Meet My Web Sister
Meet My Web Sister, Connie!
I want to tell you about my Web Sister, Connie! We have a very special friendship and
relationship. Long ago we came to claim one another as "Web Sisters." Connie and I met late last winter, in 1998, when I was
doing a web search for some music information. Actually, we met through her husband, Jerry, who has a web site about
"oldies" music, since the gig for which I was researching would involve me playing songs from the 1958 era. As a computer
newbie, I couldn't have told you how I "found" Jerry's page, not really, but somehow my search led me right to his wonderful
site!! I just say that it was a "God send," for many different reasons, the first being that his song-list helped me figure out songs
for that particular gig (and many moresince then, actually!!). Well, I was so impressed with his site that I wrote him a letter via
the e-mail address on his web site, and he was kind enough to answer. I had told Jerry in my letter why I needed the info I had
gotten from his site, and in return he responded and mentioned that he, too, is a musician and that his wife, Connie, a gospel
singer! Well, one thing led to another, and before I knew it we (he and Connie and I) were corresponding
back and forth more and more. They told me about ICQ, but at the time my old computer
was not capable of handling the download (not enough memory.....wasn't that SAD???),
but when I got my current computer in May of l998, I immediately contacted Jerry and
Connie again to get information about downloading ICQ.
Well, needless to say, I owe Connie and Jerry sooooo much!! They spent many, many
patient hours with me that spring and summer, coaching me on different uses of ICQ and
the internet in general, and Connie was such good help in those many chats that I ended
up nicknaming her "Teacher."I cannot tell you the hours that lady and I have spent in chat
over these past 9 months!!!! Connie introduced me to her web site, and I was in awe at the
knowledge she had on putting together a site, although she is very modest about it and
does not like to take credit. Connie and Jerry together introduced me to their good friend
and "computer guru," Grant, or as some of us know him in ICQ, Taylormade, and Grant
helped get me out of many jams, along with Connie and Jerry.
Time rolls by sooooo fast, and before I knew it, it was the hot summer, then fall, and then
comes November. One night during one of mine and Connie's late-night chats, she
brought up (for about the 10th time, I'll bet!) how I should look into doing myself a web
page. I told her I just didn't understand enough to do me one, so the next thing I knew, I
was answering all kinds of questions for Connie and looking at urls galore and images and
this and that, and to my amazement she got me a Web Page address and my own page
started in Angelfire,with her doing all of the "inside shell" work. One thing led to another,
and before the next daybreak, I had a very good start for Rita's Cozy Corner!! I just could
not BELIEVE I had my own Web Page!!! Wow!!! Of course, it was barely a start, just the
opening page and some links at the time that had no pages to go with them, but to me it
was SOOOO COOOOL and unbelieveable, and our work on my page has continued now
over a period of time. Connie told me this was her Christmas gift to me!!
Wowwww....what a gift!! It still has me in awe!!!! I just owe Connie soooo much!!!
As time went by, she and I developed the closest, most sisterly relationship. We both
learned more and more about one another and the many things we had in common, and
we kept talking about getting together and meeting in person one day!! Connie and Jerry
live about 6 hours south of where we live. Now, if anyone is that familiar with Louisiana,
it does not take you long to figure out that 6 hours apart must mean one lives in one end
of the state, and one in the other end. Well, "guess who" is the northern-bound one, but
yours truly!! I had been to South Louisiana before and knew I certainly loved the cajun
cusine, but had been down there only for brief trips, and I had never really known a cajun
friend "in the flesh," as they say.
But let me tell you about the day Connie and I finally got to meet in PERSON for the first
time. It was the week of Thanksgiving. I had been busy the month of November with my
music gigs, even made a journey the week prior to that to play in Nashville (that's the trip
where I got to meet Ladysims!), and starting the first week of December I knew I had
about 23 engagements for the month and would not have a break for a long time. So I
took it upon myself that Sunday evening after my weekend gigs were all over, to get
Connie to look at her calendar and see if it would be convenient for me to make a trip "to
the bayou" and come visit them. I had even offered to get a motel room, of course, but
"sister" Connie would have it NO OTHER WAY than for me to stay there in their home!
Well, it was one of the most restful, fun, exciting, and neat experiences I have had in a long,
long time, to get to go on that wonderful 3-day trip!!
I called Connie on my cellular phone on my way down there and again when I was in the
edge of town. We set up a time and place to meet in a local parking lot, so she could lead
me from there to their house, and as soon as I drove up into that parking lot, I KNEW it
was her, grinning at me as she sat in her car. It was so remarkable that we BOTH drove up
at the VERY SAME TIME, and I cannot tell you how WONDERFUL it was to be able and see
her face to face for the first time!! She was just as sweet and wonderful and cute in person
as I knew she would be...I told her I had expected her hair to have a slightly more reddish
tint to it, can't really say why. But she had described herself to me really well, apparently,
having never seen a picture of her!
Well, the visit was sooooo incredible...I got to see the "cajun way of life" and enjoyed every
single minute of it all!! We talked and visited for hours on end, did some fun shopping
during the next couple of days, met much of the family, visited with friends (Grant and his
family), had some great food, and to top it all off, did a FUN "jam session" the last evening
I was there. Jerry played his guitar and sang, and Connie sang, and so did Grant, and I
played my keyboards. (Yes, I took the entire set-up for this....and sure am glad I did!!) We
recorded our "jam" onto cassette, and it is one evening none of us will forget for a long
time to come!! I want Connie to write and describe her wonderful town to you...a bayou
literally runs RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE of it, and it is one town after another, with a
"main street" being on each side of the bayou!!! There are fishing boats galore in the
bayou, and it's just a very special place with lots of French accents and the cajun way of life!!
Since that first incredible meeting, we have had another more recent chance to get
together. My husband Jimmie is an income tax accountant, and he had a tax seminar to
attend at Baton Rouge, LA, right after the first of the year. To our delight, Connie and Jerry
along with Grant and his family all made the trip "north" to meet us there. We went out
to dinner then we all returned to our motel for a nice, enjoyable visit, until they had to
leave late, around mid-night, to return to "the bayou," better than a 2-hour drive. I sure
did appreciate them taking the time and effort to come share that evening with us and to
give my Jimmie a chance to meet my special Web Sister and friends!
Well, I wanted to introduce you to my Web Sister Connie. Yes, she is
incredible.
She worked soooo hard on putting together my web page, she is such a
sweet,
caring person, and I can never forget her for all the patient work she
has put into it
for me. I must add that, in the time since I last saw Connie, she had to
quit her job
to care for her dad, who was suffering from a serious heart ailment. It
is with
great sadness that I must mention that her dad passed away March 17,
1999. This
has been a very hard year for Connie, and I don’t see how she has
been so strong!! She is a very special lady!!! I love Connie
and claim her as a "sister" of my own, needless to say!! She has been
like
an "angel" sent into my life!
Thank you, Connie, for EVERYTHING!!
Visit Connie's new home page
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Email: themusiclady@yahoo.com
