Estoy Nueces

It sure feels a lot later than 7:21. It's that damn time change I guess. I didn't even get that extra hour of sleep. Mark came home last night just worn out. We went to bed before midnight. I woke up about something-thirty (I'm not sure because that clock hadn't changed). I lay there for a long time trying to go back to sleep. Then I looked at the clock and it said 6:50. Scared the heck out of me, knowing that Mark wanted to be at the shop by 7 a.m. for his San Antonio mission. I patted him in a panic and then realized that it was an hour earlier now. We both were soon up anyway, since I panicked him, too. I sent him off on his trip and I read the paper and piddled around the house with no purpose for a while. Finally went back to bed and slept hard until noon. Not the way I intended to start this day.

I haven't had any motivation today and I don't know why. I finally got to the grocery store and came home and made some soup. I also got my Day of the Dead altar put up. It is all dedicated to Mamma this year with one of her vases from her collection, some of her recipes and a towel she embroideried and her shears, plus the great picture of her in her bluebonnets. In Amarillo, there are no bluebonnets. They just do not grow there. But my grandmother could grow them and had a huge bed of flowers. The picture of her in her bluebonnets (in her ball cap and with her cane) was in the Amarillo paper a long time ago. It has always been our favorite.

I did make it to the book festival yesterday and enjoyed it. I didn't go to any of the sessions, but went through the tents. I was at one booth and the woman behind the table of books said something to someone about not being able to take the money for a book. I looked up at her nametag and saw that she was Rebecca Rather of the Rather Sweet Bakery in Fredericksburg. A nice surprise. I didn't realize she was there to sign her book, which was for sale. But I was able to tell her how much I enjoy her store. I did buy the soup peddler's book. I have wanted it, but was going to pass it by, but he was there serving delicious pumpking soup and encouraged me to get it, so I did. And it was on sale, too. I also bought a big huge book on Indian depredations in Texas which includes stories of my great-great grandfather and his father and brothers.

I also met a local author that has emailed me because we have the same first name and are both from west Texas. She was very nice. She was a little older than I expected maybe. She gave me copies of her two books for possible mentions on the radio.

I hope I AM on the radio tomorrow. My voice is still very unpredictable. I am trying not to think about it. I haven't talked much today since I'm alone, but when I test it, it is very up and down.

I am doing something adventurous tonight as I clean this office... I am throwing out a box of negatives! Blasphemy, it seems. I am entering the 21st century and believing the fact that if I want a reprint of a picture I will no longer need the negative. I do have the photos from these negatives. Plus, if I did want a certain negative it would be a huge chore to find it. I discovered some pictures in the negative box that I'd misplaced, too. Pictures of me and Mark at Jazzfest in New Orleans the one year we went together. Makes me sad to see those beautiful streets and know they have been changed.