This is a picture of me - well my feet anyway in my fetching silver snow boots. I'm sitting in an American-style kid's trolley being pulled alone by one of my newest friends, just after we handed the baton over the the St Albans #teamhonkrelay team last Tuesday (Feb 4).
The lovely lady laughing and pretending to have trouble pulling me along is Mary Louise of mymodelmummy.com . On the left you can just see Carolynne from mummy endeavours and just out of shot was Claire from laidbackmumof4.
Although I knew Claire before I took up blogging - she was inspired my my wild enthusiasm to start her own -the other two ladies I met at blogger events.
We are united by our love of our children, of writing and apparently of dressing up in stupid outfits and prancing around shrieking like witches in public.
And that's why Tuesday last week was a magic moment for me. Although I've only known two of these women for a few months the odd thing about the blogging community is that you can even consider yourself friends with people you've never even met in "real life."
Maybe it's because we share pretty much everything about our lives good and bad online. Up all night with baby? There'll be another blogger on twitter to share your pain and maybe even make you feel less alone. Angry, confused, upset, elated, celebrating - we share share share across the networks and virtual hugs and kisses fly thick and fast. And when we meet? Lots of shrieking and cackling and real hugs and real kisses.
I wrote a post about having second thoughts about my ability to cycle for #teamhonk as my Fibromyalgia was flaring like fireworks on Bonfire Night. My teammates read it and quickly swapped all the carefully made arrangements the night before the event so I could still take part. And didn't make me feel like a useless lump for messing up their plans. Or complain when they realised it was quite a steep hill to pull me up!
So I love these pictures of Mary Louise pulling me along in her fabulous trolley (similar ones available to buy soon from her we hope!!!) because for me they sum up all that is good about blogging.
OK so like any community there is some bitching, and cliques and competition but mostly we are a tribe of friendly, quirky folk with a talent for writing and a penchant for wearing pants on our heads. And I am so glad I am part of it.
This post is linked to the #magicmoments linky run by another blogger friend Jaime from Oliver's Madhouse. Jaime was the first blogger I ever met. Over the past year she has been helpful, friendly, inspirational and just lovely. Click the bunny badge to find more great blogs written by more lovely people.