Meet My Web Sister Rita

I want to share with you, and tell you about my Web Sister, Rita S.! We have a very special friendship and relationship, that started quite awhile ago. we began to claim one another as "Web Sisters." during one of our many chats can't really say exactly when it was, because it was just something that was said and stuck. ~s~ Rita and I met late last winter, in 1998, when she was doing a web search for some music information. Actually, we met through my husband, Jerry, who has a web site about "oldies" music, since the gig for which she was researching would involve her playing songs from the 1958 era. As a computer newbie, she couldn't have told anyone how she "found" Jerry's page, not really, but some how her search led her right to his site!! I just have to say that it was a "God send," for many different reasons, Well, Rita was so impressed with his site that she wrote him a letter through the e-mail address on his web page, and he was kind enough to answer. she had told Jerry in herletter why she needed the info she had gotten from his site, and in return he responded and mentioned that he, too, is a musician and that I was a gospel singer! Well, one thing led to another, and before I knew it we (he, Rita & I) were corresponding back and forth more and more. We told Rita about ICQ, but at the time her computer was not capable of handling the download (not enough memory, or something if my recollection is correct. but, when she got her current computer in May of l998, Rita again contacted Jerry and myself to get information about downloading ICQ.
Well, needless to say, we spent many, countless hours with mostly me that spring and summer, coaching Rita on the different uses of ICQ, and the internet, and I was so happy to help with what little I knew about anything which wasn't very much, (to be honest here, I honestly believe that we learned alot together!) with all the many chats that we had over the months Rita ended up nicknaming me "Teacher." I cannot tell you the hours that lady, and I have spent in chat over these past 9 months!!!! I sent Rita an invitation to my web site, and she was so excited about that. Rita mentioned during one of our chats that she would like to have a page of her own, but wouldn't know where to begin. I offered to help with what little I knew about it, which isn't very much at all. one thing led to another and soon just out of the blue, I asked Rita if she really wanted a web page, she said yes but what would I put on it? my cats, my music, my family and I told her yes that she could put anything she wanted on it. If she wanted I would help her with her web page, and I promised that I would add only what she wanted on there and that it would all be her final decisions. Well needless to say, WHALA, Ritas Cozy Corner was born. This was my Christmas gift to my Web Sister. Jerry and I together introduced Rita to our good friend and "computer guru," Grant, or as some of us know him in ICQ, Taylormade. Grant and Rita became fast, really close friends, and I am so glad that this friendship has come to be.
My goodness how the Time flys by so fast, and before I knew it, it was the mid summer, then fall, and As time went by,Rita 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!! Jerry and I live about 6 hours south of where Rita lives. If anyone is that familiar at all with Louisiana, it doesn't take you very 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 southern-bound one, but yours truly!! Rita had mentioned that she had been to South Louisiana before and knew that she certainly loved the cajun cusine, but had been down here only for brief trips, and that she had never really known a cajun friend "in the flesh," as she would say.
But let me tell you about the day Rita and I finally got to meet in person for the very first time. It was the week of Thanksgiving. Rita had been busy the month of November with her music gigs, she even even made a trip the week prior to that to play in Nashville (that's the trip where she got to meet Ladysims!), and beginning the first week of December she mentioned that she knew she had a good number of other engagements for the month, and would not have a break for a long time. So nice kind hearted Rita took it upon herself that Sunday evening after her weekend gigs were all over, to get me to look at my calendar to see if it would be convenient for her to take a trip "to the bayou" and come visit us. she had offered to get a motel room, of course, but I wouldn't hear of it, I wouldn't hear of her staying at a motel when we had extra room here at our house. and I figured she must be tired of staying in motel rooms! I wouldn't hvae it any other way than for My Web Sister to stay here in, and at our house! Well, it was one of the most wonderful, fun, exciting, and neat experiences to have had MY Own Web Sister, Stay here, with us and Share such a wonderful time together that I will Remember for years to come!!
Rita called Me on her cellular phone on her way down here, and again when she was near the area where we live. We set up a time and place to meet in a local parking lot, so that I could lead her from there to our house, and as soon as she drove up and got within eyes view, I KNEW it was her, grinning at me and waving as she was driving up in her van. It was so remarkable that we BOTH drove up at the same time, I cannot tell you how wonderful it was to be able and see Rita face to face for the very first time!! She was just as sweet, and wonderful in person as I knew she would be too...I told her I had expected her hair to be a lot darker, she had described herself to me really well, and having seen a picture of her, I was certain it was the same lady that I had been chatting with all this time though there was no doubt! I was kind of in a state of shock and unbeliefe, that we were actually standing there talking in person for the first time, we had talked on the phone, but this was soooo different!!



Well, the visit was really incredible...Rita got to see the "cajun way of life" and I know that she really 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), we had some great food, and to top it all off, did a FUN "jam session" the last evening that Rita was here. Jerry played his guitar and sang, and Grant and I sang, while Rita played her keyboards. (Yes, she took the entire set-up for this.... EVERYTHING, and sure am glad she did so!!) We recorded our "jam session" onto cassette, and it is one evening none of us will soon forget, for a long time to come!!
Rita made a request that I describe the place where I live, I'll do my best sis :) Well to begin with, you can't really call this place a town, because of the way it is situated on each side of the bayou runs 2 major highways, La. Hwy1 and La. Hwy308 most of the busisnesses are on the La. Hwy1 side of the bayou, and there are several bridges to cross to get to where ever it is one has to go. I'll try to find a map of the area to add to this web page to give an idea of what it's like to live here and travel to a grocerystore persay. the streets are not called streets, they are lanes and well most anyways :) and everybody knows everybody here, by who you are related to. this is a fishing paradise, an oil export community, many of the people here are still french speaking people, although some have moved away, and new peoples moving in. the cajun culture lives on strong here. the food is fabulous, fresh seafood abundant most of the year in their seasons. we are located about 30 to 40 miles from the Gulf of Mexico and within minutes we can go directly to the beach. this is a community rich in friendly , careing, shareing, and loving people, chooseing to hold on to family traditions that is alive in many of the cajun homes of today. Yes the Bayou literally runs RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE of this community divideing it but, not it's people. and it is one little community 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!! If you ever get a chance to go anyplace, cajunland is the place to add to your list of places to visit and as I said the food is fabulous!!
Since that first incredible meeting, we have had another more recent chance to get together. Rita's 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, Grant called and invited us to ride to Baton Rouge, with he and his wife Val and our friend Debbie. to meet Rita and Jimmie there. We went out to dinner then we all returned to their motel for a nice, enjoyable visit, until we all had to leave late, around mid-night, to return to "the bayou," better than a 2-hour drive. Jerry and I certainly did appreciate Grant taking us along with them for this enjoyable evening with My Web Sister and her Jimmie, Grant, Val and Debbie are truely close friends too now mind you, They are part of the family too, and we really had a great time with the gang :) I was so happy to finally get to meet the Love of my Web Sisters life, she had shared so much with me that I felt I already knew him ~S~
Well, I wanted to share with you my Web Sister Rita. Yes, she's an incredible lady thats for sure. She worked so hard on getting things together for me to add to her web page, she is such a sweet, caring person, and I can never forget her for all the patience she has had with me, while I put it all together for her. She is a very special lady!!! I love Rita, and I claim her as a "sister" of my own!! She has been like an "angel" sent into my life! Thank you, Rita, for EVERYTHING and for being that Special God Sent Friend into my life!! and Sis you don't have to Thank me I just listened to a still small voice :) Love Ya!!!

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Email: conniea53@yahoo.com