All right, the post many of you have been waiting for. Who was the surprise guest at the recent gathering of a few Tennessee bloggers? Can you guess? She is the redhead in the blue kneeling next to me. Many of you already know this wonderful blogger, but let me introduce you to some other bloggers you also are very familiar with. From left to right standing is: Gail (Clay and Limestone), Dave (The Home Garden), Mother Nature (Mother Nature), DP (Square Foot Gardening in Nashville), and introducing our next generation of garden bloggers....drumroll please....is Grace, Dave's oldest daughter. I am kneeling next to our surprise visitor.Have you guessed who our surprise guest was yet? I'll give you a clue, she drove all the way from the Knoxville area to visit and many bloggers have met this lady before, including Gail and I.
We all spent a few hours talking at a nice little place near Cheekwood (thanks Gail and DP for choosing a good location). Like everyone has already stated in their posts on our meeting, we talked of many, many things. And it is funny (really quite astonishing) just how much you know someone when you have never met them! It is a really strange feeling that I have heard many bloggers mention if they have met other bloggers. Even when you have never met someone, you know so much about them-almost like lifelong friends that have created memories and talked each day. It is not exactly the same, but there is definitely a relationship there from blogging and talking online. What a really strange life phenomenon this Internet has enabled.
I hope the next time we are able to meet up even more Tennessean bloggers can join in. I know some are close by and some are far away. Some other Tennessee garden bloggers I know about and hope can get together are: Marmee, Rhonda, Gisele, and any other garden bloggers who are interested in melding the cyberland with the real world. You never know, there could be some really cool plants involved in the meet up and not to mention the great garden talk! Thanks for the plants!
Alright, alright, I know most everyone already knows who the redhead is-its Frances of Faire Garden fame. I think I can speak for all of us when I say we are ever so happy you were able to drive out to see us Frances! Thanks!
Gail, Geri STILL says no way, no how, no posts-guest or otherwise. She enjoyed meeting everyone though.
Frances, I am so glad you used this picture. It is my favorite. I can't remember what was so funny but we are all looking very happy. Geri did do a good job on the four pictures she snapped. Skeeter-four pictures for one good one, not so bad I guess. Thank goodness for digital cameras.
Special thanks go to Geri, Jenny, Grace and Olivia for coming along for the meeting.
Jenny, it was a pleasure meeting you and you have a lovely family and super great little girls.
in the garden....
Hi Tina, you captured the mood perfectly with your narrative. We are a bunch of jabber boxes, talk talk talk! Maybe it is because we already know the names of family, recent events in the lives, and have seen the gardens of the bloggers that we feel so comfortable with strangers on first time meetings. But it is true. I would love for a get together with those you mentioned and will try with the ones in my area. Possibly Christopher in NC or anyone in KY or GA or AL or even VA could be included in our Southeast group. TN is such a strange shape, we should round out the boundaries some to be more inclusive, don't you think? Your photos were the best by far, thanks for letting us use them, good job Geri, we will keep nagging you to start a blog though, be warned!
ReplyDeleteSounds like you guys had a lovely time. It's nice that you were all able to get together. I can't believe that Frances drove all that way. She must of really wanted to meet you guys.
ReplyDeleteTina,
ReplyDeleteI never properly asked if I could use your photo...thank you...it was so good and in my delight to talk with everyone there were no photos taken! But really holding Dave's adorable baby girl was so wonderfully distracting! You are a sweetie for emailing folks! Frances was a fun surprise to spring on you!
I also never thanked you properly for my plaque! It will look wonderful beneath my mom's Hamamelis! When you visit I will show you the other xx's and oo's around the house!
I plan on going to the garden tours in September, let me know if you and Geri will be coming and we can coordinate a visit and a cool beverage and snack on the porch!
Gail
Frances, A regional get together would be great-I'll come. Need not be fancy at all. There are many close by for sure! I would think all states around Tennessee would be good-and Indiana and Illinois. They are pretty close! I liked reading each of our takes on the visit and how different we all posted about it.
ReplyDeletePG, Wasn't that great she drove so far?
Gail, I sent the picture to you all so you could use it if you wanted. I would hope you all would do the same for me if you have a good shot I don't get. I will precoordinate when I come down there for the tours. Not sure if Geri will come. Might bring Mr. Fix-it if he's not working.
Also, I didn't say it in the post, but if ANY garden bloggers ever come thru my neck of the woods, please do email me and maybe we could get together. And I thank those who have invited me to give them a buzz if I am ever in their neck of the woods-Frances did; which was very generous. Also Cindy-I'll probably be buzzing you sometime and ditto as we already talked. Okay?
I have, as I am sure everyone has, enjoyed all the posts on the great get together. Bet everone had plesant dreams that night.
ReplyDeleteYou guys all look great! Too fun getting to know the faces behind the comments. Dave, Grace is just adorable!
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of a coordinated “Bloggers Meet and Greet”! Middle Tennessee would be the perfect place as it is centrally located in the state. Opryland hotel would be a great place and any time of year as it is a wonderful garden in itself and inside a climate controlled atmosphere! Maybe during the blahs of winter to perk one up…. Just an idea…
ReplyDeleteI would really enjoy meeting some of the people which I chat with on a daily basis. With each meeting face to face of a blogger, I think to myself, oh what have I gotten myself into, I don’t know this person and what will I say. The minute we meet, the hugs and laughs and chats start to flow as if school chums from years past! A strange thing indeed but a wonderful experience for me with each meeting…..
I really do wish someone would coordinate an event once or twice a year somewhere as it would be so awesome….
We are headed to Atlanta for the weekend so I want to wish everyone a nice Weekend now. I have posting’s scheduled for Sat and Sun and will try to pop in here when I can to say hey. But you may not see me until late Sunday or Monday...
Lola, I pray you do not float away!
Mom, It was neat seeing everyone's takes on the visit wasn't it.
ReplyDeleteDawn, Faces are neat and voices even more fun! Frances and I experienced this back in May. The other night I did not notice a big deal with the voices.
Skeeter, I too think middle Tennessee would be a great place for a meeting of maybe southeast garden bloggers? Centrally located, LOTS to do, easy access. Maybe someday and you are on the list as you MUST come-the Saint too! There would be too too much talking for sure!
Tina, dear gardenblogger friend, for sure let me know if you will be passing through my part of PA. I'm sure we'll be able to coordinate something.
ReplyDeleteIt's so nice to read everyones perspective on your visit. And the pictures have been great too!
HELLO ALL,
ReplyDeleteI know enjoyment was had by all. Good food, good friends, a great time. Sure was nice that pics were taken of this event. Hope many more will be in the future.
About to float down here & more to come. This is a huge storm covering a large area. Mostly rain but some wind damage. And sadly lose of life.
Skeeter you should be getting a little of this rain. I hope so but not the wind.Enjoy your weekend.
Hope all have a wonderful weekend as well.
I'm glad you got to meet Gail & Frances (I had the pleasure in April), they are just so fun! I'd like to meet the rest of you TN garden bloggers too. It's amazing how much there is to talk about, much of it not even about gardening.
ReplyDeleteCindy, Thanks so much and you are a great blogging friend too!
ReplyDeleteLola, It was fun and I hope the rain leaves you soon-I need it here!
MMD, I know you all had the best time at Spring Fling. I really enjoyed the pictures and reading about it. This was a nice kind of impromptu get together to meet. I'd love to meet you and all the other northern gardeners as you all are so smart. And I am going to look for that Blue Cohash and will make a wet spot for it too! I just love it and never heard of it before.
I just had to peek in here one more time before we hit the road to see if Lola had chatted. Glad to see you are still not floating out to sea Lola! So far nothing but drizzle here today. Was really nice and cool this morning and I was loving it very much. Now humid stuff is creeping in on us and windy as heck with some strong gusty stuff. arggg. Not sure how much rain we will get but any is welcome to us. Neighbors will be watching our house and cats while we are gone. They are reliable and will patch any holes if a tree should decide to come in through the roof! That is the bad thing with these storms, the pop up tornadoes....
ReplyDeleteMy prayers will still be with you Lola for a safe way through this wet mess.....
Hi Tina - so nice to put a face with the names. It sounds like everyone had a really great time. Busy mowing the front today --doing tons of laundry as usual, lol and watching Boy 1 run after school --he did pretty good today. Girl Model wants to go shopping --I might have to take her, lol. I do need a few things from the store. Sidekick wasn't feeling up to speed today --hope he is better next week --I'm sure he'll be racing along tomorrow --little ones seem to bounce back quickly. Boy 2 was trying to show us how responsible he was today --hehehe He got Girl Model off the bus for us while we watched Boy 1 run --good practice for him. Have to go get the pizza out and cut up --made two homemade ones today. The boys eat it faster than you blinking an eye. Have a great night y'all!
ReplyDeleteSkeeter and Lola, Enjoy your rain-it is missing us;0
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, You make me tired just hearing all you do you Supermom you! I have been doing tons of laundry and mowing too. But mowing has slowed down finally! Yeah! Hope yours has too but I am not so sure since your lawn is so green. The kids are growing up. Jimmy got contacts yesterday and you would not BELIEVE the change in him. Ah, high school. Glad to hear the kids are all doing well and go go go Boy #1. I'll see him in the paper soon for the fastest running high schooler. How can he not be with his mom and dad? ttyl My mother misses you so whenever you can drop in it is always a treat!
I have really enjoyed reading all about your visit. Since I read everyone of these blogs, I don't feel to much of an outsider. I didn't know Frances had red hair. Ha...and Tina, how pretty you are!
ReplyDeleteI am sure you had a lot of fun talking about gardening. I would love to meet all these wonderful bloggers. Count on me!
ReplyDeleteEve, Definitely not an outsider! We all get to know each other thru talking on blogs. And are you sure you know which pretty lady I am? The slim dark haired one with red pants holding the little girl's hand? Just kidding-oh but to be young again! Thanks for the compliment! Mr. Fix-it will have to top it now once I tell him.
ReplyDeleteGisele, Counting you in! Would love for all bloggers to get together-it is REALLY something talking and learning about each other then meeting. Such a neat thing.
It sounds like fun was had by all. How about we all come next time and call it a spring fling?~~Dee
ReplyDeleteDee, It would never compare to the Austin spring fling so I think folks would be disappointed (albeit talkative so maybe that would be okay), but you are and anyone else are welcomed anytime! We'll go to Opryland so we can fit lots of folks in-sound good?;)
ReplyDeleteWhat a joy to get together like that! I've so enjoyed reading everyone's posts - almost as fun as being there. I never imagined blogging would lead to meet-ups like this, and I think it's just wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI really thought I had commented yesterday, lol. But anyway, again, it was great to meet all of you. Geri was quite a joy. We got to talk about a lot of things, and she was just a really sweet person. Bring her next time too! I wish she blogged though. But here's to hoping she'll blog in the future!
ReplyDeleteLinda,Weren't all the posts different? And isn't it great fun to see the different perspectives? I liked that and of course meeting up with everyone.
ReplyDeleteDP, Geri is the best! She is the quiet one to my-how shall I say-outspokeness. We make a great pair and have been super good friends for over three years now. She really enjoyed talking with you and I will for sure try to convince her to come again. No blogging for her though. It is enough for me to get her to read! lol But I did tell her to go to ALL six of our blogs and also to read the comments and I am sure she has done that. Right Geri??
We Austin garden bloggers started to get together in 2006 but haven't forgotten the combination of excitement and nerves that we felt at those first meetings, Tina! I've met Gail and Frances in person - now it's fun to see you and the other folks at the Tennessee meet-up. Geri took a swell photo of y'all.
ReplyDeleteAnnie at the Transplantable Rose
Annie, thanks and it was fun meeting up. Not so much nervousness as when I first met Frances. I think that meeting has made me more relaxed and getting to know others has been easier. You all have a great group to meet up and you have met tons of bloggers. Perhaps we will meet one day. Geri is quite proud of herself for the picture. She doesn't even have a digital-her daughter teaches her. lol
ReplyDeleteTina, sounds like you had a great meetings. We do this several times a year with our garden forum folks. We usually meet in Munich at a garden center in the spring and fall - perfect for planting if I may say so. :-) Take care, Andrea
ReplyDeleteTina, haha,,no I know what DP looks like and she is georgeous but I was looking down front there to the left. : )
ReplyDeleteEve, You can't blame me for trying can you?!
ReplyDelete