Journey to National Memoir Conference, Austin, Texas, Story Circle Network—Stories from the Heart IV

Yesterday as I stepped out of my St. Louis apartment to walk my five blocks to the Metrolink, I opened the door to snow. Journeys in one’s 50s are different than in ones 20s…but yesterday I did my best to meet all the little twirks of modern travel with a measure of joie de vivre. And so, I bless the man who punched the button on the metro train when the door closed on me and I didn’t know what to do. I bless the man who offered his seat so I could re-compose myself on my way to the airport. I bless the TSA man who told us all that the “B” concourse led to “D” and we’d be much happier checking through there. I bless the man who retrieved my keys from the trunk of the rental car as if it were all just high times. I bless the man who checked me in at the Wyndham and laughed in welcome when in answer to his inquiry of how I was, I said, “Better and better the closer I get to that room.”

Most of all, I bless Cindy Bellinger, who, in a surprise move to both of us is my room-partner on this phase of the Texas journey. I met Cindy last year when we both presented at the Land Full of Stories Conference in San Marcos, Texas. This morning, checking my email, it was a hoot to see she’d posted to the Women Writing the West list…what a writerly experience…I laughed, looked up, and told her “Good-morning.”

Cindy says:

..and here we are. Janet and I are roomies at the Story Circle Network Conference. We’re also on a panel together to dicuss all the different ways to publish these days. I’m also doing a workshop about taking family stories and genealogy research and making solid pieces of writing.

Janet and I talked past our bedtimes last night about publishing and writing, sharing book titles and experiences, and it was like being at a slumber party.

Since we both live alone, Cindy and I joke that we’ll communicate our needs by flag semiphore signals.

More news from Texas, later.