Thursday, August 5, 2010

How About It!

Continued from Monday's post:

When Tony and I walked into Wolfmueller's Books we were instantly greeted by Sandy and Jon. Kathleen, a mutual friend of ours was there, too, so we started visiting and the laughing commenced immediately. Fifteen minutes later after Kathleen had told us a couple of hilarious stories about a friend of hers, I told T. that we needed to leave, because my back was aching from laughing so much.

Our next stop was at Copies Plus, so Tony could pick up a book on photography that Trisha was going to loan to him. Trisha and Marcie greeted us as we walked inside and then Trisha started laughing. "Tony I forgot to bring your book," Trish confessed. "I found it and put it on the table so I wouldn't forget it and I forgot it. If y'all have some more errands to run I can run home and get it for you?" We told Trish that we would be back in about an hour and took off for Walmart to buy more dog food for our rescued dogs.

An hour later Marcie greeted us as we walked back inside Copies Plus. Then Trisha came out of a room with a big, blue book, the new manual of PHOTOGRAPHY  by John Hedgecoe. "You will love this book, Tony," she said as she handed it to him. "Nancy, I'm nearly finished mounting your poster that you ordered and it turned out great!" Then she left the work area, so we visited with Marcie.

A few minutes later Trisha returned to the main work area holding up the poster I had ordered and I loved it! It's a picture of the front cover of my new book, Meanwhile Back At The Rescue Ranch: The Dog Days of Cousin Nancy. I had ordered the poster, because I wanted to hang it in the Space Ship.

As I was paying Trisha for the poster a familiar looking woman walked into the store and greeted all of us. When she saw my poster laying on the countertop she walked over to it to get a better look at it. "I love the cover of your new book, Cousin Nancy. Do you remember me?" I nodded my head, even though I couldn't figure out who she was. "I'm Kim Williamson from the television station Kerrville 15. I interviewed you years ago."

"Yes, I remember, Kim," I said. "I really enjoyed being on your show even though Sponge Bob Diaper Pants nearly ruined it." I looked at Trisha and Marcie. "Sponge Bob was a giant thirty-pound Lab puppy and he had an accident in his crate and he was covered in poop and it was raining and we were running late. When I did the interview he laid across my lap peacefully sleeping and smelled to high heaven. I was wearing pink overalls and a white shirt and after the show was over I realized that I was covered in poop and looked like I had been in a mud wrestling event and had lost. I wrote about it in my first book. I think I titled the story, Oh, Crappy Day."

"I would love to do a show on you and your new book. How about it?" Kim asked. As Kim and I discussed doing the show Tony went outside to get a book for her from our newly named  96' Explorer—Buttermilk, the Book Mobile. After I signed the book to her, she handed me a couple of business cards and then Tony and I left Copies Plus and headed home in the book mobile.

When we got home I returned a couple of phone calls and then I checked my e-mail. After answering eighteen new e-mails a new e-mail popped into my mailbox and it was from my dear friend, 'Erb, who lives in Massachusetts with his beautiful wife, Karen. She's the woman who has made me those two beautiful necklaces that everyone compliments me on.

As I read 'Erb's note I burst out laughing when he told me that every time that he reads the name of my small publishing press, Undepressable Press, it immediately reminds him of Nat King Cole's song, "Unforgettable" and it makes him want to dance. He said that if you substitute the word unforgettable to undepressable it works with the lyrics. When I showed Tony 'Erbs note he started laughing and I am still laughing about it.

After I got off of the computer I went inside the Space Ship and hung my poster up on the wall.

Tuesday afternoon I had a nice surprise. Our good friends, neighbors and volunteers, Charlie Cooper and his ninety-year-old father, Mr. Cooper came out to bring me some gifts. Unfortunately, Tony was gone fishing and Ellen, Charlie's better half, (Just kidding, Charlie. Not really.) was down at the Coast visiting family.

When they arrived we into the Space Ship so I could show it off. Then Charlie told me that he and Ellen had a gift that they wanted to give to me—a 1958 Roy Roger & Dale Evans lunch box with the thermos!

After telling Charlie that I loved it we started visiting. Charlie told me about his and Ellen's fun trip to Terlingua, Texas with their grandson, Catfish. Then he reached into his pocket and gave me several beautiful rocks that they had found. "I love the rocks, Charlie. I'm going to keep them in the Space Ship and tell everyone that they are Moon Rocks!"

Then we visited with Mr. Cooper, who I adore and think the world of, and listened to his interesting stories about his incredible life. When it was time for them to leave, because they needed to go to Kerrville to get supplies, Charlie gave me a small cactus that that they had found and I thought it was dead. After I thanked him for giving me the dead cactus, Charlie laughed and said, "It's not dead, Nancy. They call it a living rock and it grows outward instead of upward. This cactus is approximately thirty years old, too. They grow about an inch every ten years..." After they drove away I went into Outer Space and planted it in a pot.

When T. came home forty minutes later, he was sick that he had missed them.

Yesterday, I discovered that eBay has a great deal for raising funds through eBay Giving Works, so I spent much of my day registering Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch to be on their charitable list. The way it works is if you choose to sell something on eBay but want to make a donation to our rescue ranch, you go to eBay Giving Works' Utopia's site to sell the item and it is that simple. And you can choose what percentage of your sale that you want to donate to Utopia. They have made it very simple. And, I have put a link to it on the side bar, so you can check it out.

After we were officially registered on eBay Giving Works, I went on Utopia Facebook to announce it and to let everyone know about David Woo's print of Kinky and our pig that is for sale. This is what I posted:

"David Woo is an outstanding photographer from Dallas who shot Kinky with one of our pigs a few years ago, for his and Richard Pruitt's star-studded coffee table book Top Dogs And Their Pets. . 


David has generously donated 10 - 19"X13" black and white prints, signed and numbered by him and Kinky for us to auction off to raise money for our rescue ranch! David told me that the posters should be sold for a minimum of $250.00 each, but since we're trying to raise money for the rescue ranch now, we've decided to cut the number in half and sell them for $125.00 each. So hurry! We only have ten prints to sell with 100% of the proceeds going to the Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch and its tax deductible.

To purchase one of these prints please go to Utopia's donation page on eBay Giving Works. I can only post one poster at a time to sell, so when one sells I will post another one up as soon as possible. Thank you for helping us help them!"

This morning I was flabbergasted when I saw the number of people who have already signed up to sell their items and give a percentage of their sell to Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch! And, I want to thank them for their generosity and support.

This morning Meghann and Matt came out and helped Tony with his chores, while Jim walked our dogs for us. Thank you, Meghann, Matt and Jim for all that you do for our ranch. We love y'all.

I feel good that I am finally caught up with my blog and the latest news. 

(P.S. Tomorrow is Tony's Birthday!)

Y'all have a great evening!

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