A Fun Weekend

I attended an interesting but unusual affair on Sat. My sister-in-law invited me to her women's club Garden Tea. It was held in the beautifully-landscaped back yard of her home. Tents were set up to shield against the sun, tables were beautifully decorated, each with different color linen and floral arrangements- yellow, lavender, green & pink. We were served 3 courses including such things as scones, tea sandwiches, mini desserts and more.

The interesting part was the required dress. Everyone had to wear sundresses (or other summer dress), hats and gloves. The dress not a problem, but I can't remember the last time I wore gloves. Matter of fact I did not own a pair. I do own one summer hat which I had not worn until a month ago when I attended another affair that required a hat. I must say, in this age of casual attire, it felt good to dress up for the afternoon.

Good News

I received some very exciting news today. My publisher, John Wiley and Sons, informed me that my book, The Road to Someplace Better: From the Segregated South to Harvard Business School and Beyond, has been selected for a Global Rights Department license by Audible. This will be a verbatim unabridged reading of the book by a professional actor/narrator with production values comparable to a CD edition. It will be available for download on Audible.com, iTunes and Amazon. I'm thankful that things are moving in the right direction.

Back from Pinehurst

Had a wonderful 3 days in Pinehurst, NC. Played golf every day. The weather was beautiful and the courses very scenic. I played reasonably well but it did not matter, just being on the course was great. For a while I was sad when I thought I'd miss seeing Tiger Woods sail to victory on Sun. at the British Open. But Tiger had other ideas, he did not make the cut! Most unusual for Tiger, but he is human. I'm still a die hard Tiger fan and he will return. Sorry Tom Wason did not win. It would have been great to see a 59 yr. old win if Tiger could not. Oh well enough golf. Back to work on Mon.

Ready for some R 'n R

My husband and I are headed to Pinehurst, NC tomorrow for three days of golf. Will check in next week.

The Hope Bus Tour

Had a meeting with Helena Nyman, Ambassador of The Hope Bus Tour - a tour that goes from Boston to Miami over a 3-month period. The mission of the tour is to initiate hope and encourage people to reach out to the community by teaching them how being of service can make a difference - regardless of race, age or social status! I will be one of the speakers on the tour. Will join them in NY, Boston, Atlanta, Orlando, Ft, Lauderdale and Miami. Check out the website: http://www.thehopebus.org/. Will keep you posted.

Had a conference call with my literary agent to being her up to day on the book production. She encouraged me to ask questions about anything. She will intercede with the publisher. Believe me, I will ask questions. I am not at all bashful about that. The only "dumb" question is the one that does not get asked.

Recognizing Opportunities

We are given opportunities every day but we don't always recognize them as such. That happened to me yesterday. A friend who is a member of a Kiwanis club called me about 6 PM and asked if I would be the speaker for his club the following morning at their breakfast meeting at 7 AM. He had been traveling and forgot he was supposed to secure a speaker.

My immediate response was "No, I can't do that! It's such short notice and what will I talk about?" His response, "Talk about yourself. But you are free to say no". I said no and hung up. After hanging up I thought, this could be a change to talk about my experiences and promote my book. I called him back and told him I would do it. I pulled together information from a previous speech and prepared a 15-minute presentation. It was a wonderful experience. Feedback was very positive.I saw people I knew, people who knew some of the same people that I knew and met new people. I was told they would invite me back to do a book signing after my book comes out in Jan. Next time I'll try to see the opportunity before giving a hasty answer. A new group of people heard me speak which could lead to other engagements.

Staying Fit & Healthy

We all want to be healthy and fit, but are we willing to do what is necessary to maintain those goals? I'm committed to both. Every year in late June or early July, I go thru the ritual of my physical exam with all the related tests - electrocardiogram, mammogram (extremely important for women over 40)and blood work. Today was the day for that. Is it a pleasant process? Not necessarily However, I have a wonderful doctor with great bedside manners who honors her appointments and does not keep me waiting. I appreciate that because I think my time is as valuable as hers. So if you have not had your physical or scheduled one,do so.

My day ended with an enjoyable round of golf with my husband.

Staying '

Staying '

Missing in Action

Its been a few days since I posted but I have not been AWOL. The last 10 days have had me involved in final edits of The Road to Someplace Better. Final edits were sent to the publisher June 29 and expected back mid August. The cover has been finalized. Galleys are due in Sept. Much work is now underway for marketing and promotion. I have established a team in different locations and we have lots to do. It is very exciting.

Looking forward to a relaxing 4th holiday.