friendship

    The internet can be such a wonderful thing. Over the past 8+ years (went 'online' in early 1997), I met many people whom I consider friends even though we have never met in person. Even nicer, I have become good friends with a few people I met online whom I then met in person. Rissa is one of the latter.     This past weekend my husband and I spent the weekend with her and her husband. One of the things that was so great about it was that it truly felt like a weekend getaway for us -- I even remarked as I left work on Friday afternoon that "I'm going to Jackson for the weekend." Not for the day, not for a meeting, not for a museum exhibition, but for the weekend with friends.     Sounds sort of silly to put it that way. I guess we just stay home so much, and tend to only go on extended 'family' vacations (which means we go visit family -- not that there is anything wrong with that), or we only go away for a day somewhere. There is another couple we visit in TN (usually on the way to or from a 'family' vacation) with whom and in whose home we are probably as comfortable as we are in our own -- just like we felt this past weekend. And another in DC, too. All three of these friendships developed through the internet.     After all these months of classes and textbooks and papers, I didn't realize how much I needed to get away. Thanks, Rissa (& hubby & dogs & cats) for the refreshment . . . and we dyed yarn, too! LC