For the Love of Words

I've never been a morning person. Yet, I can go from dead asleep to reading in about thirty seconds flat. It's because I love to read.

When my children were young and in school, and I was working outside of my home, I got up around 5am so that I could drink a cup of coffee and read the paper, beginning to end, uninterrupted. It was my way of easing into the day, and by the time everyone in my house was awake, I was alert and up on all the current events. Except when the delivery person didn't get my paper here on time. Then I'd have to read something else, and that was OK, too, because I had plenty of books and magazines stacked up to be read.

Now there's an online source for local news in addition to the regular media outlets. http://www.msdigitaldaily.com/ launched today, and my blog is in it! It can be found on the OPINION page. That excites me more than you'll ever know. Now Who-Knows-How-Many can read about our crazy life! It's the power of the internet, but more importantly...it's the power of Words.

I joined a book club in the early fall and I've been reading like crazy since then. I read the selection of the month and usually one or two more books each month. We have lots of lively discussion in our group, and it's all led up to this past weekend when ten of us went to a book club convention of sorts in the quaint little town of Jefferson, Texas.

Girlfriend Weekend was started ten years ago by Kathy Patrick, who owns a combination beauty shop/book store in Jefferson called Beauty and the Book. She is also the founder of the Pulpwood Queens, a book club that met in her shop. Before long, there were spin-off clubs and now she has chapters worldwide. (http://www.pulpwoodqueen.com/) She later wrote a book, The Pulpwood Queens' Tiara-Wearing, Book-Sharing GUIDE TO LIFE. Our group, the BB Queens, is a chapter of the Pulpwood Queens. So, off we went to the tenth anniversary of Girlfriend Weekend, where we had a ball! (Of course, any time women get together wearing tiaras and boas, a good time is had by all...just ask my friend Jill Conner Browne!)

Jefferson has about 40 bed and breakfast inns, and we stayed in the Old Mulberry Inn, although most of our time was spent in Jefferson's new civic center with women from other bookclubs and AUTHORS, who were invited to come and talk about their books, their writing routines, and whatever else they wanted to talk about. I bought a ton of books, because all the authors were signing them, and I can't resist a personalized signed copy of a book, especially when I've heard the author read from it.

 One of the highlights of the weekend was a panel discussion with best selling author Pat Conroy (The Great Santini, Prince of Tides, South of Broad, etc...)and his daughter, Melissa Conroy, and up-and-coming children's book writer. They were discussing her book, Poppy's Pants, written about Conroy and his endless supply of khaki pants. It was sweet to hear him talk so fondly of his daughter, but tempering it with "grouchy grandfather" stories about his seven grandchildren! Conroy was the keynote speaker at the luncheon on Saturday, where he spoke to a roomful of adoring fans (including plenty of other authors!)

for over an hour. He entertained us with stories about how he stumbled into the publishing world (he wasn't born a best-selling author!), stories of his childhood, stories about practical jokes with his best friend and sister, and touching stories, including the fond memories of his mother reading books to him as a child. "When I'm reading over my manuscripts, it's still her voice I hear."  He was fun and entertaining, as good ol' boy Southern storytellers tend to be, and it was a real treat for us.

Then each night it was time to strap on the boas and tiaras...Friday night we had a "Barbie Ball," celebrating Barbie's 50th birthday. Everyone dressed up like their favorite Barbie, or as the Barbie they'd like to see.

 Merilee Hall and Theresa Reed dressed up as "Pajama Party Barbie." The next night was the "Big Ball of Hair Ball," with a Wizard of Oz theme to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the movie. There were some very creative costumes, like this mother and daughter Munchkin duo. They rocked it out on the dancefloor to "She's a Brick House." That was worth the trip...they were hysterical!

I had a little Barbie lunch pail that served as a fun accessory (my purse!) as well as coming in very handy for the Barbie Ball...

It's always good to get away on a girls' weekend to recharge your batteries, open your eyes to new experiences, and to bond with other incredible women. That's exactly what I did, and here are some of the witty, intelligent, caring, fun, friendly, creative and fabulous women I spent my weekend with:

While I was away, Nicole had some promo shots taken...this is my favorite. A quick update on her therapy program...she "graduated" from outpatient rehab, and is now in the Methodist Rehab QUEST program, which focuses on independent living skills. She had her first full day there today (I feel like it's the first day of school!). She'll go to QUEST three days a week. She's still working out with Eclecius (in the basement of the Fondren building) five days a week, and soon she'll be in a dance class, if all goes as planned. Nicole's still persuing a career in motivational/'inspirational speaking. Tomorrow, as a matter of fact, she'll be speaking at the Professional Women's Association luncheon at River Hills Country Club. Her message is a strong one! For more information about Nicole, check out her website (which is a work in progress!): http://www.youcantstopthisdancer.com/

It's nice to know that her life is back on track in such a positive way, and I can resume mine...writing, reading and spending an occassional weekend with the girls!

Blessings to all who read this!

Susan

Girl Trip!!!!!

I'm sitting here with Revlon #42 on my head (red by choice!) counting down the hours until I am in the car on my way to Jefferson, Texas. Fellow BB Queens (book club members) Jonni and Leslie are swinging by around 11am to pick me up. They won't hardly have to slow down. Just pull up in the circular driveway and I'll throw my bags in the car, jump in and we'll be ON THE ROAD!!!

When I was growing up, moms didn't go on girl's trips--or I don't recall any conversation about such when they gathered for coffee. But back in my day, not many of the moms worked outside of the home. Today, it seems like just about everyone I know has a group of girlfriends who take a girls' trip at some point each year. These are all hard-working women who are dedicated to their husbands, children, jobs, civic work, church work, etc... Taking off for a few days with the girls is a great way to decompress...and to recharge.

One of my most memorable girl trips was to Destin several years ago. Nine of us, in three cars, took off on a three-day adventure in early February. The holidays behind us, kids back in school, it was the perfect time to go spend a few days of fun together.

We stayed in Jacqui's big, beautiful condo (that was back before the D-I-V-O-R-C-E...). We cooked, ate, sipped wine, talked, laughed, watched movies, slept a little, shopped and generally had a happy, relaxing time. Just spending so much uninterrupted time together was wonderful...no rushing home to the kids, no demands...no pressure. Just a chance to put our feet up, let our hair down and say or do whatever we wanted. We got to know each other better, create stronger bonds and develop stronger friendships--things that were difficult to do back home due to our busy, active lives.

The trip I'm taking this weekend is a little different. There's a reason for the gathering--it's a book conference, attended by members of book clubs around the country as well as by several authors. There will be panel discussions, workshops, and a fair share of fun. Called "Girlfriend's Weekend," it's the biggest event every year in quaint little Jefferson, Texas--a town that doesn't have a single hotel! We'll all be staying in the many bed and breakfast inns in and around Jefferson. I'm most excited about the luncheon with author Pat Conroy tomorrow.

This is a turning point for our family right now as well...Larry will be working, so Nicole will be "on her own" for much of the weekend. She's ready. As a matter of fact, she "graduated" yesterday...it was her last day at Methodist Rehab Center's outpatient therapy clinic. They surprised her with a beautiful (and delicious!) cake:

We ate some before anyone  thought to take a picture!

And just like it's been since the time of her accident, the media was there to cover this milestone. Stephanie Bell Flynt from WLBT news interviewed both Nicole and me and the story aired on the 4pm and 10pm news yesterday. Nicole's story has been reported on WLBT's Medical Matters since her return to Mississippi, a month after her accident. To see her stories, log on to wlbt.com and click on the Medical Matters link at the top of the home page.

Time to go rinse the color off my head...no one will be able to criticize me for having gray roots, not that I really care. In an hour and a half, me and my newly-red hair will be on the road for a weekend of friends and fun!

Blessings to all who read this!
Susan

Loving the 'net

I'm writing this tonight, because I have a busy day tomorrow and have to get an early start...

Stop me...stop me NOW! I have become a blogging addict. I love to read other people's blogs. It's like a little window into their world. Some people have blogs dedicated to their families and they fill it with photos of the daily goings on in their lives. No matter how monumental or inconsequential. I mean, thanks for sharing your precious baby's throw-up with us--NOT. Although some of them are really cute and touching and heartwarming and even inspiring. I remember what it was like to be a young mother. A young working mother. At times (most times) it was overwhelming. Reading these blogs brings back memories, but also a twinge of regret that I didn't have that kind of support and network to other moms who were going through the same things I was. Most of the mommy bloggers handle it all with alot of humor. With a blog called http://mommywantsvodka.psys.org/ you just know life's gonna be alright!

I also enjoy home decorating blogs, particularly those that repurpose everyday items into splendid accessories for the home. Some are reallllllllly tacky, while some are incredibly clever and creative. One of my favorites used to be http://www.thenester.com/, although now you have to kind of weed through her ads and giveaways to see her true blog, complete with photos. Now this chick, The Nester, is like the ROCK STAR of bloggers. Women flock to her site and from what I've read, they actually ask for her autograph at blogging conferences. I watched the You Tube video tour of her home (which pretty much just included the entry hall) and it cracked me up. First, there's the giggly Nester-groupie at the beginning. Then, there's the house...nice, but not THAT nice. Right off the bat I noticed an empty urn by her front door. I'd rather keep my fake Christmas trees standing in the urns on either side of my front door until Easter than have empty urns. And inside, nothing special...she even brags about the hastily made pillows on her sofa. And the comments slay me: "LOVE netster! Her house is just stunning!!!! Its so fun to see it "for real" not just in photos on the blog!" These people have obviously not seen my friend Ann's house. Or Jacqui's house. Or Debbie's house...or MY house, for that matter. Oh enough...view the video for your own self: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQLOLZp-ZJ4

For the past couple of days, I've been reading writer's blogs. These are totally different. Some review books and some post their writings, or what they're doing to promote their writing, etc. It's been very eye-opening for me, since I want to write a book on Nicole's accident and miraculous recovery. Today, my friend Nancy Kay sent me the link to a writer's conference that will be held at Ole Miss in October. So, in rooting around on that, I came across a blogger who I felt an instant kinship with. She's originally from Jackson, graduated from Murrah, and now lives in Memphis. And not only that, she's going to the Girlfriend Weekend in Jefferson, Texas this weekend. So am I! And she's riding over with River Jordan, one of the authors we've read in our book club! Too much. I immediately friended her on facebook, and she messaged me right back, and that began an afternoon of banter back and forth. So, now I'm going to meet one of my new best friends in Texas this weekend!

Sometimes, I believe that with all the "stuff" there is in the universe (and 98% of that is now on the internet) God has a way of leading us to people we're supposed to meet. I mean, how else do you explain a white bread Southern girl like me meeting/falling in love with/'getting married to a swell guy from Venezuela? (And that was almost 30 years ago!) My new friend with the beautiful name, Susan, lives a parallel life to my own. She's a writer, a reader, and a lover of life! I'd like to introduce you to her: http://wwwpenandpalette-susancushman.blogspot.com/.

This has been long...lots of extracurricular linkage going on today. All to say, I love the internet...I love connecting with friends old and new...and I'm seriously thinking of powering my computer with bike pedals so I can at least get some exercise while reading all the creative blogs.

QUESTION: Do you read certain blogs regularly? If so, what are your favorites and why? Please leave a comment and if you are a HUGE fan of the Nester, please don't hate me...

Y'all say a prayer for those poor people in Haiti, who are suffering following the devastating earthquake there, and for all the people in Jackson who have been adversely affected by the broken pipes/water shortage. I'm extra thankful tonight that I live in a warm, cozy home with plenty of running water. God's been good to me.

Blessings to all who read this!
Susan