My husband and I took a road trip Thursday night to a town not that far from us –Faribault, MN. You see I have an imaginary friend (as my dearly beloved likes to refer to my bloggy buddies who I have never met in real life) who lives there and who was going to be part of a poetry reading at the local library. I was excited and had decided to make a trip up there alone and then Chris said he wouldn’t mind going along. I admit I was a little surprised but I think sometimes he worries about me and is afraid some of these “imaginary friends” may be a little too out there or something. I assured him this was not the case but welcomed his company and we had a positively great night.
We arrived early and took in a little of the library while we waited—read papers and walked around a bit.
We knew we were in the right place!
When we walked to the upstairs Buckham Memorial Library Great Hall I was a little giddy!!! I was going to meet Audrey!!! That would be Audrey Kletscher Helbling of Minnesota Prairie Roots blog fame!!! I saw her immediately and since there were not a lot of folks in the room yet she spied me right away and gasped almost audibly! Success!!! I had surprised her and it was wonderful!!! We hugged and chatted a bit before the poetry reading started and it was wonderful. Chris and I met her sweet husband, Randy, and chatted a bit before we took our seats.
The evening proceeded with alternating readings by Audrey and Peter Allen—another fine Faribault resident who offered selections that were at times amusing and other times filled with emotional portrayals of life experiences. Audrey’s poetry was fabulous as I knew it would be. She is such a gifted writer and her poetry is as she so aptly described it as “down home” writing. Pictures of Saturday night baths in galvanized bathtubs and piles of kitties lapping warm milk out of hubcaps in the barn played out in my mind as she read several of her published works.
Not the clearest shot of Audrey but is shows her great smile!
Peter Allen
I was so very thrilled to be able to attend this fabulous event. Audrey was everything that I imagined she would be and then some. She is an amazing woman with a creative side that allows her to embrace her love of writing and photography and bring it to others in a way that will elicit joy and almost always a smile. 
I am happy to say that I have finally met one of my “imaginary” friends and it makes me want to meet all of them. New goal—meet as many as I can!!! In person! Thanks, Audrey, for a great night and for becoming real to me!!! And thank you to Bernie from One Mixed Bag who “introduced” me to Audrey’s blog!
Audrey and myself after the reading!
Will jump back in the Friday blog hop next week—had to get this one out there!!!!
