. I might have trouble keeping all things separate, though surely some things need to be.

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  5. I've found this whole garden blogging experience so educational and fun. It was great getting to meet all of you too! Hopefully soon me & Janet can take a roadtrip over to see your gorgeous garden Les. :)

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  6. It is strange meeting blog friends but fun too. I met up with Bee in England which is why I've been so slow to visit. I only just got back. I find you can have a lot in common with bloggers because you meet through a common interest like gardening or whatever as opposed to circumstance.

    I see Tina commented below - we met last year. Not too many people make it all the way to Maine but she has family here. She is very nice like her blog - only I kept expecting her to be a big yellow dog!

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  7. Nope not me, not a second of awkwardness. Perhaps, because of the blogs, I felt I already knew you before we met; at least I knew and liked every bit of the part you shared. Now that I've see your garden, I think I'm in love.

    I still can't get over how you took that tiny space and multiplied it by division - by dividing it with the white board.

    Funny thing, even though the meeting was brief (at least with Janet and Rachel) it was still 1.5 hours where the conversation never waivered, plus future plans were made.

    Now when I read the blogs of those I've met, they are even more enjoyable. I can see their happy expressions as I read.

    H.

    P.S. I will post my meeting on Sunday. As you can see from the e-mails I cc'ed you on today, I've been a busy girl since I got back ;~)

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  8. Thanks to each of you for your comments. I agree with all of them. If you find yourselves coming to this corner of the world, let me know, maybe we could meet (unless you happen to be the creepy stalker type).

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  9. Les aka Mr. Ant Man — glad you had a chance to do a mini meet-up. It was definitely interesting meeting folks in person in Chicago. Some were as expected, but a few surprised me and were much more lively in person than I anticipated from their blogs. And it was nice to be able to ask blog questions since I think most of us just keep learning as we go.

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