Donna M.

Remember how I said that libraries just seem to attract the coolest people? 

Well, my friend Donna is one of them.  I met her in 2004 when I started working at Troy University in Dothan.  And honestly...  in the beginning I was scared of her.  Haha... I don't know why.  She just seemed sort of intimidating to me.  And that's probably because Donna has a strong "go-get-'em" personality.  She doesn't let things get in the way of her accomplishing the things she wants to do... And I admire that a lot. 

She once said something along the lines of "Well, you just take that leap of faith... and if you end up falling on your face, you just get up and start walking again."  That's not really a direct quote.  It was 2 years ago, and I don't remember the words precisely.  But basically, that was the gist of it.  And, like I said, I admire that.  Because I don't necessarily have that kind of chutzpah.  

Of course, over time, I stopped being so intimidated by her and realized how awesome and fun she really is.  She introduced me to a whole lot of awesomeness -- like Aspen mulling spices for spicing up apple cider and Edgar's Bakery in Birmingham.  There was one treat at Edgar's that she was trying to replicate and she would bring in to work all the "attempts" for us to gobble up.  And let's just say that was thoroughly enjoyable. 

She also taught me how to sew and make "I Spy" quilts.  So here's how that went:  she brought her light-weight Singer sewing machine to work and we put it in the back room (a.k.a. periodicals storage and lunch room).  And we'd work on our quilts during breaks and lunch.  It was seriously awesome.  I managed to get 3 quilts made this way, one for each of my nieces and nephew (I've since added to my list of nieces and nephews, but haven't managed to make anymore quilts yet... Clearly I need to go to work with Donna again.)

And when I left Dothan to head to graduate school in Tuscaloosa, Donna was one of the dear friends it was so hard to say good-bye to.  As a going-away gift/birthday present, she gave me a piece of Polish pottery so that I'd always remember her (she collects that).  And it has sat in a special place in my home (wherever that may be) ever since.  Because, even though I can't imagine every forgetting her anyway, it's a constant reminder of a dear friend who taught me much and who still makes me laugh with her anecdotes.  She seriously has some of the most hilarious stories, like the guy in the Pinto in Alaska in the middle of winter; or her friend who managed to hit the squirrel, even though she was driving 5 miles per hour specifically to miss the squirrel.

Donna is just one of those people who added a whole lot of brightness and laughter to my life, and I'm glad I still get to see her every time I go back to Dothan.  I know there will come a day (probably sooner than later) that she will retire and move away...  But until then, I'll just look forward to our visits in my old stomping grounds of Troy Dothan :).

What are you grateful for today?