Surprise!

Received a shock while prying my eyes open this morning (more on why later!) while drinking my morning coffee.

Heard a car door slam; nothing new there, but the dog picked up her head and started thumping her tail. Not so usual.

Before my brain received the message that someone had pulled up in front of my house, and my body was beginning to think maybe I ought to get up and investigate, my husband walked up the porch steps!

"We were rained out, so I decided to come spend the day with my family!"

Second surprise:

Received two packages in the mail. Okay, I'm expecting Kelly's book any day, as well as Sandra's. But only one says Amazon, and the other is from Maryland. Maybe Sandra's book was shipped differently?

No.

Anny Cook sent me the hair piks she'd promised AND the signed book covers AND a copy of Dancer's Delight! Wow! Thank you, Anny; I'll definitely cherish them!

The third surprise came last night.

You've heard stories about the people you meet over the internet, and how sometimes the two people can't interact without a computer between them? Not for Kelly Kirch and myself! We talked almost non-stop from the time my kids and I stepped off the elevador until it was time for us to head home so she and her family could get some sleep.

It's great when two people have chatted on a somewhat weekly basis for 18 months online, and to immediately have that person-to-person connection too. And our youngest children had a great time one-upping each other in the acrobatics department! Kelly, your kids are fantastic. And J, I hope to see your stories out there someday. Kudos to your drawing ability:) P, if you're flexibility someday lands you in the State Finals, I'll be cheering you on! (She made my muscles hurt just watching her do the splits and putting her feet behind her head!)

Hope you have a safe trip home today, and I'm sorry the book arrived a day late for your autograph.

Maybe the next time our paths cross we won't be in a time crunch?