26 October 2011

hoarding, fan mail, bloggerdom and hot chocolate

after rummaging through old letters, an array of business cards, postage stamps, note cards from afar, magazines i think i should keep saving (from 1994!) and more (bookbinder boards should i get back into the sport, fabric for when i finally take up sewing, pretty bits and bobbles i may someday use), i find myself deep in memorabilia and memories. such the internal struggle; the sentimental fool in me is dueling my better half. part of me wonders if i should sign up for that hoarders show. however i take relief in knowing that at least i'm an organized hoarder. which means i am not boxed up (entirely) in towers of college notebooks and wrinkly letters from locker partners (just a few of those left). i can easily leave my house for a wal-mart run for more rubbermaid bins to divide and conquer. i'm kidding. kind of.

anyway, what i'm getting at is how many of the letters (and emails) i've saved that i cherish have been from YOU. readers. readers of this blog. readers i've gotten to know on a new level. how lucky am i?! i've made real friends–penpals even–through this blogging experience. some even sent me edible goodies and a few, blankets for my boy's birth. i feel spoiled with awesome people saying hello every now and again. when talking to dan i often include you as my friend. as strange as she's my blogging friend... sounds, it's not so strange to me. i'm suddenly realizing (once again) how huge blogging is. not literally how gigantic bloggerdom is, but how huge it is to me. little ol' me. how huge it is to connect with real people in a virtual space. to email back and forth and get to know people and listen to their tales. (i say listen because i love knowing a blogger's voice through their written word!) it pretty much knocks my socks off. thank you for being you. even those of you who never ever speak up, it's totally fine. admittedly i read blogs all the time without commenting, but since i know how much it means to hear a hello from the other side, i'm making a goal to once in awhile tell bloggers how rad they are; what specifically makes their blog a bright spot in my day and what i've gained from their writing. i assume most bloggers put in more effort than they gain. i just had to say thanks for reading and being so great. you are a bright spot in life. i get to tell you whatever i think about and show you the cupboards in my house (tune in tomorrow!) and the dreams in my heart and the little ideas that come into my mind. and for the record, i am a big fan of yours. even if you and i have never corresponded, i appreciate you. and perhaps (i hope) we will in the future. (we can all teach someone something, and i have a lot to learn.)

case in point // my favorite chocolatier, amberlee of the ticket kitchen, kindly sent me a (darling) care package of her incredibly tasty hot chocolate sticks. i am savoring them, sharing them and admiring them (two thumbs way up on packaging cuteness! see the aqua!?) a mug of melted chocolate at midnight is divine.


visit the ticket kitchen to send someone a happy hot chocolate care package.

21 comments:

Ashley Antkowiak said...

Your post is proof that good communities surround good people. Your blog is beautiful, as are your posts and ideas, and you obviously write from the heart. That's why I read your blog, and that's what I hope my readers can someday say about me!

SARAH said...

What a beautiful thing. I think all this muttering you sometimes hear about digital communities being a poor substitute for "the real thing" is silly. No one is trying to substitute anything; we're simply taking what we have and creating something new and - if your experience is any indication - totally real.

chris said...

Blogging has been a huge blessing in my life. I've made true friends, learned wonderful things, and opened up my world in a new way. I am grateful I found your blog in the beginning, and have enjoyed reading it now for over two years.

Nicole said...

You are so wonderful Marta! I think you are right, bloggers do seem to put in more than they get back and I'm trying to be better about leaving kind words on my favorites and to those who comment on mine. What goes around comes around.

Yesterday I was just thinking how 'silly' it probably sounds that I have better 'friends' through blogging + the internet than in real life. Sad? Maybe. But that's just how it's turned out now that I'm a SAHM. And I'm okay with that. :)

Gabi Dickinson said...

What a gorgeous post. I'm just saying ''hello'' as I've been enjoying your words for many months now and have never left a comment :)

Cecilia said...

So sweet and thoughtful, as I imagine you are in person :)

And such a great care package. You share the best resources!

{natalie} said...

I have to admit seeing the occasional comment on my blog from YOU makes me smile and feel pretty awesome. So thanks for sharing you. Your blog (essentially you) is one of my favorites. I love when it pops up in my reader.

Hil said...

Marta, you are one of the best bloggers out there. I think that's because you are one of the best people out there as well, and that translate into your blogging. Thank you for sharing your love of life, family memories, personal struggles and awesome findings with all of us. I love feeling like I am still in touch with you even when we aren't in the same town anymore!

p.s. AmberLee is pretty awesome. I love her as well... and her hot chocolate!

Vanessa Rae said...

Marta, all I can say is "I'm rubber and you're glue". I have loved getting to know you through the years. Having a blogging friend in this chaotic virtual world makes me feel very fortunate. Have a great day sorting through good memories.

~Kristina said...

Yes! I kept thinking yes with each word I read.
I'm always amazed by the connections we are able to forge without necessarily ever meeting in the flesh.
Your words are beautiful, gentle and kind as I'm sure you are in person as well.
Cheers!

Anonymous said...

I just started reading your blog. Thanks for the great stories.

Moments and Impressions said...

Oh yummy! I love the bloggy world too.

[eeny] said...

Great post, Marta.
I made great friends in bloggworld as well and I am thankful for every single one of them. And of course I am thankful for every reader and every comment they leave. I definitely need to comment more on other bloggers blogs again.

LMT said...

I really like this post, probably because I love to hold on to any sort of personally historical sentiment or look forward to creating new ones with bits and pieces I hold on to. Organized clutter is good. Can't wait to see and hear more of your progress.

Anonymous said...

Your blog is such a wonderful reflection of you...thoughtful, authentic, creative, witty, beautiful (I could keep going). How sweet that you take the time to recognize and appreciate your readers, when in fact, we'd rather be thanking you for sharing such a wonderful slice of your life with us. Thanks for just being awesome and just being you! And I've been eyeballing Ticket Kitchen for months now, glad to hear yet another rave review. Happy hoarding over there (I'm totally relating as I too am a total sentimalist!!)

Mrs Abbott said...

Love!

Elise said...

Here's a hello from the other side!! I could count on one hand the amount of times I have commented here, sorry. I love love love reading your blog, it is one of my very favorites! I feel like we would be great friends and that is propably why I like it here so much!!

♥ Elise

Erin said...

Love this Marta! And you were such a bright spot in my day when you commented on a Fashion Friday post of mine. I thought - that can't be a comment from "THE Marta" and I quickly clicked on your name. Up popped your blog and a huge smile on my face. :) Thank you for that and thank you for sharing your writing. You have such a gift with words and I truly enjoy your blog (even though I am awful about commenting!).

Sarah said...

I have been reading your blog for years! years. Your was one of the first blogs I read, a friend or a friend. At first I felt sheepish, as if I was not supposed to be reading, but as you have grown I have loved reading your posts. I have narrowed down my blog roll due to focusing on the important things in life, but yours is still my fav. by reading your blog i don't get the feelings of jealousy i get from others, i get the feeling of making the best with what i have. i really admire you and it's true i don't comment enough. thanks for blogging! i appreciate it.

missy said...

So true!! I sometimes catch myself verbally referring to blogging buddies as my friends. And then I catch myself and realize that I've never actually met them in real life, but I just know that we'd be bff's if we lived next door and then I wish we did!

black tag diaries said...

you are rad. i SO enjoy reading... so keep on writing. thanks for being awesome.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...