Book & Author Luncheons, Past & Present

Got home from a long weekend at the Coast. I didn't take the laptop, kind of wanted to, but we have been up to our eyes in duty and it just seemed like a good idea to veg for the weekend. I always sleep so good there, and it was especially good sleeping this weekend with the rain and dark overcast. Had a fun time with some friends, slogged around SeaFair and bought some tacky folk art, some cute things, too. Shouldn't be so judgmental. We have a lot of kitchy stuff down there anyway, so just added to the collection. And I keep thinking that I will go down there alone sometime and write, but that never seems to actually happen. Besides, I'm not in the mood for alone. Had plenty of that already in my life.

The deer have been marauding here while we were gone. There are tracks everywhere. Rained a good bit here, too, and it seems they grew fond of the mudhole in the driveway. The tracks were piled on top of each other, like they'd been dancing there in the night. Lots of small tracks, an occasional larger one, so we know it's mostly the yearlings who frolicked. There should be plenty for them to eat without roaming through our place, but they're in the habit of it by now, and besides, I'm sure they consider it their home not ours.

We also have fragile, pale rye grass shoots staining the open ground green. Pleased the SO to see his tractor work has been fruitful. Johnson grass surrounds the big oaks out in the front "forty." As soon as the rain stops I'll get out the backback sprayer and let them have it with some extra-strength Round-Up. It's just almost non-stop work to keep on top of unwanted weeds. I planted some daffodil bulbs in the bed beside the sunroom this evening. Fingers crossed they come up in early spring. I've had luck with bulbs in other places I've lived. I'm hoping that luck holds here.

Tonight an email came from an old book buddy inviting me and the SO to share his table at the San Antonio Book and Author Luncheon. My first inclination was to refuse, I've been doing that sort of knee-jerk-refusing for the last several years. But then I thought about it for a while. I was one of the "authors" featured at the very first SA Book & Author Luncheon. In fact, it was my first speaking engagement after the publication of my first novel, and there were 900 people there. I was up on the dais with Steve Allen, and John Erickson, and Richard Condon, and others, chosen because the Express-News book editor liked my novel. She recommended me to the UTSA board. I was really happy that I was the first speaker because I would never have been able to calm down enough to actually eat the gorgeous lunch they served that day. And it truly was gorgeous to look at, in particular the little book-shaped cake with buttercream icing.

It's taken longer for me to write all of this, of course, than it took for it to go through my mind after getting the emailed invitation. These memories have become fonder to me than they once were, for some reason, and I thought it might be fun to go as part of the audience. Michael Connelly is the headliner this time, and although I've never read one of his books, the SO is a big fan of the kinds of serial mysteries Connelly writes, sort of gritty LA stuff, and he liked the idea of it being a luncheon that we can go up and do in one day and come back, since we're leaving the following Friday for Montana. Anyway, I emailed my friend back, said thanks and we would love to go, so it's on. Now, I can't sleep for thinking about what I'll wear. Such pitifully mundane thoughts keep me awake at times.

As I said, for the past several years I have avoided anything writer-related, sort of figured my writing career was over, fire in the belly long gone, as I've said in earlier posts. The SO says I've just got lazy. He says it as a joke, but could be he's right. I know that I've felt the push beginning lately, and also am starting to get a little tired of being so directionless. Maybe going back out there, even as an audience participate will inspire me to knuckle down. I've never thought of myself as a quitter.

Onward ....