I'm back!

Okay, so I'm back and this time, it's for good. When I signed the contract to find, interview and edit the life journey stories of sixteen storytellers for my book, Southern Appalacian Storytellers: Interviews with Sixteen Keepers of the Oral Tradition, it seemed as though my life was consumed by them in the two and a half years it took to accomplish the task. Oh, the joy of it! And when it was done, the experience was nearly one of grief when it went into the mail.

The day my copies arrived I was totally unprepared for them. McFarland, my publisher, gave me no warning at all. There was simply a tag note on the door telling me I had a package under the chair. That's all. I retrieved the small box that was surprisingly heavy, trying to think what I had ordered, and took it inside. The phone rang, I answered and while I spoke casually put my glasses on my nose. That's when I saw where the package was from - Jefferson, NC. My heart froze, not beating at all for a moment, then I tore into the box to find the lovely proof of the work we put into it, and I say 'we' because each storyteller reviewed their own words after my editing, and then signed off once they were satisfied with the work.

On another note: for those of you living in the Johnson City, TN area, the folks at the Downtown Day Center on Fairview are in grave need of clean, warm blankets, jackets, hats, gloves - anything to keep them toasty for the upcoming winter.

Don't forget to share with those in need for the holidays and all year round.

Saundra