Our quasi-periodic bloggers' lunch on Monday was a real treat. Lynn reflected, "Our blogging lunch was fun yesterday, catching up on personal lives and work as well. Our blogs keep us somewhat up-to-date with each others' lives, but there's nothing like actual visiting, imho." I'm thankful for all the ways we have to share of ourselves. Without blogs, we'd know quite a bit less about each other. But without seeing each other, we would know little about how we each are as embodied beings, flesh and blood creatures.

I treasure digital representations we each offer up. This evening, I realized how much richness is to be found in the writings and images we have created over time. Too much to take in at times. Wouldn't it be great to collect Chris' table art and make our own arrangement of the art to ponder the pices? As I looked today at a few of the tables, I realized that I would need to take more time than I feel I have at this moment to give it the type of attention the art deserved.

I also want to read the blogs of my friends more closely. I'm not sure exactly how I'll do so. The method of skimming really hasn't worked frankly. And deeply reading everything that everyone blogs will surely exhaust my energy.

Maybe I can learn from the way I visit with some friends IRL. There are a lot of people I am terribly fond of that I don't get to see too often. But when I with them, I pay close attention, delight in their presence, and soak up their words. Such infrequent but "quality" visits do more than dozens of superficial conversations ever would.