Debbie Macomber's Blog, page 34

Fan Retreat Day 2

Day two of my fan retreat could not have been better.  I enjoyed meeting readers at two lovely teas complete with scones, herbal teas, and cookies.  I was given the privilege of sharing some of my favorite stories and experiences, and then readers took the floor and asked me questions. 

After the teas I headed back to my room to prepare for the evening’s festivities—the much anticipated dinner and sock hop!  There was a full southern buffet, complete with fried chicken and corn bread, and mini peach cobblers for dessert.  The dancing was an absolute kick—literally!  We had a fabulous time dancing with family and our new friends!  My son, Ted, stole the evening when he surprised us with his unique Cedar Cove rap.  Not even the Elvis impersonator, who danced his way through the night, could compete with Ted’s show! Wayne and I closed the evening by dancing our special song, "So Happy Together," by The Turtles.  

I couldn’t think of a better way to close the evening than laughing, dancing, and celebrating with my readers.

Fan Retreat Day 1

Day one of my Fan Retreat at the Gaylord Opryland Resort was so much fun!  The hotel is absolutely magnificent, and Wayne and I had a great day exploring Nashville. We spent the day with my brother, Terry, and his wife, Cheryl, taking in Music City USA. We had a terrific time visiting the Country Music Hall of Fame, Tequila Cowboy and the Ryman Auditorium, the famous former home of the Grand Ole Opry. While at the theater, Wayne and I even had a chance to get on stage and grab a photo. What a treat!

We kicked off the fan retreat with a fabulous evening. We had a bountiful dessert bar filled with southern sweets and a live band set the stage for a great dance party! My son, Ted, whisked me out on the dance floor—we had so much fun that not even Wayne could resist joining us for a few songs! The best part by far was meeting my wonderful readers. What a perfect start to a weekend.

An Evening with Will Schwalbe

Will Schwalbe, the author of The End of Your Life Book Club, was in town for a fund raising event last week for our local library foundation.  Will arrived in the middle of a rain storm while he was still on east coast time and gave an invigorating presentation revolving around his mother and the books the two of them read and discussed before her untimely death.  Will, the audience and I shared a wonderful evening exchanging stories and favorite books and a good time was had by all.  Don't tell Wayne, but I could easily fall in love with Will.  He's charming, personable, and endearing, plus he's very knowledgeable about books and wine—two of my passions.[image error]

Jody's Wedding - A Second Glance

  As promised, here are the photos of my wedding outfit. It was truly a wonderful wedding!

  Big thanks to About the Day photography. They did a great job capturing Jody's special day.

Mad Dogs, Englishmen and Writers

Have you ever had one of those experiences where everything fell into place like precision clockwork?  A time when you can look back and realize what just happened could only be classified as amazing . . . a miracle.  That happened to me this weekend with my friend Mary Lou Carney during our annual girlfriend weekend adventure. 

We spent two glorious days in Victoria, BC and planned to catch the last ferry back to Port Angeles at 7:30 p.m.  We arrived at 7 in plenty of time and sure enough the ferry was at the dock.  What we didn't know was that earlier in the day the ferry had experienced mechanical difficulties and this was the 3 p.m. sailing. 

Are you with me?  Now listen to this.

1.  If Mary Lou had decided to use the loo at the hotel instead of waiting until the terminal, we would have missed the ferry.

2.  If we'd walked the two blocks to the terminal instead of taking a taxi, we would have missed the ferry.

3.  If the taxi driver had pretended not to hear the policeman who claimed the traffic was too heavy and he couldn't take us down the street to the terminal, we would have missed the ferry.

4.  If I hadn't heard a woman pleading with the purser to kindly wait 5 additional minutes because her friend was right behind her, we would have missed the ferry.

Mary Lou and I were the last two people on board and my heart was pounding.  If we had missed the ferry we wouldn't have gotten back to Port Orchard in time for Mary Lou to make her flight home at 6 a.m.

Yup, God watches out for mad dogs, Englishmen and writers.

Jody's Wedding

Our daughter Jody's wedding day was about as perfect as it could get.  I don't know when I've seen her more radiant or happier.  I squeezed myself into Spanx and Wayne donned a tuxedo to escort his little girl down the aisle.  The wedding took place on the beach with the sun reflecting on the blue/green waters of Puget Sound.  And as it sometimes happens a small miracle took place.  As Jody and Greg exchanged their vows two eagles swooped down and circled overhead. 

My maiden name is the German word for eagle and Jody was named after my mother.  My mom and dad had showed up for the wedding.  And as the tears fell against my cheeks, I looked up and smiled.  For the first time in a long while I felt my parents’ presence on this special day far more than their absence. 

Clothing by the Inquisition

Our daughter, Jody, is getting married this weekend so I went shopping for a mother-of-the-bride outfit Wednesday afternoon--not that I left it to the last minute or anything!I found a lovely outfit (skirt and top) but felt I needed a little something to err . . . firm me up.  Thankfully my dear friend, Sharon, was with me, otherwise I fear I'd still be struggling to get in and out of this gear, some of which I am convinced was designed by those involved in the Inquisition.  The first piece was so tight I felt like I was in a body cast.  It worked great but I had one small problem--I couldn't breathe.  The second piece was a corset with bones and snaps that went around my middle.  Sharon had to brace her foot against the wall to get it to go around me.  I was terrified she'd lose her grip and I'd go flying out of the dressing room like a sling shot!  We shared a lot of laughter in that dressing room, let me tell you!  I'll get lots of photos during the wedding and I’ll be proud to show off my beautiful daughter.  And if you happen to see the mother of the bride, be sure and notice how flat my belly is. 

Celebrity Softball Event

I've had my 15 seconds of sports glory.  Twice now I've had the privilege of throwing out the first pitch at a Seattle Mariner's baseball game.  The crowd cheered, my children held up banners, and I felt like a real celebrity.  But that brief flash with sports fame couldn't compare to an event this weekend when our family was one of the sponsors for the Richard Sherman Celebrity Softball game.  Richard's a talented Seahawk player with a big heart for kids and for veterans.  Helping a Hero was one of the main non-profits that were aided by the proceeds of the event. Richard Sherman's Family Foundation held the event at Cheney Stadium in Tacoma and filled the arena.

I was thrilled to have Sarah Smyth (Justine Lockhart) and Corey Sevier (Seth Gunderson, beginning episode one) from the Cedar Cove movie set join us for the weekend. Corey and my son Ted were invited to play on Richard's team.  Sarah joined us in the loudest cheering section in the entire stadium. 

What a great experience all around and I was thrilled to be part of it, but the real stars were the three wounded veterans who attended and inspired us all.

Feel free to browse through the photos on my website.

TNNA Knitting Convention

Last weekend I was in Columbus, Ohio for The National NeedleArts Association convention.  Talk about fun!

My close friend, Roberta, and I made our way through a maze of yarn, crafts,  patterns, and amazing artists showcasing their beautiful work.  I was inspired, to say the least, and I didn’t even buy too much.  Although, too much is a relative term!

To view more pictures of our time at TNNA click Here

Saying Goodbye with Laughter

Wayne and I returned to the Northwest this past weekend.  We love our Washington home, but it’s always hard for us to say goodbye to our Florida home, too.  We decided to bid Florida farewell by trying a new restaurant in Vero Beach before we left.  Most restaurants in the Vero area have a dress code, so I called the restaurant to enquire about any clothing stipulations.   When the manager of the restaurant answered he informed me in a serious tone that his restaurant enforces a very strict dress code—“clothing is absolutely mandatory,” he said.  Wayne and I had a great laugh about that. When the leaving is bitter-sweet, there is no better way to say goodbye than with laughter.