What's in a name?

To quote Juliet
"What's in a name, that which we call a rose
 By any other name would smell as sweet"

and btw, that is one of my favorite Shakespeare books.  Heck one of my favorite books of all times!  I studied Shakespeare in HS and that was my favorite class ever.  I even remember the teacher some 30 plus years later because she made the works come alive!

Oh sorry, I got sidetracked by the reason for this post.  Karen over at My Colonial Home is celebrating her 4 year blogging anniversary and also her 49th wedding anniversary with a special giveaway as so many wonderful bloggers do.  I have to say the blogging community is the most caring, giving group of people that I have ever encountered.  I have never met so many men and women who are so encouraging, helpful and quick to offer a shoulder to cry on or send up prayers to lift you up if needed.  Karen's blog was one of my first discoveries and I have followed her since then.   I remember people talking about blogging and I thought what a bunch of hooie that is because why would anyone want to know about what you are doing in your every day life but then I read a couple and was hooked.  I "lurked" for a long time before I actually signed up and started following people.  Now I can happily say that I not only love reading about everyone's daily life but I enjoy sharing mine with everyone.  I started in January 2010 right before we made our trip to China and looking back over the last few years, I was amazed to see how much our lives have changed.  There was a long, long spell where I didn't blog because life just overwhelmed me and I fell into a deep depression.  When I look at all those empty months and remember the pain I was going thru, it makes me very happy to be where I am today! Life is a journey and baby, I'm on the fast train it seems like all the time.  My momma told me as a kid that life flies by so quit wishing your life away but what did I know then?  Nothing because as most advice my momma gave me, I see the wisdom in it now.

Anyhoo, Karen wanted to know where our blogging names came from so I'm pleased to tell that story.  I have been best friends with Dana and Kathie since we all met way back in junior high which was over 30 years ago now.  We have always been there for each other thru marriages, divorces, kids, losing loved ones, kids growing up, ect.....Time and Distance haven't changed our friendship!!!!!  We started a tradition about 16 or 17 years ago that we would make time out of our lives for a Girl's Weekend atleast once a year and we have continued that tradition even though I missed the last 2 years...see above about depression and life....On the occasion of one of our trips, we decided that we needed a "group name" and Kathie suggested Dirty Martini Queens since that was our drink of choice when we were all together and it just fit!!!!!  We celebrate our  queenship with wearing crowns every chance we get, exchanging martini and queen type items and just generally being us!  We are the life at every party, the crazy gals dancing on the tabletops or bars if given a chance and the ones that laugh the most and loudest no matter where we are.  We are truly are best friends in the truest sense of the word.  If I got a call in the dead of the night, I'd be right there by thier side to semi quote Bon Jovi lyrics (imagine that).  These are the gals that watched me grow up to become the woman I am today and they still love me anyway.  Now I'm getting all misty eyed because I miss my DMQ's!!!!

So now you guys all know the story behind Dirty Martini Queen's Musings and have an insight to a my friends who are amazing women!  Be sure to check out Karen's blog http://mycolonialhome.blogspot.de
because she posts some amazing pictures of her home and crafty ideas plus amazing things she creates to sell. Her work is inspiring