I want to start off this New Year 2023 by thanking everyone who reads my work for their continued support and kindness.
Over the years, I have met many people through my poetry and art blogs. I have made dear friends who, even better, share the things that matter most to me – words and art.
These people live all over the world, a fact that amazes me!
And so often I wish I could meet them in person. Well, that’s not going to be possible in most cases, but sometimes this wish comes true. Such a thing happened for me last summer, and I will tell you about it now.
As background, I have followed Rivrvlogr (Ken) and Yesterday and today: Merril’s historical musings (Merril) for a long time, and the three of us have grown to be friends through the comments section and other exchanges. One day, Ken emailed me with the news that in a few months he’d be in my area as part of a long trip; Merril lives fairly nearby, and wouldn’t it be nice if we could all get together?
Naturally I was thrilled. And so it happened that we three, plus our spouses, met at the Valley Green Inn in Philadelphia in August, 2022, for lunch.
I can’t tell you how happy this made me to meet them in person. I just can’t, so I won’t try. Instead I will show you some photos that might convey it. Here we are: Merril, Claudia, Ken.
Claudia McGill Writes Poetry, Did You Know That? 
Happy New Year, Claudia! This post make me so happy! It was great fun meeting in person and talking and talking (and eating). 💙
Thank you. Yes, the chocolate cake, if I can repeat the one note I can sing! I look forward to us meeting again one place or another.
You’re welcome.
We will have to make it happen. And here’s to good chocolate cake!
How far did Ken travel ? Ya’ll look like a happy bunch
It was a wonderful experience I am still thinking about. Ken and his wife came from Missouri on their way to Buffalo.
Great fun, Claudia! I hope to meet some of my blogging friends in person someday too end so if you’re ever near Portland Oregon,…
And I extend the same invitation to you, if you come here to the Philadelphia area. I have met some blog friends (oddly enough one of them lives four miles from me but we would have never met in real life, I am so glad we did in the blog world). And I want to try to meet others, if they would also like to. I hope one day to come to Portland, I have never been in that section of the country. There is still time!
What a great idea Ken had! And wonderful that you have commemorative photos too. (K)
It was so much fun and I am thankful Ken thought of doing it. I still think about the occasion.
Happy new year Claudia! It’s fantastic you got to meet up with fellow bloggers that inspire you! Best wishes for 2023, may it be full of art and poetry. (Hopefully, mine will be too!)
Thank you! Happy New Year to you and I feel certain your year will be bright colors and meaningful words, if I know you. It was great to meet blog friends in person and I hope that it will be possible in the future to meet others. I have really been so lucky here in this blog world in finding like-minded souls and I am grateful for it.
The smiles tell the whole story and more! I’ve met several people through my blog and theirs and finally have met them face to face – one is even a best friend! I’m looking forward to meeting several more as time permits… My sister lives in Downingtown, PA, perhaps the next time I visit her we can arrange to meet!
That would be great. I live less than an hour from there.
What a lovely meet up. And I consider myself very lucky to have met you through blogging and now have you as an “in real life” friend.
Oh, yes, I agree and with such gratitude that the universe found a way for us to meet.
How wonderful to meet in person!
Yes. I will be remembering this, what a great experience it was to meet in person after all this time.