See how my socks have been knocked off?? And they're not just any socks. They're the cozy, supersoft green ones with a blue star on the side. Not just anyone or anything can knock these socks off.So much has been transpiring in my little corner of the world lately, I hardly know what to do with myself. I feel like the fact that I possess a body and that those pesky laws of gravity just won't let up are the only things contributing to the sad reality that I'm not orbiting the stars at this very moment.
Thank you all -- each and every one of you -- for sharing your hearts and thoughts in your comments on my previous post. You've touched me, moved me, and inspired me immeasurably. Honestly and sincerely. To brand new visitors and those of you who have been here from day one, and to everyone in between. You own words have made me excited, giddy, and wanting to spend a small fortune buying plane tickets to give each of you big hugs in person. It's so exciting to me to be witness to the ways in which my own story intersects and resonates and rings with yours. And I love that you allow me a bleacher seat to see what's going on in your worlds, too. I consider myself ridiculously blessed these days.
Deep breaths now ... I have some very exciting news to share with you!
About a month ago, one innocent little blogger [that would be me] shared with her audience about a wonderful gift she stumbled upon at Starbucks one day: the StoryCorps Listening is An Act of Love boxed gift set (see original post here). Not long after the post was published, I received an e-mail from Marisa, a marketing & communications coordinator at StoryCorps thanking me for sharing the news about StoryCorps and the book and letting me know that they had linked back to my blog from their website. Too cool, right?!
Now wait. It gets better.
Today, Christianne and I had the good fortune of receiving an e-mail from Marisa letting us know that she had found Christianne's blog through my own and that StoryCorps was going to be in Orlando -- just a hop, skip, and a jump away. There is a book-reading event on January 12 and the mobile recording booth will be stationed in Orlando from January 10 through February 2.
You might also remember from yet another post that I will be visiting Christianne in Florida from January 29 - February 2.
What?! HOLD. THE. PHONE.
Allow me to do that math for you. It seems that in a beautiful twist of events, the following has transpired: I secured an amazingly good deal on a round trip plane ticket from Seattle to Orlando, for dates which also happen to work well with Christianne's school schedule. We're both deeply passionate about story and have fallen in love with the work StoryCorps is doing in particular, both desiring to be involved with that work. During the time I'll be there, it just so happens that StoryCorps is going to be there, recording people's stories. And we've been invited to participate in our own mobile booth recording session.
Thank you both for your very kind words of encouragement and support. I'm very excited for you to interview together in Orlando. If you are unable to get a spot by calling on the morning of 1/11, email or call me and I will see what I can do. We will get you in there!
I've been squealing since I found out [and I am not normally the squealing type]; we most certainly could not have orchestrated or coordinated all this so perfectly ourselves. I've lost track of how many times I've used the phrase over the moon today [those words are not a regular part of my vocabulary]. I am blissed and blessed, my socks are knocked off [see photo above]. It all seems incredibly surreal.
I can't help but think this is only the beginning of something big and amazing for us both; that somehow God is at work directing our paths as we surrender ourselves and our gifts to Him [as the One who gave them in the first place], using our collective love for story while simultaneously weaving us into the great and glistening fabric of His own.
fabulous green socks on my bed photo by kirsten.michelle
If you're at all interested in StoryCorps & the wonderful work they're up to, I encourage you to find one of the links in this post or on my sidebar and take a listen. You'll be moved, I promise. Please support the work they do & if so inclined, share the love and tell others about it too!
Oh, yes. Those are some rockin' green-socks-with-the-blue-stars-on-them socks blown off. I love that you posted a picture of these to accompany your post.
ReplyDeleteAnd I would like to make one factual correction to this news update. I would like to humbly submit that you are, in fact, the squealing type, if your e-mails to me in recent months are any testament. You have been squealing in my general direction since at least Thanksgiving! :)
Ahem.
With that out of the way, let me join the girlie train and go on to say . . . SQUEEEALLL!!!!!
Ahem.
Seriously, though. I really could not believe the news today about this, and that Marisa was so kind enough to make it personal, exchanging multiple e-mails with us and then assuring us that we would definitely get a chance to sit across from each other in that mobile booth. Dude. I can hardly wrap my mind around all this.
I love you, my dear sister. Three weeks from TONIGHT!! I'm doing a little dance of joy in my seat at the table right now. :)
HOLY COW!!! This is SO FABULOUS and also so richly deserved. Please tell me exactly what I need to do to get my hands on the product of this reading as soon as the details are available.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I just feel like God is up to something. Can't wait to see how this all shakes out.
Oh Christianne. If you only knew how I live in those socks (& other pairs like those) when I am home. Only a trip to the shower or tub can get me out of those socks. :o)
ReplyDeleteAlright, alright. I stand duly corrected. I have been squealing so much these days because I am so incredibly excited about all that's been transpiring over these last few weeks & months.
SQUEEEEEEEEEEALLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!! I'm totally on that girlie train & I don't mind it one bit. :o)
I could not help but think of how thoughtful & kind it was of her to let us both know of it in the first place, & that she would go to the trouble of ensuring that we got some booth time. I can imagine that given the passion those involved must have for the project, it's great to find others who find something deep in meaningful in the work they're doing.
It's 3 weeks away, & I already feel deeply how incredibly special this time is going to be. What the heck?! I wrote a blog post, I bought a plane ticket, & look what's happening!!! Over. The. MOON!!
I have so been doing the dance of joy & squealing all night. My sis is excited for me, but I think she might want that squealing & dancing to stop soon. :o)
Terri -- Isn't this AMAZING?! I feel like God is up to something huge for us too & I'm just thrilled honestly, that He picked me of all people to go along on this wild ride.
As for the book, you might still be able to pick it up at a Starbucks; if not, you can purchase it through the ubiquitous Amazon.com. Just remember to have the tissues handy when you're reading/listening. :o)
It's that kind of amazing goodness we're talking about!!
So how much is it from Orlando to Minneapolis/St. Paul ... ?? :o)
Don't tempt me...I'd love to come and hang (especially with how cold it is right now) but even if the trip was free I couldn't swing it and you two definitely need some catch-up time.
ReplyDeleteOK, so I'm thinking I was misunderstanding what you're going to be doing in that booth. Are you going to be reading from the book? Are you going to be telling your own story? Who's the audience? Clarify it for me a little. What I was thinking was that whatever went down it would be cool to get an CD of it. But maybe I'm completely getting this wrong. Wouldn't be the first time.
What great news. I am sure you can get some new socks if need be. :) I have to investigate now and find out what this story thing is.
ReplyDeleteAw, Terri -- Why let a pesky little thing like reality get in the way? I know, I know. :o) I actually do have a lot of family in Minnesota & at least one college friend, so who knows. :o)
ReplyDeleteAs it turns out, Christianne & I are going to be interviewing each other about each other!! StoryCorps has a lengthy list of questions that they have found inspire good conversations, or we're free to ask each other some questions of our own making. They record in in their mobile recording booth, we get a CD, & it gets put in some kind of archive for anyone else to listen to. It explains it in detail (and they even have a list of good questions) at the website. It's pretty dang cool. ;o)
Hi Greg -- Ah yes, the socks!! I have plenty of spares, thank goodness ... but I may need to go shopping soon if they keep getting knocked off like that!!
Please do check out StoryCorps if you get a chance!! You can listen to stories right from your computer -- it's pretty great & there are some amazing stories to listen to!
See...THAT'S what I was talking about. I want that CD! Promise me that there will be a way for me to get it. SO COOL!
ReplyDeleteAnd anytime you're in Minnesota you totally can stay with me. (Especially now that my beautiful husband is so flattered by your comment about him.) I'll even temporarily kick out my son and give you his room. He'll understand.
HOLY CRAP! I’m speechless…and giddy.
ReplyDeleteYaaahooooooooo! for you guys!! What an awesome, amazing, astounding (etc.) opportunity.
ReplyDeleteThere are days where I just know that God is good and that this good God? He is up to something.
Peace and joy (and squeals!) to you.
Ahh, the threads that our creator so intricately weave into our lives, this is one more thread.
ReplyDeleteI am exited for you. It makes me want to go visit the Mouse in Orlando and come and see you there.
Have a great time!
Terri -- what a terrific idea!! Maybe once we're done, we can burn a few copies & send them out to interested folks. I'm not sure I know how to upload audio to the internet so everyone could here, but there must be a way.
ReplyDeleteChloe -- isn't it so exciting?! I wish everyone could fly on down & join us. It would be a blast!! I'm so GIDDY, I can't stand it!! :o)
Sarah -- I absolutely couldn't be MORE excited. All these beautiful & wonderful things are happening, God is just preparing this amazing path before us. I'm just riding that God-wave, honestly ... happy to be following along.
Carl -- we're so excited!! I am amazed & so incredibly thankful how things are being laid out before us. Amazing!!
You know what will be cool about sending CDs to our friends here? It will be a way to interact through voice, not just the written word. I mean, we all know each other through written words here . . . we don't know each other's voices. Even when I think about talking on the cell phone with you for the first time, I feel somewhat intimidated. Will we be awkward, or will it feel as natural as can be? Anyway, I think it will be fun to have our voices in conversation memorialized on CD to share with some of our friends here.
ReplyDeleteAm I making any sense? Am I communicating very clearly the coolness of this new medium in my mind?
I know nothing about uploading audio to the web, either, but hopefully there won't be any problem with us making copies to share with loved ones!
Christianne -- I have been thinking along similar lines lately ... how it would be cool to take a little video of myself & post it because sometimes it makes me crazy that all these people that have come to mean so much to me ... I don't know their facial expressions, what their voices sound like ... nor do they know mine. Crazy.
ReplyDeleteAnd I had similar thoughts around talking on the phone. Why is that?! It's not weird, but I definitely get it. I will let you know now that here in Blogland (& e-mail land), I have the advantage of being able to use a backspace key & go back & edit as much as I like. Sometimes, I'm just not as fortunate verbally. ;o)
Yes, I would definitely love to send some of those CDs out!! I don't know about you, but I can already sense that we'll need a big box of tissue in that booth!! :o)
Oh how splendid! That is wonderful Kristen. As we say in Virginia, I bet you are fit to be tied. (translation: you are so excited, you cannot stand it). I think this will be a life altering direction for you!
ReplyDeleteYayayayay! I am so excited for you. What a fun thing to participate in! I can't wait to hear all about your experience!
ReplyDeleteNathan - that's a PERFECT way of putting it!! I am absolutely fit to be tied!! Thanks for your well-wishes. :O)
ReplyDeleteIlse - I'm doing the dance of joy right now!! I can't even begin to describe how excited I am. It sounds as thought Christianne & I will be making copies of the CDs when we're through, so let me know if you're intersted. :o)
I hate talking on the phone...you don't have a backspace key and you don't have the advantage of facial expression and body language. Way too much opportunity for awkward weirdness and misunderstanding. Give me writing or face-to-face.
ReplyDeleteDude, Terri and Kirsten, I'm totally the same way about talking on the phone. TOTALLY AWKWARD. I hate talking on the phone. Blah to the phone. BLAH!
ReplyDeleteI love your idea about posting a video of yourself for us to view!
I am SO not a phone person either (ironic, since I work for a major wireless provider)!! Oh, that makes me love you both even MORE (if such a thing is possible) ... :o)
ReplyDeleteYou guys crack me up! I love it.
ReplyDeletejust hopped over to storycorp from your link and listened to some of the stories there and
ReplyDeleteoh
my
goodness!
so beautiful and sad and wonderful and terrible. thanks kirsten.
Glad you got to listen to some of those, Terri. There's a CD in the gift set that has full-length interviews on it ... I was nearly bawling at the first one. Oh dear. I think I'm going to be a blubbering idiot by the time I get out of that recording booth with Christianne.
ReplyDeleteThey MUST keep tissue in there!
Kirsten, I just realized, in visualizing us in that booth with tears streaming down our faces as we share from our hearts as friends about our lives, what an honor it would be to share tears with you, my beautiful friend.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to make our appointment first thing tomorrow morning. SQUEAL!! :)
Christianne -- I truly count it an honor to be sharing booth time with you.
ReplyDeleteHave I mentioned lately how "over the moon" I am?? :o)
Wow.
ReplyDeleteKnock your socks of amazing is right.
This is phenomenal.
So much interesting and coming awake and being born.
Celebrating this moment with you.
And have FUN.
He gives good gifts to those He loves.
ReplyDeleteBlessings to you, Loved One.