The last week of the month Gil and I took the granddaughters to Lake DeGray near Arkadelphia for a few days of swimming and camping. This was DJ's first time to camp in the motorhome and her first time to swim in a lake. She had a floating ring with a seat and back rest that she used each day in the lake, morning and afternoon. Suzanne and she had a really good time with Grandpa every day swimming and playing in the water which was refreshing on a hot day. I went in one morning with them as well and enjoyed the cool lake waters. It really was a great get-away for us.
On the last Saturday of June Gil and Suzanne went on the motorcycle to the Purple Hull Pea Festival in Emmerson, AR, with the Charity Riders CMA chapter. This was their June fun ride. Gil said they had a good time, a very nice cool ride to Emerson and a great lunch of purple hull peas, cornbread, peach cobbler and ice tea. It was a very hot afternoon so they returned to Camden fairly early. As road captain of the Charily Riders, Gil has planned the July fun ride for a ride to Lake DeGray and a picnic at the Caddo Bend picnic/swimming area that we visited last week.
Sunday, June 30, 2013
June Book Event in Ruston, La. at the Peach Festival
It was a hot day, June 22, to be out in a canopy on the lawn of the Ruston City Hall but myself and two special author friends sat there from 8 am until 6 pm selling books. Ruthie Almond from Laneburg, AR, and Patty Wiseman from Marshall, TX, were gracious enough to join me for the Peach Festival that day. We had a lot of fun meeting the Ruston folks as well as people from the surrounding area, and as far away as south Louisiana and Monroe area as well.
I drove down the night before as did Ruthie. Patty joined us the next morning. Ruthie and I, along with the help of my Aunt Sue (with whom I spent the night) put the canopy and tables up at our assigned spot on the corner of the City Hall lawn right out front near the sidewalk Friday evening. The next morning we three authors set out our books and chairs and starting meeting people shortly after 8 am, signing and selling books. It was an awesome day for sales. We also got some really great peaches.
We pulled up stakes shortly after 6 pm and headed home. I was very glad to have the help taking down our booth and was also very glad to have my comfortable car with air conditioning for the almost 2 hour trip home to Camden. What made it very special (besides having good friends with me) was that it was my Mama's 87th birthday. Each person who looked at the book, and each person who bought one of our books was shown her picture on the back cover and told that it was her birthday. This book was not possible without my Mama's fantastic memory and her willingness to tell all those wonderful stories about her life growing up on cotton farms as a young child, teenager and young woman.
Grandma Eliza and Grandpa Clarence would be so surprised to know that so many people have been interested in and read about the life you all lived back in the day. They would also be very proud. Thanks Mama for sharing. To date we have sold about 750 books and we are not finished yet. To think it all started because I wanted to write down those precious memories to share with our younger family members so they would know the family history of the sharecropping side of the Laird family. It did not really occur to me that it would be published. Now many others around this country know those stories as well AND we have met so many children and grandchildren of other sharecropping families who have shared some of their memories with us. Awesome!
I drove down the night before as did Ruthie. Patty joined us the next morning. Ruthie and I, along with the help of my Aunt Sue (with whom I spent the night) put the canopy and tables up at our assigned spot on the corner of the City Hall lawn right out front near the sidewalk Friday evening. The next morning we three authors set out our books and chairs and starting meeting people shortly after 8 am, signing and selling books. It was an awesome day for sales. We also got some really great peaches.
We pulled up stakes shortly after 6 pm and headed home. I was very glad to have the help taking down our booth and was also very glad to have my comfortable car with air conditioning for the almost 2 hour trip home to Camden. What made it very special (besides having good friends with me) was that it was my Mama's 87th birthday. Each person who looked at the book, and each person who bought one of our books was shown her picture on the back cover and told that it was her birthday. This book was not possible without my Mama's fantastic memory and her willingness to tell all those wonderful stories about her life growing up on cotton farms as a young child, teenager and young woman.
Grandma Eliza and Grandpa Clarence would be so surprised to know that so many people have been interested in and read about the life you all lived back in the day. They would also be very proud. Thanks Mama for sharing. To date we have sold about 750 books and we are not finished yet. To think it all started because I wanted to write down those precious memories to share with our younger family members so they would know the family history of the sharecropping side of the Laird family. It did not really occur to me that it would be published. Now many others around this country know those stories as well AND we have met so many children and grandchildren of other sharecropping families who have shared some of their memories with us. Awesome!
Friday, May 31, 2013
Get Down for Jesus Rally
Gil is going to join other Christian motorcyclists for this annual rally with Mike Thompson near Dubach, La. They will have preaching, music and a prayer ride during the rally. I pray safety for them all and God's blessing on each attendee. Folks come from several states each year for this rally and bring their families.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Mayhaw Festival, El Dorado, AR
What a fun time I had signing and selling books in El Dorado at the Mayhaw Festival on May 4, 2013. Joining me at the booth was long-time author friend Kimberly Thompson who had three of her books for sale. A new author friend Ruthie Almond joined us for the event. Ruthie signed books as well. She is from Laneburg, AR, near Prescott.
It was a rather cool day for us but we met lots of folks interested in our books. It gave us a time of fellowship to get to catch up on our lives as well as get to know Ruthie. Our booth was in front of the Newton House Museum which is a lovely restored home of the 19th century. We could hear music from the stage just behind the Newton House. It really was a very nice book event. I came home with only one book but was happy to see a new shipment from my publisher arrive the next day.
It was a rather cool day for us but we met lots of folks interested in our books. It gave us a time of fellowship to get to catch up on our lives as well as get to know Ruthie. Our booth was in front of the Newton House Museum which is a lovely restored home of the 19th century. We could hear music from the stage just behind the Newton House. It really was a very nice book event. I came home with only one book but was happy to see a new shipment from my publisher arrive the next day.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Book Event in January 2013
With the new year 2013, Gil and I did not travel in January as we both were sick with a respiratory infection. However, Jan. 28th did give me the opportunity to go to the Calhoun Civic Club in Calhoun, Louisiana to address those kind folk. Calhoun is a small community between West Monroe and Ruston.
Aunt Sue joined us for the event and Mama and I had friends from our past, a classmate of mine and her mother who lived next door to us in Bastrop in 1953 come to the book signing/program. The civic club members fed us a lovely country meal of homecooked ham and side dishes. After Aunt Sue read the chapter in the book about the flood of '27, we had a question and answer time as well as discussion about that era in history. Several in the audience had grown up as sharecroppers, children of sharecroppers or grandchildren of sharecroppers. We sold books and had a great time that evening. Mama and I spent the night with Aunt Sue in Choudrant and returned home the next day.
Aunt Sue joined us for the event and Mama and I had friends from our past, a classmate of mine and her mother who lived next door to us in Bastrop in 1953 come to the book signing/program. The civic club members fed us a lovely country meal of homecooked ham and side dishes. After Aunt Sue read the chapter in the book about the flood of '27, we had a question and answer time as well as discussion about that era in history. Several in the audience had grown up as sharecroppers, children of sharecroppers or grandchildren of sharecroppers. We sold books and had a great time that evening. Mama and I spent the night with Aunt Sue in Choudrant and returned home the next day.
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