Question: What came first, the friendship or the egg?

Ever had something just catch your eye, and you stop, take a second look, and then find yourself chatting with another person who is looking too?

Last December I was visiting a few links from my San Diego friend Chris's daughter-in-law's blog. I had known Chris for over thirty years, and when her son Josh married a girl named Heidi from Canada, I was unable to attend the wedding. When I later told Chris I had started blogging, she passed along Heidi's blog address to me.

It was fun getting to know the girl through blogging though. She was writing about all the kinds of things that are important in the life of a young newly married woman. Often I would read her posts and chuckle, remembering my own journey through early marriage.

Heidi had (HAS!) a list of links to other blogs on her site. The list was the longest list I had ever seen...names of people that she either was related to, or had met at school, or from her hometown, or maybe that she just liked their blog and added it to the list.

Why I was killing time that December day I don't recall. I do remember clicking on Heidi's links and seeing picture after pictures of smiling babies, happy couples and families gathered for someone's birthday or shower.

It was like seeing the next generation documenting the beginning of their family's history...oh so young, oh so earnest, and usually rather uninteresting reading. Parties: You mostly have to be there to enjoy a party.

Then I clicked on a link to someone named Lovella.

She didn't post a picture of a baby, or a young happy couple, or even a birthday party in progress.

Instead, she posted a picture of an egg.

Now granted it was a picture of a HUGE egg amongst a dozen of typically sized eggs, but it was still just an egg, nevertheless.

Under the picture she had written:

When I ask Terry to please bring me in some eggs for baking, I'm never entirely sure what will come to the house. He'll walk in and set the tray down like nothing is at all unusual. I look at him and say "what is that thing?" to which he replies "you said you wanted eggs."
When I cracked this massive egg open, it actually had another complete egg inside. Pretty weird. I just feel bad for the hen. What would go through a hens mind after delivering that? I can't think of anything else to report about this and no I won't sit in the barn with my camera waiting for some super clucking to begin.

I had to laugh. It was so funny to imagine an egg inside an egg, and her husband Terry's droll comments. I was one of three people to comment that day, a rather long comment about a book series that featured eggs as part of the humor.

Me, talking about books. Now there's a surprise.

Lovella's humor and eye for the interesting had me coming back to her blog for another visit the next day. And the next, and the next....

Little by little I learned about her and her life in British Columbia. How she had grown up in Abbotsford, given her heart to God as a child, married right out of high school, raised two fine boys, lost her parents, and was tackling the task of middle age challenges with spunk and humor.

I learned a little about her husband, who I promptly christened her beloved Mr. T, who was in many ways like my own beloved Mr. B. Good solid hardworking men, good with tools, and with a dry wit.

It wasn't long before Lovella was commenting back on my blog. Soon our comments were longer than comments should be, and we would communicate with "Not for publication" comments, so we could read and talk more without sharing our chatter with the world.

Heidi, it turned out, was Lovella's friend's niece. After Lovella asked Heidi if I was who I said I was, and I asked Heidi if Lovella was who she said she was (both Lovella and I are cautious people...) we exchanged emails and the friendship blossomed.

It wasn't long before the phrase "when you come to visit" began to crop up regularly in our emails. When I realized I had enough frequent flier miles available to me to make a jaunt up north, I asked her if she was serious about having me come. I already knew the answer...I was welcomed anytime.

I've never gone to visit someone I have never met in person before. Save for one brief phone call, Lovella and I have only conversed via blogdom and email. Somehow though, I feel like I have known her for years. We have shed tears together, laughed, rejoiced and yes, occasionally griped about what life has served us up in our two corners of the world.

So tomorrow morning, bright and early I will be flying to Canada to meet my friend that I have never met. I am looking forward to the beautiful coolness of British Columbia, the delicious food that I know Lovella has prepared, and long conversations about everything under the sun. She and Terry have been working so hard preparing for my visit I almost feel bad for coming, yet feel honored that they have made such efforts to make this visit so very special.

We plan to visit around the area, and I'll be meeting other bloggers in the area as well. Blog hopping! How cool is that!

We will both be posting what we are up to while I am there. I hope you will join in the fun, just come back and visit our blogs,.We will be sure to post the adventure for you to enjoy as well.

The egg? Well, the egg came first...but you know something? I think it was so big because inside it was holding the beginnings of a friendship.