Sista Shoutout: Jora

I have decided that I would like to do a feature called Sista Shoutouts. These will be pieces highlighting particularly significant women to me. While you may not know the individuals personally, I share them with you as a way to express my good fortune for having such a wonderful community of women to call my friends. I am regularly inspired by them and am so thankful for the gifts they share with me.

Appropriately, my first shoutout goes to Jora of Domestic Reflections. Our friendship harkens back to college. We met as sorority sisters with a quick bond. Our common interests were evident early on and our shared life experiences only strengthened our connection.

Jora and I sharing some good food and drink circa 1996.

It's nice to know some things don't change.

Our history runs deep and we can talk for hours on any given topic with children, recipes and drink leading the banner board these days. Jora is hipper than me. She is well traveled, stylish, and sincere and cares a whole lot about the earth. She's a very committed mom and a phenomenal cook. And she happens to be one smart cookie. She's calm under pressure and rarely gets her cage rattled. I love her modern hippie vibe and affectionately refer to her as my favorite contemporary earth mama.

Jora is the sole person who showed me the world of blogging. Up until that point, I only knew of a few not-so-enlightening-entertainment focused blogs. She opened a whole new world to me. It started with a simple link to her blog that was just getting started. I was so inspired and proud of her for exposing herself in what can be a public forum. So often we bear down and plug away with our daily tasks (which are many) with little or no release or reflection. She helped me realize an outlet that I was looking for but didn't know it. (See Why the blog?)

I know the blogosphere is limitless and filled with all sorts of entries. It can even be quite overwhelming. But, really, isn't that the beauty of it all? I love that she created a space to focus and hone her interests and then to share those with like minded-people. The world just got a little smaller and a little more intimate--even with light-hearted posts.

I read her blog daily and as her friend find it is such a wonderful way to get to know her better, even after all these years. What is she working on? What's brewing in her kettle? As moms, we can't connect in the ways we used to. We have limited time and Jora and I don't live in the same city. This is a glimpse into her inspirations and whims and I love it!

I appreciate for Jora for many things but today I am grateful to be able to share with her and create with her and to be free from any judgement or fear of failure. She encourages and inspires. What a wonderful friend. Lot's of love, sista!

Jora will be a guest blogger for me so be sure to check out her post as well as her blog. You'll certainly end up bookmarking it!