Happy birthday, YLF!!
Thank you, Angie, Greg, and Inge, for creating this amazing, unique community.
There is NO where else on the Internet I hang out that I would seek to meet the people in real life whom I'm meeting online. Seriously!
Here are a couple of favorite examples, from my life, of the unique place YLF is: I was in a Nordstrom, halfway across the country from my hometown, and I saw a woman going up an escalator. I recognized her dress. . . and her sandals. I said to myself, and then to the friend who was with me: Why, that looks like Parsley! (A woman on the forum) I turned around and followed her up the escalator. And when I finally got a glimpse of her from the side, I was still convinced she looked like Parsley, so I went up and introduced myself. Sure enough, it was her, and she was gracious about this unexpected approach from a not-exactly complete stranger! We set up a coffee date while I was in town. The next year, I got together with both her and Beth Ann, another forum participant, when I returned to their city! Parsley had us over to her house for lunch.
Another time, it was my turn to be recognized. I was at the Sewing Expo, an hour south of Seattle, and I was in line to see a fashion show, when a woman next to me in line asked, "Aren't you Firecracker from YLF?" And that's how I met barbaraq, who became one of my best friends and sewing buddies here in my own town!
What a gracious and supportive group!
