Thursday, April 22, 2010

six degrees of separation...

There is a theory out there that everyone is at most six steps away from any other person on Earth. I am beginning to think that maybe that could be changed to four steps..or even three. Especially after all the connections that I have made with blogging friends this past week.

As I went for a walk last night (before the hockey game with the good ending)...I got to thinking about how small the world really is!

I met my blogging friend Pondside for dinner earlier this week...as she happened to be in my neighbourhood on business. We live many hours apart...grew up in different parts of the country...and met for the first time just over a year ago. It wasn't long before we made connections...she knew some of the same people we knew. I think she may even be spending time with a mutual acquaintance as we speak.

I met another blogger a few months ago...a gal who lives in Pondside's part of the world. Though we have not met in person...we discovered that we know many people in common. I have known her sister for years...taught her nephew in Sunday School...her brother was a pastor at our church some years ago...she knows my uncle and aunt...and my cousin is married to her uncle. Start talking...and you soon discover there aren't many degrees of separation!


Last week...over at In A Garden's blog...I read all about a newly released book called Toad Cottages and Shooting Stars by Sharon Lovejoy . It is sub-titled Grandma's Bag of Tricks...and is chock-full of fun things to do with the grands. Though Sharon is an American author...and the book is published in the US...it didn't take me too long to find it on-line at Amazon.ca. Two days later...it was in my mailbox. I didn't know anything moved that fast with Canada Post! I am quite enjoying Sharon's great ideas for making fun memories with the grandchildren...many of them related to gardening and nature. Imagine my surprise when I read yesterdays recipe post over at MGCC...and noticed a comment by Sharon Lovejoy. That would be the Sharon who is a delightful author of children's books...who lives on the California coast or at her cottage in Maine...and whose book I hold in my hand. Yes...it is a small world.

Yesterday I wrote a tribute to Hilda...a wonderful woman in my life who is celebrating her 85th birthday this weekend. No sooner was the post published...than I received an e-mail from Charlotte..my MGCC blogging friend from Winnipeg. She could not believe that I knew Hilda...as she was also a friend of hers. We had never before connected the dots!

All I'm saying is...start talking to the people around you and you may be surprised what you learn! I'm thinking it is a very small world indeed.

15 comments:

  1. Hey Judy,
    Yes it is a small world. Thanks for the inspiration:-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. How fun! (My dad is an expert at finding out that he is related to everyone on earth. I have trouble starting up those kinds of conversations. Those who do genealogy {though we're specifically warned against it in scripture} soon learn amazing connections. I like the mathematical probabilities and think about how easily they prove God's story.)

    Oh well on to another topic. Please do share some of the fun things that you will do with your grands as a result of reading Sharon's book. I am in the process of saving my pennies!

    ReplyDelete
  3. fun times...It seems like the older I get the more connections I find. Enjoy your day!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Couldn't you just break out into a chorus of 'It's a Small World After All"?....I know I could! Yes, I'm off today to spend a weekend at work with two of our mutual acquaintances - and I'm sure that the longer you and I know one another the more connections we may uncover!
    Off to google that book for grands!

    ReplyDelete
  5. That is a lot of connections in 1 week! We have also made a connection this week, through a traveling SIL and a foreign cousin. As she wrote to me, it is is a small world. Dairymary

    ReplyDelete
  6. Judy .. how fascinating .. I love all the connections and smile as I can see that you are an easy person to connect with regardless of whether there were connections to make or not. . .
    from your husbands's mother's and my husbands grandmothers sisterly connection. . smile.

    PS. . I'll be writing that book down to see if I can find it in my travels today.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I have a MGCC connection too - I reconnected with our college cook - Sadie Warkentin. Her name was mentioned on the MGCC blog - and I commented whether it was the same SW I knew. A friend of hers read the comments and wrote me through my blog. Now we're corresponding with Sadie. She sent us her cookbook and a sweet letter. It's been so many years since we were together at Winnipeg Bible College!

    That grandparent book sounds good - I may have to check it out for future reference :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Blogging is a wonderful way to connect, isn't it? I'm glad I "met" you through Pondside.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I agree, Judy. The old adage of "six degrees of separation" sometimes proves true in the most surprising ways!

    The grandparent book sounds very interesting, although the chances of my doing gardening long distance with my grandson are slim. Do you think it would still be of value to me with my little guy living so far away?

    I know a blogger who maintains a sweet little blog just for her long distance grandchildren and "talks" to them through it and post fun photos and lessons. I think I'm going to do the same one day! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  10. I have been experiencing this more and more myself, how interconnected we are in this world. You have had so many specific recent incidents, though, it's amazing.
    I think your photos in today's post are wonderful.
    Holly

    ReplyDelete
  11. That saying about being only 6 people away from everyone in the world is fascinating. Most fascinating is when you know someone who knows someone who knows someone famous. I have Pierre Burton to my credit but of course I'm not on his list!

    Mary H

    ReplyDelete
  12. It IS a small world! I even thought about the fact that I didn't know you before we started sharing recipes on MGCC and then found out that our daughters sang in the same choirs and acted in the same plays in high school.

    ReplyDelete
  13. So glad you are enjoying the book and connecting with Sharon yourself. She is such a gracious lady. Did you see the post about her garden shed...I am just drooling with envy. Oophs I know thats bad :]

    How fun you are connecting with so many blog land folks.

    Love your photos by the way!!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Funny Judy...I also ordered that same book just this past week...and I did see the comment from her on our MGCC. I emailed her and had a sweet comment come back. I'll be ordering a few more of her books. Kathy

    ReplyDelete
  15. I quickly skipped through your blogs and thought...Now you know why WWW becomes important. There are so many wonderful women out there, that we have left and what a wonderful tribute you have made to so many new and old friends.
    What is life like with out all that extra estrogen?

    ReplyDelete

'The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it.'
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson