Many of you will remember the recognition and award I was to receive in Washington D. C. as a Woman of Impact. It will be an event I will remember the rest of my life. I am honored to be on the cover and centerfold of the magazine Focus on Women, Sept/Oct 2015. I will realize the benefits of this event and magazine for a long time into the future. For this, I am grateful.My hubby surprised me with this beautiful pendant he made for me for the event. It is a 7.5ct Ceylon sapphire and diamond set in white gold.
How I physically made it through this month without falling apart is a miracle in itself. On Oct 13, I left at 4:30 in the morning to catch the first ferry out of Dodge. Starting out tired on this journey was not a "good" thing. Once on the mainland, I had lots of errands to do before heading to the airport in Seattle around 9 P. M. My plane didn't leave until 1 A.M. so I had time to kill and went to the movies. Opted for a scary thriller which made the walk back to my car around midnight a bit unnerving. Then back to the airport. The plane was overbooked. NO elbow, leg or moving room to get comfortable -- or SLEEP.
I arrived in Minneapolis the middle of the night for a three-hour layover. I am not a coffee drinker but took the plunge to try to stay awake. Arriving in Baltimore at noon, the craziness began. It was three days of events and meeting many incredible and talented authors.
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| Dr. Ian Prattis handing me the award |
There was a traffic jam enroute to the gala affair so we were in the limousine for over an hour. There were seven of us and we became fast friends. I sat in the front with the limo driver who was from Ethiopia. I took the opportunity to interview him. He was thrilled as I am sure not many people would seize the chance to find out what motivates someone to leave his family and come to a foreign land to earn a living. When we arrived back at the hotel at the end of the evening, he asked for my business card and gave me a hug. That was such a highlight!
The morning of Saturday, Oct 17th I had to be at the airport by 5 A.M. -- but I hadn't really slept since the previous Monday. I arrived home around 11 P.M. and needed to get things in order, repack and head out Monday morning at......you guessed it -- 4:30 in the A. M.
Back to the airport. I arrived in Saskatchewan, Canada that afternoon. I was booked for a speaking gig at a breakfast meeing the next morning. For the next three days, I spoke in the morning at a breakfast club and then had to drive to the next city, 3 to 4 hours away, to prepare to speak at a dinner reception. I love it more than anything else I do, but by the time I got to the airport for the homestretch, I felt the weariness wearing me down.
But, there was still enough spunk left in me to 'fight' with the car rental agency when I realized not only did they overcharge me but they charged me for a GPS that did NOT work. It was a bit scary driving without one in Saskatachewan.
Let me enlighten all of you who have never driven on a highway where you could see miles..... MILES in front of you. There are NO houses, NO NOTHING for about 90 miles at a stretch. It is downright scary. What if the rental car broke down? NO cell phone service.
I drove as fast as I could but stayed behind a guy who was speeding. I could see the white pick-up truck approaching and as I slowed down, he put on his siren and lights, did a U-turn, and nailed the guy in front of me. Pays to listen to your instinct "not a good idea to pass him." Phew!
In this flat province, it is said that if your dog runs away from home -- go outside and look in all four directions. You can see about three miles each way -- you'll find your dog!
When I crossed the border heading home, I was asked something I will never forget. I have crossed the border at least twice a month for the past 30 plus years. The usual questions are:
"Do you have any weapons? Liquor? Cigarettes? Mace? Pepper Spray?" You get the picture. This time he asked me how much I spent, I told him and then he said "Any apples on board?"
"Apples?" I almost laughed. I told him "No" but he wanted to see my receipts to prove it. I asked him if that was something new and he said "NO! You cannot carry apples unless you are a bonded commercial carrier!" GOOD TO KNOW! He never even asked if I had any weapons and was quite satisfied I was not carrying the contraband known as "apples."
I was completely spent when I arrived home on Friday night and was informed that our good friends from out of town were only here for the weekend. I invited them over for dinner the next day knowing I had a huge container of spaghetti sauce in my freezer that would make an awesome lasagne.
One Busy Month Leads To Another
To me, a card is one of the best gifts and I keep them forever in my heart. When I arrived home, there was a card on my desk from my husband along with six beautiful red-tipped yellow roses!
When I asked him why, he said "In the 40 plus years we have been together, I have never known anyone who can take any negative situation and turn it into something positive. I want to give you an award for that! You know how to "spin" it and I applaud you." WOW, I mean W O W. I never expected that. I told him it made up for all the times he forgot to get me a Valentines card! According to him, I am one in a billion! He doesn't get out much -LOL!
For those of you who have cast their ballot guessing what the new grandbaby will be -- thank you. We still have 3 1/2 months to guess. Let me know what you think.
But tomorrow -- he will be 50 as time moves so quickly the older you get!
Louie's Update
Those of you who have been following Louis Vuitton's problem.....when he was bitten in the face by a larger dog two months ago, his face became infected. It has now infected his entire little body and the specialist cannot figure it out. He is in good health but not responding to any medication. He has scratched himself raw -- poor little guy -- but he is such a trooper!
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