Would you let a stranger stay at your house overnight? How about two strangers?
For all you know, they could be mass murderers. While you lay comfortably sleeping in your bed, they could easily enter your room and stab you with a butcher knife or worse, a knife sharpener! It could happen.
But it didn’t.
These strangers that I welcomed into my home were far from mass murderers in spite of their excellent theatrical poses you see in the above photo. The only crime they are guilty of committing, is leaving my home way too soon.
I had anticipated this visit from Queen Andra Atkins, as I referred to her on an earlier post. She came to Massachusetts from South Carolina on a book tour to discuss her novel, To Live Forever: An Afterlife Journey Of Meriwether Lewis as well as her 444 mile walk of the Natchez Trace. I practically gutted my house and built a new one prior to her arrival, I was so excited to meet her.
To my surprise, another fellow blogger, Lisa Kramer decided to join us and accompany Andra to my home. Lisa went to college nearby and wanted to re-visit the area. Since our visit, she has made an exciting announcement on her blog, Lisa Kramer:Woman Wielding Words. She is publishing her book titled, P.O.W.E.R in December of this year!
Can you say, threesome?
Without giving Mr. B a choice, I pawned the ladies off to him as soon as they arrived in town so that he could give them a walking tour. I figured, if they were dangerous, Mr. B would go first. Thankfully, they all came back to the house safe and sound.
As soon as I met them, I knew we were going to have a fun time. Like old friends, we ate dinner in my back porch while sipping Sangrias.
I invited some dear friends over for dessert and to meet Andra and Lisa. I had already told many of them about Andra’s book and some were in the midst of finishing it.
Andra came prepared with her own slide show projector and a most delightful and entertaining presentation. She lured her audience in with her charming southern accent and kept them interested with her dry hilarity . Her lessons about the historical facts she used for her book as well as the insight she gained as a result of her journey, were both captivating and inspiring.
My friends were pleased to have met them both and could not wait to read Andra’s book.
Once the crowd left, it was just the three of us sitting in the living room talking, eating, sharing stories and embarrassing Mr. B, once he joined us (if you haven’t already, ask Andra how she came up with her blog name, The Accidental Cootchie Mama.) Let’s just say that Mr. B left our conversation a bit red-faced.
The next morning after realizing that I was still alive and not slaughtered in the middle of the night by the strangers staying in my home, we topped our visit with a hearty breakfast. Cider Donuts, anyone? Pumpkin Pie? We took our last photos before they headed out for Andra’s appearance in Boston.
I do have to add that I was in bed for two days after their visit, resting this aching body of mine. Damn RA! But it was worth every single moment! I was thrilled to have hosted them in my home and to have met them both.
I feel blessed to call these two wonderful strangers women, my virtual and now very real friends.
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*Here is Andra’s account of her trip up north, Making Love to Yankees
*Also read Lisa’s touching post about what these visits meant to her, Friends, Books, Words and Announcements: A Week of Unexpected Surprises.
Better watch out. People might pretend to be publishing books, and show up on your doorstep unannounced asking for sangrias. Best book preview I’ve in a while!
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Ha! My friends were actually worried about me and could not believe I was letting them stay in my house. It’s hard to “get it” when you are not a blogger. 🙂
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We are a special breed.
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How fun! Must put these book on my list. 🙂
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OMG, how much fun would it be to meet you and John???? 🙂
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A few words come to mind: Chevre. Onda. Padrissimo. Oh, and muy added to each one!
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Gracias, Jak. It was definitely MUY Chevere!
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VERY cool! Sounds like you had a great time. I’m trying to get some authors down south where I live so we can do book signings together!
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That sounds like fun! A book signing blogger party! 🙂
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As I mentioned in my post today, blog friends are the BEST!!! I never “met” the girl I stayed with in LA in person before last week!! We text everyday and had Skyped so I had no worries whatsoever!! Glad you had fun with these two!
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How fun! It’s amazing isn’t it?
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Hey, at least these were trustworthy strangers! One day I will party with some fellow bloggers and have some good times.
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I’ll sign up for that. You are the King of partying and eating! 🙂
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Duuuuuuuude sounds like an awesome visit, the fact that you weren’t killed in your sleep by houseguests was great to hear. Glad you had fun. What a trip meeting people you know so much about already…like eHarmony Match.com I imagine
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It did feel like I was about to meet my online lovers. I could have been catfished! YIKES! 🙂
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Oh what a wonderfully exciting post this is Maria! You all look so happy to be spending time together and you hid your worries of being murdered in your sleep so well 😉 I met a fellow blogger (who lives in the same town as my eldest son as it turns out!) for coffee back in the spring and we could have talked for hours, it was great. I wish I could meet you too…think of the fun we’d have 😀 xo
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Lot’s of bubbly, for sure! 🙂
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Wow! What a gathering of awesomeness! So glad you had a great time (as I knew you would).
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Thanks, Linda! It was so much fun! 🙂
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How fun was that, Maria??! This summer I went to visit my folks in Florida and I got to connect with a fellow blogger I only knew from on-line who lived a couple hours north. We went from virtual friends to reality friends in the flash of a margarita! Love how this venue let’s us hang out with, connect with, learn from and enjoy so many diverse characters that we never would have otherwise encountered! I sure appreciate Jill expanding our horizons by allowing us to get to know each other better in her forum.
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Welcome to my blog, Shel! How wonderful that you got to meet a fellow blogger as well. ‘Them Margaritas will do it, every time! 🙂 I love this blogging community. I spend a lot of time by myself and in bed fighting my RA and have found that blogging keeps me connected to the world and provides me with wonderful support. It’s even better when you get to meet in person. 🙂
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Gracious hosts (way to go, you too, Mr. B!) and happy guests. I think you hit a home run, Mrs. B. Congratulations to you all.
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Thank you, the other Mr. B! I hope to continue to meet more fellow bloggers. 🙂
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Yes. I volunteer. 🙂
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Good for you for letting possible murders into your house. More people need to be so trusting. Lol. Glad y’all had so much fun.
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Hi Don! Pretty smart of me, huh? I might as well leave my front door wide open at night and make sure my valuables are out in clear view! 🙂 Fortunately, most of us bloggers are harmless – crazy, but harmless.
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We’ve got to do this again. I had such a good time chatting. And eating. And laughing. And eating. And meeting people. And eating.
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What ever do you mean? Did we eat a lot? 🙂 That’s one of the casualties of hanging with yours truly. There will always be plenty of food.
The other day we brought a take out meal to Mr. B’s parents and the whole time I was suffering thinking that we had not bought enough. I started shaking, I was so distraught. It turned out we had just enough. Phew! I may just need therapy about this, huh?
I hope you have had a chance to rest some after your crazy schedule. 🙂
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What fun! I love the photos, Maria! I’m so happy you had a nice time…three talented and beautiful women in one house, Mr. Brickhouse must have been in heaven. 🙂
Thanks for sharing your weekend visit with us. xo
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Looking forward to meeting more bloggers in the years to come! I was so disappointed that Mr. B canceled his trip your way. 😦
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wait… you mean all you other bloggers aren’t running around killing people??? whoops…
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You couldn’t hurt a fly. Or a squirrel. 🙂
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Under the right circumstances I surely could… but I do try not to… and I wouldn’t enjoy it.
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Great post and pics, Maria. I’m glad you were able to enjoy their visit despite the RA. Looks like the three of you had a grand time. That top photo is FAB ~ B&W makes horror more believable.
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Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed the photo. We were laughing so hard as my husband was taking it. I needed to look more the part of the person scared for her life but I couldn’t stop laughing. Silliness is ageless, right? 🙂
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Love what you did with the picture. Just remember, I now know where you live. Mwahahahaha! Oh, and if it makes you feel any better, I went to bed at 6 the night after Andra left and I don’t have a good excuse.
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Ha,ha,ha! Yes, you do know where I live! AY! 🙂 Well, I am glad I wasn’t the only one tired. I am sure Andra wanted to crash as well. ps. hope your “negotiations” are going well and that you can have that special party you have been wanting to have at your house. 🙂
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When Andra told me that your friends thought you were crazy for inviting ‘strangers’ into your house, I laughed my ass off! It’s kind of hard to explain to non-bloggers how it is that we can become REAL friends with fellow bloggers, isn’t it? 🙂
Loved the post and the pics!
xoxo nancy
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You are so right! Non-bloggers don’t even get the blogging part, never mind meeting other bloggers! Glad we have each other to understand why we spend all day long writing about our personal lives while NOT getting paid! LOCOS! Can’t wait to hear about your visit. 🙂
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Sounds like an amazing time! Glad you ladies had fun!
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Can you believe we are going to do it again next March? So much fun to meet fellow bloggers. 🙂
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Yay!
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Sounds like a great time Maria.
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It was a lot of fun! They are just as nice in person. 🙂
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What a neat opportunity for all of you 😉
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That is so very cool! I love meeting bloggers in real life, but none have stayed at my house, yet…. They really didn’t look that sketchy!! 🙂
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They looked pretty dangerous at first… 🙂 Thanks, Susie.
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I can only imagine all the laughter…and drinking…that transpired on that visit.
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There wasn’t as much drinking as we would have liked, we didn’t want Andra to have a hangover the next day. 🙂
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