The Day I Learned How Cashiers Got Her Name
I met a wonderful horse, Dixie Chic, who is so sweet and loving, she reminds me of a super-sized golden retriever. She likes to sneak up behind people ......
The Day I Learned How Cashiers Got Her Name My first impression of The Battle of Anderson held in Honea Path, South Carolina, was “what have I gotten myself into now.” Honea Path is pronounced Honey-ah Pa(th). First impressions are often incorrect and this was one of those times. This turned out to be a lot of fun; I learned some real stuff from some real historians, some not-so-real stuff from story tellers, sold a lot of books and made some new contacts. The weather was absolutely perfect both days. I’ve learned more than once to never prejudge a venue by its cover; you just never know what’s inside. You show up, make the best of it and sell your books. Accept all the joy and unexpected fun that comes with that.
I met a wonderful horse, Dixie Chic, who is so sweet and loving, she reminds me of a super-sized golden retriever. She likes to sneak up behind people ......
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Thoughts On Memorial Day Memorial Day, not to be confused with Veteran’s Day, is a U.S. federal holiday to honor and remember men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Veterans Day celebrates the service of all U. S. military veterans.
Though many states claim to be the birthplace of a Memorial Day observance, the first official Memorial Day, called Decoration Day, was established by Major General John A. Logan of the Grand Army of The Republic, three years after the Civil War ended. He declared that Decoration Day should be observed on May 30. He chose this date because no significant battle had occurred on that date, and because flowers would be in bloom all over the country. That first large official observance was held May 30, 1868, at Arlington National Cemetery on the mourning-draped veranda of Arlington Mansion, once the home of General Robert E. Lee. General and Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant and other dignitaries presided. Children from the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Orphan Home paraded through the cemetery strewing flowers on Union and Confederate graves, reciting prayers and singing hymns. There were 5,000 people in attendance, approximately the same size crowd as current observances. By the end of the 19th century, Decoration Day ceremonies were held on May 30 in towns throughout the nation. State legislatures .......... God Bless America After I visit the small towns decorated with American Flags and meet the great patriots that keep these small towns alive, I head for the highway home singing “God Bless America.” For no where do I feel that prayer more fervently than after shaking hands and learning the history of their community.
One of my favorite places is Guyandotte, West Virginia, where I sold books at the Civil War Reenactment. An odd little place at first sight, I thought. I didn’t see anything typical like paper mill smoke stacks and railroads; not much commerce either. When I met the town historian I asked her if there was work here. She smirked and said, “For those who want it, yes.” I thought that was a pretty honest answer. Guyandotte’s location at the junction of the Ohio and Guyandotte River made it important in the 1800s in the timber industry. The Guyandotte River, running 166 miles through the Allegheny Plateau, is a tributary of the Ohio River. The site that interested me most was the narrow road that passed through an imposing fortification of some sort. I drove through it on my route to and from the battlefield. Was this an old fort? Concrete? And what are all those ........ INDIE FIRST Last Saturday I spent the afternoon at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva, North Carolina. Across the country other authors were hanging out at their favorite indie bookstores answering phones, stuffing envelopes, sending emails, making book recommendations, promoting friends’ books, maybe sweeping the porch, shaking hands with customers, or serving cookies and punch; whatever their bookstore needed.
Indie First Day was created by author Sherman Alexie last year as a way for authors to support, help and promote independent bookstores, a way to volunteer to give back to them for all they do for authors. I volunteered. City Lights asked me to read to kids. I took Buddy, ......... Starting Here Everyone has to start from Here…from where they are. No matter what the goal is, no matter what one is selling…or trying to sell. Whatever the plan for the future, whoever one wants to become, it all starts from where you are. Don’t wait until something bigger or better comes your way.
This past week I’ve had a bit of fun promoting Cashiers, my little town, on my facebook. This is where it starts for me. This is where I live, this is where I write. I spend a lot of time on the road traveling to other places to sell my books, but Cashiers is where I go when I head for home. My little promotion began on voting day when I posted on my facebook that I’d driven through the crossroad on Voting Day ...... Turn Your Radio On I grew up listening to the radio: Bishop Fulton Sheen’s hour, Edward R. Morrow news, exciting stories, great comedy. I danced with my dad to music on the radio. I listened to Detroit Tiger baseball with my brother. We spread his baseball cards out on the floor and moved them to the Ernie Harwell action.
Radio involved a lot of imagination. I imagined a New York City flat, although I’d never been in a city. I could picture the Wild West even though I’d only been as far west as Lake Michigan. TV was never like that. TV happened before my eyes. Radio happened in my imagination. Radio was my first awareness of advertising, things for sale: Prince Albert tobacco, Mother’s Milk of Magnesia and Smith Brothers Cough Drops. I ate Pep Cereal for breakfast because Superman said so and I saved dimes and box tops to purchase items I’d never seen, but only heard about on the radio. Tomorrow, Tuesday May 13, I’ll be on the inside of the radio. I’m going to be a “live interview.” This is the finale of a five-day virtual book tour for Beth’s Birds sponsored by National Writing for Children Center and Peak City Publishing. I’m excited about it, but I admit to being a bit nervous. What will my voice sound like on the radio? Will listeners picture how they think I look? Oh dear. “Tune in tomorrow,” as they used to say on the radio. To tune in, you “tune” your computer to www.bookbitesforkids.com and you can hear the broadcast live at 3 pm EDT. This is the 2014 way to listen to the radio. AND! You can be “live” yourself. You can call in to make a comment or ask a question. Come on, do it. Haven’t you always wanted to be on the radio? Phone 347-539-5097 during the broadcast and we’ll talk. This will be fun. Turn your radio on. No One Right Way! Traveling around selling my books and meeting salt-of-the-earth folks has been a wonderful experience in a lot of ways. One important message I’ve brought home is there is no one right way to do things. There are a lot of ways to do the same thing. I love seeing how different people accomplish the same things in totally different ways.
How many times have we heard, “that’s not the way to do it. This is how we do it.” Growing up I thought the only way a turkey could be cooked was in a dark blue enamel “turkey pan.” My grandma did it that way, so did all my aunts and my mother. So that must be the one right, and only true way to cook a turkey. My kids dunk theirs in a turkey fryer. I roast mine in a bag. In the end, we all serve moist, succulent turkey. Nearly every weekend at a Civil War reenactment I eat bar-b-q, because that’s always what is served. The variations are astounding. How many ways are there to cook a pig and turn it into sandwiches? Every region, of course, thinks theirs is the best. But they are all good, and no one goes off hungry. I’ve belonged to the same book club for about 15 years. It’s the only book club I ever joined, so I guessed this was how all book clubs should be. We have eleven members. January-November everyone has a turn to suggest the book which we all read, be discussion leader, and be a hostess. In December we go out for dinner ....... When Small Conferences Go Large There’s a tendency among busy people to prioritize their time. And that’s necessary. No one can do everything and do it well. No one can afford to do it all. So which will be the most beneficial? Which will be the least expensive? Which will be the most fun? How to decide.
For busy people who happen to be writers, conferences are a biggies to be prioritized. This is where contacts are made, pitches are heard, critiques discussed, new publishing opportunities are unveiled, networks spun. The bigger the event, the more costly, and often the farthest away. Yet, those are highlights of the calendar year, and often the smaller conferences are ignored as not being as worthwhile or as beneficial. Since I began attending conferences in 2011, one thing I’ve learned is size isn’t important. I’ve attended some wonderful small conferences that turned out to be extremely valuable. Write 2 Ignite, a small Christian Writers Conference held in March at North Greenville University in Greenville, South Carolina is one I look forward to every year. This was my first writers’ conference in 2011. I had no idea ........... Let Opportunities Come Calling We made a quick trip to Myrtle Beach for family business a few weeks ago. Of course, I notified schools and offered, but no schools had responded to my offer. Schools lost so much school during this dreadfully long winter, they are hard pressed to give up time for author visits.
I went sightseeing on my own. I visited the beautiful and world famous Brookgreen Gardens. I’ve been there several times, but I’ve always been with others who drove to a parking area, walked around the visuals there, then drove to the next area. I’d never seen what was in the middle. I’d never paused to see the full scope, or grasped the entire plan. I had a beautiful walk through daffodils and sculptures, trees with draped moss, and birds. I got lost, even with the map in my hand, and almost missed the boat tour through the marsh. It was a glorious spring day. Birds sang in the moss-draped trees and the turtles basked in the sunshine. Two alligators that were just warming up and becoming active for the tourist season, smiled as I approached. The guide pointed out wood duck boxes on stakes, which I’ve seen in many places and knew what they were. But I learned that wood ducks fly at 30 mph. They fly ...................... |
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Author Deanna lives in the inner-coastal area of Eastern North Carolina in historic Edenton. She belongs to a local bookclub, SCBWI, Catholic Writers Guild, ACFW, NCWN and other writing groups. Categories |