If you’d like to better understand the level of tension I’ve felt since the blog went all kawonky (and that is in fact the technical term) yesterday afternoon, then take your left arm, stretch it across your body, then rotate your left wrist 280 degrees and grab your right foot. And do a backbend.

Then, when your muscles start to spasm uncontrollably, THAT’S IT! THAT’S EXACTLY HOW I’VE FELT!

Thankfully, however, I’ve entered the cool-down mode of my unexpected HTML / CSS / RSS / NEXTTIMEWON’TYOUSINGWITHME work-out. Everything seems to be back in good working order thanks to Anne, Ashleigh, Kat and Melanie, all of whom rushed to my bloggy rescue in some form or fashion.

It takes a village to raise a blog, y’all.

So now that everything is back to some semblance of normal in all possible browsers (even Internet Explorer, which is totally on my list right now, but I’m sure we’ll make up soon), I do want to thank y’all for your incredible response to the Bite Back campaign and encourage you to continue getting the word out (Shalee is doing something cool along those lines on her blog, by the way).

As best I can calculate based on comments and emails, y’all have donated around 125 nets so far (!!!!), and my friend Brian assures me that I’ll be able to get an exact number in a couple of weeks. Y’all really are changing kids’ lives – I cannot thank you enough.

So.

I’ll have my final ASCAP Awards post up in a little while, and also: today I am going to a former professor’s retirement reception at Mississippi State, where I plan to take and then post an endless array of nostalgic pictures (think along the lines of LOOK! THE WINDOW OF THE ROOM I SHARED WITH EMMA KATE! ISN’T THAT SO COOL?!?!?!).

It’s sure to be an experience that will enrich your life in ways you cannot even imagine.

Now do have a lovely Friday.

Last year many of us had the privilege to love on Kelli by providing a love offering for her and her family. The internets came out in full force, and we were able to provide almost $10,000 so that Kelli, who suffers from End Stage Renal Disease, could continue her heath care coverage and hopefully move closer to a live donor transplant.

Over the last twelve months Kelli has dealt with medical problems most of us can’t begin to imagine. Thankfully she’s had the health care coverage that she needs. But her window for a live donor kidney transplant isn’t quite as wide open as it used to be. And Kelli needs a kidney. That’s the bottom line.

So in light of all that, if you have the time – and oh, I hope you do – here are two posts that will touch your heart:

First: Heather writes here about something extraordinary that has happened in the congregation of a church in Mississippi.

Second: Kelli writes here about the latest developments with her condition.

And if you think about it, please spread the word about these two stories on your own blogs. You never know who might be reading; you never know who might feel led to help. I figure it’s worth a shot, y’all.

And I imagine Kelli and her family feel the exact same way.

Heather hit the halfway point in her radiation treatments today (if you don’t know Heather’s story, you can read all about it here). To celebrate, she has thrown herself a little blog party – and all you have to do to participate is to comment and tell her where you’re from.

She has over 770 comments right now – and I think it would be fun if we helped to push her over 1,000. I mean, if we can do this, then surely we can handle a couple of hundred comments. Don’t you think?

Click here to join the fun – I know your comments will make her smile!

Please keep Heather in your prayers today. As most of you know, she’s having surgery to remove a brain tumor, and Kelli has organized a prayer chain so that Heather and her family will be covered in prayer all day long.

Also, Janice at 5 Minutes for Mom has made buttons you can post on your blogs, if you’d like; you can find the code here.

Heather’s best friend, Laura, will be updating Heather’s blog throughout the day, as will Mark when time permits.

Thanks, y’all.