But when I received an e-mail this week from an old family friend, and my beautiful CAbi consultant, Rebecca Oostra, it hit me: a BLOG (and a blog post) can come to the rescue when you least expect it!
First, let me share this with you all:
Recently I've done a lot of soul-searching and question-asking, as in ...
"why did I begin my (2) blogs in the first place?"
"what did I hope to accomplish - personally or globally - with these blogs?"
"did I enjoy putting blog posts together?" ...
And I had the following answers:
"why did I begin my (2) blogs in the first place?"
BECAUSE I wanted to stay in touch with friends & family, and in the case of the first blog (this one, DH2travelers), share snippets & images of trips we have taken or hope to take some day, etc. And in the case of my second blog, http://iamprincessmagpie.blogspot.com my intent was to share my love of mixed media art - the artists, the techniques, the results - with others of like mind. IN BOTH CASES, the blog became a vehicle for me to speak my mind - to share what I liked and believed and found meaningful & beautiful ... that was the driving force behind my venture into the world of blogging.
"what did I hope to accomplish - personally or globally - with these blogs?"
TO speak up - and out - about things that matter to me, or that I found helpful or amusing or soulful or meaningful or heartbreaking or amazing. And in some cases, all of the above. I also wanted to share beauty and good information with others - my passion for plein air art has been featured on DH2travelers many times, as has fashion and film, recipes and bits about our family.
I had also hoped that I would meet and befriend people all over not just the US, but the world, "meeting" people who stumbled across my blog/s just as I had stumbled upon theirs in searches, link-trekking (I think I just coined a phrase there!), referrals from friends who blog and follow blogs, etc.
"did I enjoy putting blog posts together?" ...
Easy, this one: a resounding and emphatic YES YES YES. I loved the time I took to follow my own train of thought(s), to gather images or links to embellish the topic, and the putting it all together. I would hear something on NPR (national public radio) and it would stir up an idea, and there I'd be, at the computer, linking not only to the NPR coverage of whatever it was, but adding a link to - where the book or music could be found, what I thought about it, etc. {of course, things I found intriguing on NPR often cost me a bit of money, because I'd find myself pulling into Barnes & Noble to 'just pick that one up'. ha!}
In the case of Princess Magpie's blog, the answer was equally crystal clear: YES! I find mixed media art to be - intriguing, mysterious, simple and clean, busy and complicated, freeing, child-like and yet mature, and for me, mixed media art is an answer to my creative prayers. God listened when I told Him that I missed - the creative process. As a (then) retired interior designer, it was December 2008 when I began searching for "mixed media art classes in San Diego", and happened across an old acquaintance, Jane LaFazio. Come January 2009, I was enrolled in my first (of eventually, four!) multi-week series with Jane and the rest is history! (but all that's been covered in another blog post, over at http://iamprincessmagpie.blogspot.com/2010/08/everythings-coming-up-mixed-media.html)
AND NOW, to the impetus for today's post. This is the note I received from Rebecca via e-mail this week:
"Hi Davi,
I sent Olivia off to the post office today with about 5 priority mailing envelopes with CAbi samples in them. She asked me if the postage was taken care of (which it is about 99% of the time, since I am sending something back to CAbi with a postage paid label). I said, "Yes" and off she went. I was a little distracted.
A couple of hours later I get a phone call: "Hi Rebecca. This is Sandy from the post office......." Well, Olivia dropped off the packages but never looked at them (okay, that is something I would do). Sandy must have been busy, otherwise she would have informed Olivia.
So, before the packages were picked up by the driver, Sandy noticed that none of my packages had postage. She didn't have my phone number.
She googled my name and found a 2 year old blog (by you); the one where you talked about cleaning out your closet). You added a link to my CAbi web site and Sandy went there and found my phone number.
THAT'S service!! To say the least.
Sandy and I laughed about it. I told her to keep me on speed dial.
Well, what do I say? Isn't that wonderful? Thank you for mentioning me. You are an angel.
REBECCA OOSTRA • CAbi Fashion Consultant "
{you can link directly to Rebecca's CAbi webpage by clicking right here: www.rebeccaoostra.cabionline.com }
Even CAbi has a blog, and I love getting their link in my e-mail:
http://cabicanary.com/?m=2011&w=25
{and you can read the blog post from 2009 that led Sandy to Rebecca right here: http://dh2travelers.blogspot.com/2009/03/simple-abundance-for-your-closet.html }
And that, my lovely friends, is another good reason to blog. And when you blog, be sure to LABEL anyone and everyone that you've mentioned in that post, so that in querying someone's name or business, they have a chance to be discovered, like Rebecca was.
In closing, I have to thank my dear friend, ANN DEAKERS
~ Davielle
And for anyone interested in blogging in a big, beautiful way, I highly recommend you pick up a copy of ARTFUL BLOGGING, published by Stampington ... http://www.stampington.com/artfulblogging/
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