The Epitome of Awesome

The epitome of personal awesome? That would be Michelle, who, out-of-the-blue, sent me this awesome fiestaware lemongrass mug and tangerine bowl. I mean, I might have mentioned a love for fiestaware a couple posts ago. And I might have said that one could send me some to live in my (no longer) fiestaware-free kitchen. But I didn't expect anyone to actually listen or do anything about it. And yet Michelle did. She told me something was headed my way, but I had no idea what that would be. And then thus huge, but pretty light, box from Amazon showed up. And in it was this fabulous surprise. I'm not sure I can convey how much I love surprise, out-of-nowhere, unexpected gifts of the exact sort of thing I really like. But I'm trying....so thank you, Michelle. You're the best!

The epitome of public awesome? That would be Tiya Miles, who won a 2011 MacArthur Foundation "Genius" grant. I highly encourage anyone who likes reading history to read her books, Ties That Bind: The Story of an Afro-Cherokee Family in Slavery and Freedom and The House on Diamond Hill: A Cherokee Plantation Story. She's a wonderful writer and excellent historian, but, most importantly, she is one of the nicest, kindest, most optimistic, and supportive people I've ever met. And I admit, I've only had one conversation with her. But it was transformative. Moreover, in addition to being an incredible scholar, teacher, and person, she also founded ECOGirls, a mentoring and empowering program that connects girls to the local environment.

Awesome people all around. Pretty cool.