Ramey on TV!!!

Sister Ramey (Pat) Channell appeared on a Birmingham TV talk show, "Talk of Alabama," at 9:00 this morning, discussing her book Sweet Music on Moonlight Ridge, the second edition of which is in the stores and online. Ramey also had a book-signing program a few days ago at the Music Room in Leeds. I'm so proud of her, and of Susy my other sibling, and all mine and their kids. I just have to conclude that we're a cool bunch. Ramey excels in more than one art form--music, drawing and painting, fiction and poetry. And all those crafts and creative stuff.

"Drawling and Stretching, and Fainting in Coils," as Lewis Carroll would say.

Yesterday, I went to the Chevron and bought gasoline, and then my car wouldn't start. The station guy let me use his phone to call Murray's, who brought the tow truck and transported us to the Garage. The Tracker's battery was plumb dead and I had to get a new one, plus an oil change. It's always something, my little Roseanne Roseanna Danna.

I spent a lot of time yesterday walking around my lot, in the hot sun and cool shade. I've been feeling weaker instead of stronger, and assume that it's because I don't get enough exercise. I think today I'll skip the afternoon nap, and EAT MORE, TOO!

An Evening Out

Last night I went to the poetry reading at the Arts Council building. (I'm making a resolution to go to every meeting.) The group meets on the last Monday of every-other month. When I attend, I find myself wishing we met every month.

I did get there on time yesterday, but the group had already arrived and arranged chairs in the lobby--which was much more congenial than a table in the meeting room. There were Joan and Frank, Cookie, Sherry, Joe W., and a gentleman named DeWitt who is something at one of the schools, I didn't catch all the details. Cookie read her "Cats" poem, and Joan also had a poem about how she and Frank acquired a cat ironically named Angel. Sherry read a reminiscence, and Joe shared a poem about a very moving personal experience from his childhood, and another one about the phenomenon of aging. Everyone read several pieces; Frank had a group of very brief verses, plus a couple of longer poems. I guess Mr. DeWitt (actually, that's his first name) took the prize for longest poem; his was an analogy about the Gulf of Mexico, very insightful.

I read "Exodus," "Splendor Before a Storm," "The Muse Contemplates Departure," and "Jane Austen Never Married." Everyone had very kind comments. They even understood "Departure," maybe because I took the trouble to utter an explanatory sentence before I read it. It's about the environment, earth, rather than exclusively about poetry. They made me read the last part of "Jane Austen" twice:

But you almost found him, didn't you, once or twice?

You were right in his path once, almost, weren't you?

You caught a glimpse of his white horse through the trees,

A sunbeam flashed on his armor, and you saw

The plume on his helmet disappear into the forest.

I had brought along a copy of Ramey's book, Sweet Music on Moonlight Ridge, for show-and-tell, in case anyone hadn't seen it. I think everyone except Cookie and DeWitt had read it. We discussed the book and its characters, and I told a little bit of background about life on the mountain. Everyone said to tell Ramey "hi" and congratulations.

A sad note was Gail W.'s absence. Joe said she'd had chemo in the past week, and it takes several days for her to get back to feeling well.
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Happy Birthday to Ramey! She's about 21 today, give or take a few. She and I went to lunch Sunday to celebrate in advance, at Caney's Fork or Creek or Park, or something, I can't keep that name right in my muddled head.

Signing them books!

Here Ramey is, signing lots and lots of books. There was a fairly large crowd at the Arts Council yesterday. I haven't found out yet how well it went sales-wise, but for a while there, it looked like she was about to sell out

Attendees I remember: Bonnie, Mable, Joe W., Joan D. and her husband, Sherry, India, Buffy and Reed, Susan, Grady Sue, Debbie, Mondretta and another library employee whose name I don't remember, a bunch of people I didn't know, several whose names I should remember but don't, and me. I was so thrilled to see such a good turnout, and I'm sure Ramey was, too. She read a chapter from Sweet Music On Moonlight Ridge, to generally hilarious responses.

When it was all over, Ramey, Susan, Bonnie, Sherry and I celebrated at a little restaurant in Moody. Such a good day!

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More ideas for my house: The wood parts of the tiny front porch will have to be replaced sometime soon, and it occurs to me that we could emphasize the Arts and Crafts style with a couple of those tapered half-columns on brick bases, holding up the handrails. I've seen a lot of them on stone bases or half-columns, but brick would go better with this house. I personally wouldn't want a portico, as it would cut down the light on the front of the house, but just to replace the posts and rails.

I also saw an idea online that might provide our deck with some shelter from the hot sun--why not build a pergola on the deck? You wouldn't have to tear into the roof or do anything fancy; just throw up some 2 x 4s and add enough of a roof to give some shade for a sitting area. It's something to think about for the future.

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Also yesterday, Bonnie brought some photos that she found in the possessions of her deceased mother, Marie, who was a friend of our family. I had never seen this one of my mother, and thought all my graduation photos were lost.

Glad I slept 12 hours...

...Because this is a big day in several ways. First, I need to pack all the stuff that sold on eBay in the past couple of days, chiefly a sterling silver bowl that somebody gave Sonny when we got married. I don't think it has ever had a bite of food or anything else in it, but it has taken a lot of elbow grease and storage space over the last half-century-plus.

Someone bought the Irish chain quilt top, and welcome to it.

A pair of china mugs that came from the thrift shop, and a gold-flashed glass compote.

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I may wait until tonight to do the packing. This afternoon, I'm going to RAMEY'S BOOK SIGNING AT THE LEEDS ARTS COUNCIL!

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Bonnie, my first Leeds friend, whom I met in 1942 or thereabouts, phoned yesterday and we chatted for a while. She said she has some pictures of my family that were in her deceased mother's estate, and that she'll bring them today when she comes to RAMEY'S BOOK SIGNING. She really said if she's able to come, but I'm being optimistic. I hope she brings her friend Jeannene or somebody with her. Betty W. also said she would be there, when I saw her at the post office the other day.

It's Heeeere!

Ramey's book, Sweet Music on Moonlight Ridge, is now available online (Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, etc.). Now she's a celebrity, with her picture in the news and everything. I'm too excited to figure out how to post the link to the Leeds Herald article, but it's there, all right! Can't wait for her book signing.

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I'm also excited because tomorrow Susan and I are going to ride up to Vinemont, Alabama to see Mr. Bond and possibly bring him home to Leeds.

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It just now occurred to me that I'll need money to close this transaction. I haven't asked the Fairy Dogmother lady, but I bet it'll be quite a lot. If it's more than $1.365, I haven't got that much in one place, so what'll I do?

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"What'll I do, with just a photograph

To tell my troubles to?"

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I've got to june around and figure out something.