My World Just Got Even Smaller

Lately I've been on a mission to find other blogs. I like to feel connected to people and learn about them. So, I've been asking many of my friends if they have blogs. I then check them out and add them to my link list and bookmark bar. Well, tonight has been fun. I started by visiting my friend Mindy's blog. Mindy (and her brothers) and I grew up together. In fact, their entire family was saved because my brother had the guts to ask Mindy to come to church!

After that, I clicked another bookmark to visit Kendra McEvoy's. I met Kendra at IWU while we were both students there. Kendra and our mutual friend Megan awe me with their amazing flute playing. I play, but never that well!

From Kendra's blog, I hopped over to Dangieland - Dan and Angie Leverences web page, which I must admit is a hoot. (Angie, I am so with you about the Angelina thing on dangiecast t-moble episode) Angie was very good friends with the friend we half named Katy after - Deann Whisler Jennings (whom I can't locate anywhere - anyone know where she is and how to catch up with her?) Katy's middle name is Deann after Dee. (Oh, Angie, one more thing...that Fill Dirt episode - my husband Phil was at one time called Philbert!)

From Dangieland, I visited Dave and Melissa Gafford's blog. I don't know them, but I know Dave's mom Nancy. She purchased much of Melissa's Christmas presents from me (Pampered Chef sale) - good thing Christmas is over so I don't spoil it!). I figured out who they were by the name, and then the Thanksgiving pictures. I don't remember either of them from IWU.

Then, I jumped back over to Dangieland and checked out Jason and Holly Grate's blog. I wasn't really friends with either of them (not because I didn't like them, but just never really had the connection). I remember Holly and we knew of each other and greeted often when we passed on campus. Besides, who didn't know who Holly was - she could sing!

Let's see, after returning back to Dangieland yet again, I headed off to Jeannie Reid's blog. Jeannie and I took Speech Communications class together. It was taught by Larry Mitchell. That had to be my all time favorite class. I was never really good at speech (funny how I ended up with a Communications degree, have worked in TV and Radio, and now do speeches at least 3 times a week WHILE COOKING food - another of my not so great moments - until now!) Jeannie was always really sweet.

Back to...you guessed it...Dangieland...this time to chase Jenn Swift. I met Jenn some time ago at...you guessed it IWU. Actually, we met before that because she is a fellow NYer. She grew up in Rochester, so we met before IWU, but I didn't really know her..nor do I feel like I really know her anyway. I am aquainted with her and hear about her from a mutual (IWU again) friend Krista.

Jenn Swift's blog, led me to my cousin Paul Kind's blog. I knew he had one, but never had the address. It also led me to Gary and Bethany Mammarello's blog. They also are NYer's. They are now pastoring in Elmira about 15 minutes from my parents home here in Big Flats. Gary and Bethany were(I think both of them) part of Believers and at camp, and at IWU. Bethany rode home with me one time. It was a Christmas break. We met her dad or Eric's at Dunkin Donuts in Bath.

Jenn's blog also led me to Jason Makowski's blog. Jason..yet another IWU connection...and Mel lived above me in an off campus apartment that I lived in for about 2 months before leaving that roomie and going out solo. I know there were other connections with Jason, but can't remember what they are at the moment.

Yet another person Jenn's site connected me to was my cousin Andrea Summers. I knew of Andrea's blog, but hadn't taken the time to jump over there. I must comment...that adoreable Macy really grabs my attention! She's cute, fun, and loved playing with my girls at Thanksgiving.

One more person I "ran" into from Jenn's blog was Mark Wilson. I really had it bad for him when I was in high school and even overlapped on one of Mark's 10 years at IWU (ok, so that was the joke! I don't think he was there that long.) He dated my best friend Katy (Siders) Gray for quite some time. Very unique blog!

Can you see how a world that gets very big after leaving IWU because everyone migrates to their own corners of the "world" has just become a lot smaller?

Then, I visited a blog of Jess and Jesse - Jess is another NYer. I knew her from Camp and Believers.

Now, if only I could get Krista to blog. She pressured me into blogging, yet she won't do it! I guess she doesn't realize that you can keep your blog private and only give it to the people you want to have it (unless your friends...like mine...link you to theirs...which links you to....oh, wait...isn't that what I've been doing for the past 3 hours?!!)

Anyway, it has been a blast tonight. I love connecting with "old" friends. I can hardly believe it has been 8.5 years since Phil and I, Krista, Matt, Katy, Dee, and so many others graduated from IWU. Most of those I mentioned graduated with Communications degrees too!

There is something I find even more strange...that we are back at IWU. I always thought I would end up back at Bethany Bible College, never IWU. I don't know why, but we're happy. We really miss friends and family here, and REALLY REALLY wish we could sell the house in NY so we could buy our house in IN. (ok, other reasons for selling too, like actually having money to to things rather then wish we had the $ to do things.)

I don't want to leave out those others that I have connected with through this big/small world like Dear Christy (Foster)Parandi. Christy, who would ever have dreamed that we would be "hanging out" and our husbands would be Colts buds? Never in a million years. We were on different ends of the social food chain! Oh how that changes when you "grow up" and face the "real world!" Social "status" doesn't seem to matter so much. I look at my best friend Katy and think how social status totally flew out the window with our friendship (made possible by the lack of advisory help our last year at IWU - go Taylor University! LOL!) Katy was one of the hottest things on campus (and most sought after), and yet mere me was privileged to become her closest friend. Totally a God-thing. We've walked a lot of ground together.

It's truly amazing how God brings our paths together...then directs us in different directions to serve Him...only to bring them back around to cross again.