Tour Guide Ann

Everybody ought to try something new and challenging occasionally. Especially writers. While it's not likely I'd ever give skydiving a try unless somebody peeled my fingers off the airplane door and shoved me out, I am willing to try something new now and again. So Friday was one of those now and again days. This lovely bunch of ladies and a few others that my camera didn't capture asked me to give them a talk about writing Shaker books as they rode to a luncheon outing at the Shaker Village here in our area. They were part of a legal secretary group who were meeting in Georgetown.

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So I drove to Georgetown, found their hotel just as they were loading up the bus. Good thing I left a little early. I mean who would have thought a big hotel could hide. But this one did. But not good enough. I did find it. And got to meet a whole bus load of new friends. Of course then I had the challenge of turning into tour guide Ann. The organizer, Joe Ann, said I could sit down and talk, but how can you talk to a bunch of people without looking at them? I couldn't. At least I had to try to stand up and be a bonafide tour guide.

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It worked pretty good on the interstate. I didn't get motion sickness the way I had been afraid I might. My only problem was with my back to the road I couldn't tell when the bus driver was going to step on the brakes. A sudden stop can put a lot of emphasis on whatever you're saying. Trust me on that one. So I told the ladies to point and give me a heads up if something was about to happen. Believe it or not, we weren't far in the drive and I was talking away when one of the women gave a little gasp and pointed. A cow was walking along the opposite side of the interstate. The even funnier part is that it was when I was talking about how the Shakers improved the quality of the cattle in Kentucky by importing a breeding bull from England. I guess the good Lord was helping to illustrate my talk.

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So being tour guide Ann wasn't so bad. I got to meet a bus full of women having a good time out with friends. I got to talk about writing and eat a delicious lunch at the Shaker village. But that wasn't the only new thing I did this week. I spoke to the neighboring county's historical club the night before I was tour guide Ann. If I let myself think about it that was almost as challenging. These people love history and most of them probably knew way more history than me. I told them I always expect somebody to check my credentials at the door and then tell me that they are so sorry but there has been a terrible mistake. No way could anybody want me to speak. I'm just an old country girl who likes to tell stories. Well, write down stories. But amazingly enough, some people like to hear me talk about writing those stories and they laugh in the right places and carry home my books with them. Will wonders never cease.

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Oh yeah, and about that skydiving. I read this quote once and I don't have it in front of me so I don't know who said it, but it went something like this. "If at first you don't succeed..., don't try skydiving."

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Thanks for dropping by. Why don't you tell me some new thing you may have surprised yourself by doing?

Double the Exercise!!

--No picture this Sunday since I'm in WV trying to keep up with my four little grandkids up here. Believe me, I'm finding out why the good Lord fixed things to that young people are the mamas and daddies. It's becoming more than obvious that I might have too many miles on my speedometer to keep up with four kids six and under. But right now things are good. The twins, seventeen month old boys, are taking a nap and the other grandmama came and got the four year old and six year old girls to take them to a movie. I need to send her roses.
--The boys are cute as can be and pretty good babies except that they know their grandma is a sucker for a pitiful look and reaching up hands and will pick them up at a whimper. Then the other one wants his time in too. My hip is sore from packing them around, but think of the muscles I'm building. It's just like being at one of those exclusive spas where you diet and work out. The diet because who has time to eat when you're busy keeping four little mouths fed. Although I do have to admit I'm doing the mommy thing and eating stuff leftover that I normally wouldn't think of eating. You know, leftover box mac & cheese. Cold. You mommies have been there. You understand.
--As for the spa bit, it helps that my son's house is three story. That adds a lot of good stair climbing - with weights. The twins are both little chunks. Plus there's a side advantage of honing my mediation skills since one twin pretty much likes to take everything away from the other twin. Refereeing anyway.
--Then there's the crisis management class. That includes the older kids. The oldest is a little drama queen who spent a half hour crying last night (drama queen style) because all the books she had to read were too, too easy. That included her grandma's books, the ones I wrote some years back for middle readers and young teens. She was just so misunderstood and needed something thick to read. She finally went and pulled out one of her older sister's Harry Potter books. The older sis isn't here. She's on the trip with her parents. The little drama queen who needed those hard books to read proudly told me this morning that she's on page three. I figure her parents will be back in plenty of time to convince her the book is too old for her if they don't want her to read it yet. Her big sister was a big Harry Potter fan and the six year old wants to think she's as old as her when she's eight years younger.
--I can't forget the culinary experience and challenge. You know trying to fix a peanut butter sandwich just like mama does. Or figuring out anything the four year old will eat that doesn't have as the main ingredient sugar. The twins eat hearty and just about anything you put in front of them - or that they find on the floor. Of course the peanut butter is on the top shelf since we're still not sure if that's what made John have his allergic reaction. They haven't gotten to the allergist yet.
-- So at my age I'm still learning about challenges. And doing my best to meet them. Oops! The boys are crying. Thanks for reading. You'll find out if I graduated from the spa courses with honors on Wednesday. I'll settle for a passing grade. That would mean everybody got fed and in bed at an almost reasonable time and nobody got hurt.
--Thanks for reading.