Update: Kate just emailed to say that Pam is out of surgery and in recovery.  The surgeon said she did well!

Note: Louise wrote this diary.  I am posting it for her for technical reasons. -Lurleen

We would ask that everyone notice the wee PayPal “Donate” widget in the upper lefthand corner of the front page.

If you can, please pop a lil something in there for Pam and Kate. Between boarding for Casey and Chloe, deductibles and other unforeseen expenses coming up, this could come in handy right now.

Thanks!

~Louise, Lurleen, Autumn, Alvin, Keori and Clarknt67

As you all know, Pam’s surgery is this morning- so the rest of us thought it an appropriate time to post just WHY Pam means so much to us all personally.

I mean, think about it- there are thousands and thousands of us Blenders! That’s pretty amazing, when you think about it- one person’s frustration almost exactly 4 years ago with the world as she saw it culminated into her sitting down, tickety-typing her thoughts and views. Hitting “Enter”- and setting up this online coffee shop we know and love so much…

And for anyone who has met Pam and Kate in person, as I was fortunate to do this summer at the 50th birthday party of Americablog’s Joe Sudbay, we can all agree that one would be hard-pressed to find a more loving, fun, down-to-earth and genuinely sweet couple than them.

(And I really hope they come back up to Maine next summer! :)

Pam herself is astounding; I can’t express how much her generosity in inviting me to come aboard as a barista in 2009 meant and continues to mean to me- and that the email came on April Fool’s Day just adds that extra cosmic dash of silly appeal for me. ;)

Because of Pam, I found a voice I never knew that I had, and while Maine isn’t where we want it to be regarding marriage equality or even politically right now, we will be. Give me time…

(Sidenote: I spoke with Governor Baldacci at one of the President Clinton rallies this fall; it was very pleasant to get a big hug and talk about our previous conversation. He said that at the time he spoke with me and Snooky he was “just starting to come around” to the idea of marriage equality- and that he is now a strong supporter and advocate. I like to think that our talk helped John “get there”! So, one more thing to thank Pam and indeed the entire Blend family for- you have all helped me find my voice.)

And her generosity to other bloggers? One needs look no further than her post over the weekend letting us all know that SharkFu, aka Angry Black Bitch, is also having the same surgery as Pam today. So, let’s give her some love, too!

The numerous accolades that Pam and her blog have received over the years are just a tangible testimony to how so many others, including her peers in the blogosphere, view her- her integrity, her honesty, her personal standards of fairness and true family values are benchmarks that many strive for and few attain.

Yeah, I am kinda fond of the gal… ;) Because of the Blend, I have a family I never imagined. And for that, I am eternally grateful.

Thank you, Pam!

So gonna throw this open to all of you Blenders, to express your thoughts, link a video for Pam, send her YOUR love!