Imagining Heaven

Friday night, May 14, the publicity party and book signing for the anthology Imagining Heaven took place at the Palmer Building in Charlotte, NC. All the contributors to this book were invited to the party and we were advised that we could bring a guest. Bill and I left to drive to Charlotte on Thursday and planned to have a nice travel and time together in Charlotte before the party on Friday night.
We were enamored once again with the looks and feel of the town of Charlotte. We had a hotel room close to shopping and restaurants and the Palmer Building in South Charlotte. The weather was beautiful and our whole time there was just the best. We love Dean and Deluca and spent mornings there for coffee and breakfast. Wish we had one here.
The party on Friday night was dream like. The books were delivered while we were there and it was our first look at them. The woman who had the whole concept for this project, Linda Matney, is doing such a wonderful job of supporting hospice. All the proceeds of the book go to hospice. That is why they chose not to sell the book on Amazon or anywhere besides the website they have set up at imaginingheaven.com. That way they can say that 100% of the proceeds go to hospice.
The cover is a serene scene painted by artist, David Thompson. They had the original watercolor on display at the center. The book was edited by Maureen Ryan Griffin. I took one of Maureen’s classes at John C Campbell and it was she that suggested that I send the story I wrote in that class to Imagining Heaven. She is a wonderful instructor and I learned so much in her class, Thinking Like DiVinci. I was so delighted when my prose piece, Fly Away Home, was accepted and now I see that there will be a part two to the book so I’ll probably submit something to that as well. Information about that is on the website or will be. I haven’t actually seen it but there is information in the back of the book.
Back to the party: There was entertainment by three women who played wonderful background music. I can’t even remember what instruments they played but it was beautifully done. There was an open bar with the best bar tender and the food was catered by (love this name!) La Te Da. The waiters walked around making sure everyone had one more delicious bite of something and it was all really good. They had one little appetizer that was really different. They had tiny little ice cream cones filled with cheese or chicken salad and different little treats. It was funny seeing everyone eating these little cones and very convenient to be able to carry it around with us while we walked around meeting new people. We met so many interesting people from hospice and all the people that were involved with getting this book off the ground. I was impressed and glad to be a part of it all.

Mother's Day

I had an incredible mother’s day weekend. Jeni took me to dinner at Cheesecake Factory, one of our favorite places, on Saturday. We had a wonderful time and she also gave me a beautiful card and some Daisy perfume. (She’s a Daisy to me)I received a beautiful card from Angie and she called me on Sunday. I was also surprised by a wonderful handmade card from my granddaughter, Alyssa. I feel very blessed and loved. Both my girls are talented in their writing and ability to make me feel so special.

On Sunday Bill took me out for breakfast and then to an arts and crafts show in Lakeland. The sun was shining bright but there was a breeze off Lake Morgan where the show was. Summer was showing it’s colors; green, blues, and cloud white. The swans on the lakeside looked so regal and the ducks were busy doing what they do, providing a background for the show as they glided by on the lake.

Bill and I walked and talked and looked at the art work in the booths as well as the homes along the lake. One home had a rose garden with yellow roses proliferating close to the sidewalks and thee smell was intoxicating. I try hard to grow one yellow rose but these people grow them by the yards full.

We walked the whole art show and it felt good being out and about with people on a regular Sunday. I was half way through the walk when Bill and I both realized I was still walking. No pain in the knees and I had walked the whole art show. We gave each other a high five and talked about what these new knees could mean to me in the future.

I’ve always loved walking as an exercise and now I can see me walking again. I can think of me going shopping and doing all the things I love to do again.

I also had to have a talk with myself and remind me that I’d still be 62 when the knees are completely healed. I’ll still be as tired or limited as a 62 year old would be compared to a 20 or 30 year old. I had begun to envision myself as superwoman before the day was over so I had to make it real. However, the joy I felt that day when I realized I was walking all that time without pain won’t be minimized. I can’t imagine that I will take this for granted for some time.
I'm back!!!