Meeting cjane

Well it was a banner day at church here in Provo.

First of all, it feels so good to be loved. I know, talk about stating the obvious. But I just have to say--having people throw their arms around you and tell you how much they miss you just can't be beat.

Second of all, guess who is new to our (former) ward? None other than Brian Kershisnik and his family. He happens to be my sister Liz's favorite artist. Don't know his stuff? Introduce yourself. You will love. Here is Liz's fave:

Dancing on a Very Small Island

We decided it is her and Matt on their own little island.

And this is my fave:

Nativity

Those of us lucky ducks who got to see the Christ exhibit at BYU's Museum of Art last year got to see the original. It is big and bold and awe-inspiring. The bright blue along the top, the scores of angels all in white, Mary nursing the babe, Joseph's expression... I.love.

And thirdly. I met a blog-celeb. The one and only cjane. Laugh all you want at me calling her a celebrity, but hey, she gets approximately 300 times more hits than I do, plus she is pretty much bff with Matt Lauer, so there you go.

I've never met a Hollywood celebrity. (Good thing, because I'm pretty sure I would be tongue-tied and say something totally lame.) I've never even met a Mormon celebrity. (The closest I got to that was when I was living in Mexico and was afortunado enough to be in the Guadalajara Temple for the dedication ceremony. One of our 12 apostles, Elder Henry B. Eyring smiled and waved at me as I walked down one of the beautiful corridors. I've never felt more special. But again, kind of relieved because what would I say? "I really love your diagonally-striped ties?")

Anyway, I've always wondered what it would be like to meet someone live and in the flesh after I've been reading their blog for a while. Would it be super awkward to "meet" cjane for the first time after I'd read all about her life for the last year and a half? After comfortably chatting with her from behind my laptop would it seem totally weird in real life? Is it true what bloggy critics say that these aren't real relationships?

Go ahead and breathe out. Rest assured. "Meeting" cjane felt like hugging an old friend. I wasn't tongue-tied. She didn't think I was a psycho blog stalker. It was perfectly natural and familiar. Imagine that. Of course she is every bit as beautiful and clever and hip as she appears on her blog (you should have seen her snappy canary-yellow diaper bag!). She is also every bit as sincere and real as she seems on screen. And I just thought all day about how much I love blogging. How it has reunited me with old friends and roommates. How it has helped me start journaling again. How it helps me share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with people I love. And how I am building new relationships with people who inspire me.

It's a beautiful thing.

p.s. Speaking of bloggy relationships being real, how amazed are you at everyone's fundraising efforts for Stephanie and Christian Nielson?! AND. Guess what? Thanks to my amazingly talented and generous friend, Deon, we are having another big Nie Auction at this here blogspot all next week. Sneak peek HERE and more details to come!