Happy Birthday, Erudessa!

Hello one and all.  I'm Melody, Dessa's sister, hacking her blog in revenge for what she did to me on my birthd... er, I mean in celebration of her birthday.  I asked several of her friends to help me by telling how they met Dessa, what she means to them and what character in literature or movies she makes them think of.  Thank you to Taz for helping me bring this all together.

~ TAZ ~

 How I met her- On Ravelry. We found each other through the group western hearts. And once two crazy people meet they can't forget it. So we have been friends ever since.

What she means to me- That is a hard one to put into words! You are the most loving, understanding, trustworthy, interesting, sweet, caring, funny, smart, pretty (inside and out!), and creative person I know. Your heart is pure and it shows in everything you do. You bring happiness to my life (much needed happiness lol) You listen to my sorrows and pain. And support me anyway you can. You make me laugh in the times when I want to cry. You have made me a better person just knowing you. My mom still blames you for getting me addicted to Korean Dramas. Which I now can't stop watching. And I love you for it!
Even though we have never met. You are the closest thing I will ever have to a sister. And that means the world to me. You have forever changed my life for the better. And I hope I can be as good of a friend back to you, as you have been to me.
So here is to my best friend/sister Happy birthday! Let all your dreams come true, Worries stay small. And don't ever change who you are. Because you are perfect just the way you are!
I love you.

What fictional character does she remind me of- Belle from the Beauty and the Beast. Because she is smart, kind and unique. She is exactly like her!

~ KETURAH ~

HOW WE MET:
Some people meet while trying to kill someone. Others might meet over a kind smile while sitting in a strange airport. And some may even meet because of others.
But Erudessa and I have an even more epic story. For we, yet best friends, met only once.
It all started in the enchanted land of Ravelry.com. The place where dreams do come true if you keep your fingers busy with hitting sticks against each other.
I was quite the activist back then, as many of my friends will testify. But still my eyes were pealed open for true friends. Always I had The Test in mind.
The sign that the person had integrity and ferocious quick fingers.
And my, the shock when I found her! She gave it away in one comment!
"I love Henty Books!" She had said.
G. A. Henty fans mean only one thing: True character. Loyalty. And a promising friendship.
Heart beating wildly at my unexpected joy I sent the dear Henty reader a message, "I'm friending you because of that comment about Henty books. I figured any one that that both knew of and loved Henty must be a great person!!!"
And then I went back to life forgetting about that smart book girl and my message.
But what was this?
A reply...ah yes!!!
And a long one too..with interesting statements and questions and...hmm...interesting....
And so I replied.
And so did she.
And I did so again.
She did again.
We were messaging all the time. So much more than we could be on Ravelry. So we exchanged emails.
But even that wasn't enough for us - for we were starting to talk every day!!!! It then came time to exchange numbers. Texting was great...
And then I heard the Henty Girl's voice! What exoticness! Born right out of the pages of brilliance herself.
I never gave her my address though. That was a surprise. This dear Henty Girl found a way to get it with out my knowledge and sent me a surprise birthday gift! Ah the joy!!!!! The excitement! And now we could write letters!!!
And so the friendship grew, and not only wider and bigger, but deeper too. Down. With such long roots that our friendship may never be totally destroyed.
It was a great! But even greater was the day when my family went to see the Henty Girl!!!!!
It was then complete bliss. :D
Happy happy birthday, my favorite Henty Girl!!!!! Thanks for being such an awesome friend, one so full of joy! Remember even when I'm busy and seem to ignoring you, that you are one of my best friends!
And I'm never too busy for you!!!! Love you! And remember that if you ever need a friend to help or talk to, in funny good times or dark evil times I'm here!!!!!! :)

FAVORITE THING ABOUT HER:

Besides the fact she reads Henty books?
Ummmm...
Oh..yeah. How loyal she is to me, even when I stink at being a good friend.
 And her sweet disposition towards things unfair.
She's a true friend...one out there for others, not herself.
And because of that, I hope God blesses her soooo much filling her with His wisdom and directing her towards God's perfect destiny for her.

WHAT SHE MEANS TO ME:

She means coconut cream pie and Sweet William to me. And pink teddy bears, too.
Let me explain.
Every year when I was young mom asked me what I wanted to eat for my birthday. 
I didn't like cake.
 I always chose coconut cream pie.
In Missouri there grows these little lavender blossoms that have four or so heart shaped petals. 
The flower has the sweetest smell in the world. 
It grows wild every where in the spring. 
It is my favorite flower.
When I was little I had a pink teddy bear that...ummm... died. I begged and begged my mom for another. A couple year later for a birthday she bought me my pink teddy, who I named Kelly because of the name-brand tag on her that said Kelly.
 I still have her :D

FICTIONAL CHARACTER SHE MAKES ME THINK OF:

Oooh....a villain or good guy (I mean girl)?
Lol. Just kidding. ;)
Beth from Little Women.
To tell you the truth though...my Henty friend is her own person. Never to be compared to any fictional character.
I mean, yeah, she's sweet and kind like Beth. But she also had Amy's spirit and temperance (in a good way), and Jo's love for adventure.

~ HOPE ~

I’m afraid I don’t have much to offer on this count. We met on Ravelry…over a year ago now, maybe? Dates and time blurs. We were part of the same writers group, exchanged e-mails, and then started e-mailing each other. I enjoy contact with other Christian girls, and I’ve enjoyed emailing with Erudessa.  I hope she has a wonderful birthday!!!

~ ANDIE ~

Queenie/Dessa and I met in the Christian Writers group, in a thread I had started for a sort of ‘collaborative diary’ story, but I had to look for like ten minutes to pin down exactly when we met, as she has been a friend of mine pretty much since I started Ravelry!
My favorite thing about Queenie is how she is always there for everyone. If you’re down, she’s there to talk to. If you are super excited and need someone to chatter to, she’s there then too.
I think that Queenie most reminds me of a combination of Lucy and Susan from Narnia. She has Lucy’s openness, friendliness and willingness to listen, but she also has Susan’s responsibility and maturity.

~ JAMIE ~

Well, I met Dessa here on Ravelry, in the Lonely Mountain group. She’s very outgoing, kind, and has been an awesome friend. I haven’t known her for very long but I’m so glad I met her!
My favorite thing about her how her cheerfulness tends to spread through whatever conversation she’s a part of. Her presence makes a big difference!
She rather reminds me of Juliette from “I Will Repay” (in the Scarlet Pimpernel series). Strong, smart, and determined yet sensible and gentle.
I hope Dessa has the best birthday ever!!!!!!!

~ MELODIE ~

I met your sister on the Lord of the Rings group and I really enjoyed her so I added her as a friend….NO wait as a Best Friend!!!!
My Favorite thing about her is that she understands how I think!! I love Lord of the Rings and Narnia and she does too! (to me we think alike!)
She reminds me of….um… Legolas! (She is just so cool(even more so than Legolas!))
HAPPY BIRTHDAY QUEENGRAINNE!!!!!

~ RACHEL ~

I first met Queenie on Ravelry two years ago. She was in the first “group” I joined here, and one of the first people to befriend me!
My favorite thing about her? I don’t know, it’s really hard to choose just one. She’s wise, kind, thoughtful, lighthearted, caring, loves the Lord, has excellent taste in books and movies (and just about everything else), what more can I say?
To me, Queenie is a wonderful friend who’s opinion I trust.
Hmm, I think probably Uncle Alec from Eight Cousins.

~ ANNA S. BRIE ~

I met her through the Christian Writers group. I love how she’s always been enthusiastic about my ideas and remembers little things I didn’t even remember telling her. She remembered that it was a Rapunzel retelling, when I’d started to wonder that it even was.
And I love how she chooses to communicate with me through Pinterest, despite having my email address. It’s unique.
I’m afraid I don’t really know her well enough to associate her with a particular character, but she always reminds me of LOTR.

~ HER TORMENTING ELDEST SISTER ~

Dessa has and will always hold a special place in my heart, since the moment this delighted seven-year-old held her baby sister for the first time and those little eyelids opened and brown eyes stared up at me from a frowning button face.  Over the years, that tiny baby has grown into one of the cutest people I know.  She's one of my strongest supporters, staunchest defenders, and most eager listeners.  She reminds me to have hope when I don't really see any reason or sense in doing so.  She's smart, clever, sweet, and her kindness constantly provides a foil for my sterner nature.

Even on the days when we want to strangle each other for a myriad of reasons, I can't imagine life without my beloved Melian.

Happy, HAPPY birthday, dearest baby sister.  May fairies grace your dreams, hope shine on your path, and love and light follow you throughout your future.

Also, HAPPY BLOGGING ANNIVERSARY, Sister.  Wow.  One year today.  How the time does fly.

~ MOM ~

A happy smile …

Sparkling eyes …

Bouncy curls that are now thick waves ….

These are the things about my Birthday Girl that most people see when they meet her.

But I remember the things that make her ‘her’.  

The cute baby memories,  like screaming for dear life when her sister would pick her up.  Or the time, when she was a toddler, that I used to say ‘Otay Buckwheat’ to the children, and this girl thought I was saying  ‘Okay, Broccoli’ … and it stuck.  (Yes, I still call her Broccoli, but only occasionally, and mostly for sentimental reasons.)

As she grew older, her sensitive and caring nature began to take shape, and action.  She has become a vital team member for town trips, helping with everything from the basics of the shopping, itself, to offering herself as a special assistant to her younger siblings so they can have a town trip, even though Mom doesn’t really want the extra bodies along.   I truly can’t even imagine going to town without her anymore.

Many times she has stepped in to fill in the gaps as we navigate family life, and all the changes that has meant for ours in the recent past.  Just a week ago, or so, she rallied the teams for an all day kickball event, including sprinklers, in the back yard.  They had a blast, I had a break, and she didn’t even complain about the sunburn.

I can hardly believe my baby is this old, but I’m so grateful for the young woman that she is, and that God blessed me with her for a daughter.

Happy Birthday, Broccoli.  I love you!!

To the friends I wasn't able to reach by email or message, I invite you to comment with your story of how you met Erudessa, what she means to you, and what fictional character from literature or media she reminds you of.

~ MELODY MUFFIN ~