Wednesday, January 16, 2008

A Tribute to Frogs


Yesterday there was a lot of nostalgia goin' on, and it was sweet. So I thought it was time to pay an affectionate tribute to the pond where many of us first met each other. That would be The Froggy Bottom Cafe at the Booman Tribune. Political wars flared in the diaries outside of the cafe, but within its virtual doors good humor ruled. There was banter, respect, snark, sharing, comforting, cheering, a whole lot of laughter, and a lot of affection.

That old gang has, to some extent, dispersed, though several of our regulars still check in with the cafe from time to time. As for me, that's where I first learned to "host" a post, and to do a lot of computer thingees that come in handy now. (Andif and Katiebird were verrry patient.) There would never be this place if there hadn't been that place.

So here's a fond tribute to Martin, who *is* Booman, and to Diane101 who founded the cafe, and to all the friends we made there. And now we have, not just one cafe, but a virtual village with treasured new friends, as well.

Life is good in the blog lane. : )

57 comments:

Nancy P said...

This little former froggie is going to settle onto her leaf for the night. G'night, blog creatures of all shapes and hues. May you have sweet dreams of succulent mosquitoes and lazy dragon flies.

katiebird said...

(sniff) This is VERY sweet.

Family Man said...

Good morning Nancy and KB.

And now we have, not just one cafe, but a virtual village with treasured new friends, as well.

Nancy I think that expresses a very true sentiment. It's so nice to be in a village with so many good people.

Nancy P said...

Hi, katiebird and family man. I can't believe I'm up at this hour to see your late-night posts. Good luck to both of you on the health front tomorrow. . .I mean, today.

Nancy P said...

Hey, three of us beat up Andi. She's going to be very sore when she wakes up, poor thing.

Family Man said...

Morning again Nancy!

I was wondering if I woke up in a different reality when I saw your early post. I kept thinking, "Nah, she couldn't be up this early." :)

Unknown said...

Froggies, and hookahs and marmots, oh my! ;) Glad we're still able to interact with each other, and doubly glad that I've had the chance to meet a few in real life. Hopefully our paths will cross someday.

AndiF said...

Hey, only Beth is allowed to beat me up! And it's only okay to beat me up if it's consensual.

My contribution to the caf nostalgia trip: my favorite Marmotdude pic.

Nancy P said...

Hi, Manee! I hope more paths cross, too.

Gee, we're night frogs around here.

lol, Family Man. It does seem kind of "alternate reality" tonight. This morning. Whatever.

AndiF said...

Hi Manny. Go to bed Manny and see us in your dreams. :)

Unknown said...

Fine, I guess I'll go to bed [grumble grumb...zzzzzzz]

AndiF said...

Nancy and kb, to clear up the mystery: the red is a couch, the blue is a throw on the couch, and the tan is a square pillow.

Nancy P said...

Ha! !Andi, of course that is my favorite one, too. I still remember when I saw it for the first time. A hoot went up in Kansas.

Okay, if Manee can get in some dream time, maybe I can, too.

Or else I'll be back soon.

AndiF said...

Sweet dreams, Nancy and Manny.

Anonymous said...

Looks like it's just us again, andi and fam. 14 comments before 6:30am! I had to look at that number twice. I didn't beat anyone up today, sniff. :-)

Morning, folks!

Family Man said...

Morning Beth.

I've had a very productive day so far and it's not even 7:00 am. Three loads of clothes, kitchen/living room cleaned up and George fed and out for his walk. Now if everyday could start this way........

Nah, I can't see getting up at 1:30 am every morning. :)

Anonymous said...

Yeah, 1:30 is a little extreme, fam. Except that it means LOTS of excuses for naps today. You have been productive! I've eaten breakfast in the 2 hours I've been up, and read blogs. Oh, and did a little work on my book. I'm a slug, compared to you. (Oops, better not get into the slug discussion again today.) :-)

AndiF said...

Yeah Beth, lay off those slugs.

And anyway, my link clearly showed that slugs are not slackers.

Anonymous said...

Ah, very true, andi. Not slackers at all! The removal of certain body parts showed amazing - um - aptitude. I know some people I'd like to perform that surgery on!

Larry Kollar said...

Wow. No sense in even trying to be First Post here.

At FAR Manor, snow has fallen, and now it's either rain or really really wet snow. I will post a picture shortly. Fortunately, I had a good excuse to work at home again (photo shoot), so I won't be dealing with the other cRaZy people on the road.

In this kind of weather, frogs hibernate. And yet, FM is up and hopping about in a most unslackerly way. Scandalous, I say. Simply scandalous.

Kelly McCullough said...

I'm late, but that's because I'm still on Hawaii time (marmotdude too?). Do I get any credit for my body thinking it's 5:00 a.m.?

Nancy P said...

Nope, Hawaii time doesn't count, sorry, Kelly. If I weren't so jealous, maybe I'd make an exception. :P

Hey, beth, don't be setting that kind of energetic example for the rest of us! And NOW what are you going to do with the rest of your day, huh?

Far, lol--scandalous. That's our FM, all right, scandal personified.

Anonymous said...

Just wait til next Thursday, when I tell everyone that I'm finished with the second draft of my book! THEN you can be impressed at my prolific-ness.

(Now I guess I'd better actually meet that deadline...argh!)

I even showered, too!

Setting a frantic pace in Florida...

Nancy P said...

"Setting a frantic pace in Florida..."

That just sounds wrong.

Anonymous said...

Well, considering the farthest I've moved from the couch is to retrieve the garbage can before it blew down the street, I wouldn't be too impressed... :-)

Anonymous said...

Very lovely thoughts Nancy. (It's probably safe to admit now, though, that frog pictures kind of creep me out.)

Morning all. Working backwards -- Beth, frantic and florida don't go together. Kelly - jetlag is ALWAYS an excuse. FAR - glad you can stay inside and off the road. FM-sounds like it's time for the recliner, you've been working too hard. Andi - that was the BEST marmotdude shot, with Nancy's book. It still makes me laugh. kb - how's your ear today? And .. Manny you never gave us a full report on NY (but on a good note, maybe the Holy Chihuahua incantation DID work yesterday and it's just on delayed reaction.)

If I missed anyone it wasn't intentional.

Kelly McCullough said...

Far,

Did you catch my post responding to you in yesterday's big fat thread?

Anonymous said...

If anyone's interested, I posted a Ghost-inspired piece at my place just now - just something fun. At least I think it's fun - maybe everyone else will think I'm nuts....

Then again, what else is new? :-)

Unknown said...

[yawn] My body needs to decide on a time zone. In the meantime, I fear there's not enough coffee in the world to keep me functioning like a human being.

Maryb - see here about the NYC thing. I may still post something, but waiting for the dust to settle.

Larry Kollar said...

Kelly, I did now. Thanks. When the day job permits, you'll have something incoming.

Anonymous said...

I clicked the link Manny and I'm sorry about those jerks. Or did you make me click the link so that I would be jealous of your flirting with SN. Not me. Nope. Not at all.

Nancy P said...

Oh, Manny, what awful people. Those of you who have political blogs are braver than I, or else you have stronger stomachs. Probably both.

As for flirting with SN, I'm not jealous, either. Nuh uh.

Nancy P said...

Speaking of asshats, Mary, I saw that you encountered one of your own today. I guess it didn't occur to him that a simple "I'm sorry" might have done the trick.

Anonymous said...

Lol! So much for me keeping things on a "friendly even keel" eh?

I have no patience with people who are basically saying F.U. but doing it in a passive aggressive way. So I decided to say it back with nothing passive about my aggression.

meh. He's not worth any more effort.

I'm glad today is over and tomorrow's Friday!

Unknown said...

there's plenty of flirting to go around O:-)

I really really need a nap first, though. I can barely stay awake at my desk, and I still have an hour and six minutes left (not that I'm counting).

Nancy P said...

I laughed about that, Mary, but jeez, a girl can only keep her keel so even in the face of outright provocation.

I'm really not following you around to stalk your comment history. Honest. :D

Anonymous said...

Okay, I have to brag my sister up. She's been involved in community theatre in and around Boston for over 20 years. Now she lives in NH, and belongs to a small theatre group that she WAY excels in talent, but it's close and convenient.

SO, today she found out that she has the lead in their spring musical, Hello Dolly! She's very excited, as am I. I'll be there in the front row, cheering for her. She's an excellent actress.

It'll be in May in Raymond, NH (near Manchester, about 1.5 hours from Boston), if anyone wants a ticket. I'd love to show off my sis! I am SOOO proud of her!

Anonymous said...

Sorry about the provocation, mary. As Nancy told me recently, when my Bad Relative did Bad Things to me: Mean People Suck.

Nancy P said...

I'm sitting here waiting for the phone to ring from a library in California. ::impatiently taps fingernails on keyboard:: I'm scheduled for a chat with a book club out there.

::clears throat in preparation::
::stares at phone to will it to ring::

Anonymous said...

They're getting their wine and cheese, Nancy.

Or their coffee and cinnamon rolls.

They're so overwhelmed that they're going to be talking to a Famous Author that they're scared to dial.

They forgot the time zone thing.

Am I helping? :-)

Anonymous said...

Very cool Beth! What a great show and what a great part!

Community theater is fun. There is a local neighborhood group here and I volunteer back stage every summer if I can. I was disappointed last year that it didn't work out. But they did Dolly a few years ago and it was one of my favorites.

You have every right to be proud!

Nancy - damn! You're not stalking me? It would be quite the story. Well known author stalks unknown blog commenter ... lol!

I know everybody lurks.

Anonymous said...

oops anonymous was me

Nancy P said...

Omg, I got the time zones mixed up. lol! They're calling at 7:05 their time which is. . .ta da. . 9:05 my time.

I'm outta here!

Anonymous said...

LOL, Mary! I was wondering who it was! How cool that you work backstage - one of these days, when I actually settle somewhere, I want to get back into theatre. Not necessarily ON the stage, tho - Deb's the actress in the family. MIT once called her and asked her to star in Oliver - she used to do Gilbert and Sullivan - I wish some of our blog family could see her.

Anonymous said...

Oops! :-)

Nancy P said...

But before I go. . .wow, Beth, that's truly impressive. I wish we could all go and cheer her on.

Anonymous said...

Me too! We'd make up most of the audience! A Village Reunion in Raymond. :-)

I'll have her check out these comments, so she knows we're talking about her.

boran2 said...

Thanks for this post, Nancy. It was/is a great place to chat. Now it's mostly an early morning place and I'm always too late. Much like here. ;-)

Nancy P said...

You are the late boran2. :)
Which is much better than no boran at all.

I'm soo tired, after not much sleep last night, and I still have that book club phone chat to do. It'll probably be fun and I'll get wired and not be able to sleep.

katiebird? If you happen to read this? Did you go to work, and how's your ear?

Fam Man? How'd it go today?

katiebird said...

Hi Nancy,
My ear is bothering me but isn't as bad AND I did go to work.

I just woke up from a nap. But, I'm hanging around now.

katiebird said...

OO -- Thanks for asking. I didn't mean to be short. I just don't know what to say about it anymore....

Nancy P said...

You weren't short! You were efficient.

I'm waiting for the phone to ring, so if I suddenly disappear, then you'll know. . .it rang.

katiebird said...

I wonder how long book clubs last?

Nancy P said...

LOL!!! Sooo laughing!!

Well, that one lasted about a half hour, but then I took a shower. And then I read, and now to bed.

Actually, what I've also been doing. . .for my post tomorrow I'm putting up a You Tube clip from the Buffy the Vampire Musical, and I got to watching other clips from that episode and couldn't stop. I love that show soooo passionately. Can't look away.

katiebird said...

Have a nice sleep. I'm fading too....

Are you posting tomorrow's post tonight?

Nancy P said...

I am. Probably earlier than usual so I can go to sleep. Do you want me to put it up so you can see it?

Sweet dreams, and keep healing.

katiebird said...

OO -- and then I could be First!!

And Last?