Happenstance

We've all experienced happenstance at one time of another. My word of the week from Andrew has given me pause to remember how I started my blogging career.

In early January I attended a Toronto Bead Society meeting on a dark and cold Wednesday evening. I arrived early and did the usual perusal of sale tables, magazine and sign ups. Started talking to Laurie Anne Clinton about the upcoming Tucson gem show starting at the end of the month, as she was setting up her lovely Flirt display. I had chatted to Laurie Anne at many bead shows over the years, but didn't really know her. She wondered if I was going to Tucson. I've always heard about the show, about how massive it was, and how it was "the" show to go to for bead supplies of all kinds and all budgets. I just couldn't justify going to a bead show in Tucson, just for the sake of buying more beads. But then LA (Laurie Anne) told me about a blogging seminar she and her wife Beth were taking with Kate McKinnon and Andrew Thornton, two big names in the beading world. Still, I wasn't convinced I needed to go to Tucson. LA told me to check out Kate's blog and the information on the seminar to see if it interested me.

I checked it out within a couple of days of the meeting and while the blogging, per se, didn't interest me, the rest of the seminar did interest me. They would be going to the gem shows, there are dozens spread out across the city, exploring antique stores, the desert and the Tucson art scene. Hmm. I started looking into cheap flights to Tucson, contacted Kate about availability and before I knew it I was booking a flight and had accomadations in Kate's neighbour's bunkie in the back of the house.

LA mentioned the blogging seminar very casauly & here I was now signed up and travelling with LA and Beth Clinton, exploring Tucson. LA told me about the seminar when I guess I was just starting to get the winter blues, was looking for something new, and willing to explore different avenues.

Because I didn't go straight home from work that cold January evening, but ventured downtown to the meeting I am now a full fledged blogger, and my friendship with the Clintons has been established. I thoroughly enjoyed the blogging seminar in Tucson and hanging with the Clintons.

Happenstance — had I not gone to that January meeting I probably would not be blogging today.

Laurie Anne and Beth Clinton & moi • Tombstone, Arizona
January 2011