Best Book Signing @ The Best Little Library In Texas!

Today has been fabulous! Early this morning Tone and I went outside to do our chores. Then we came inside so we could get cleaned up for my 10:30 book signing, at the Best Little Library in Texas.

When we arrived at the library, Mary Ellen and the staff had made a beautiful display on my table, had made fresh coffee and sweets for everyone and had the chairs already arranged.

About ten minutes before the book signing I had the nicest surprise when Ann, a dear friend of mine since I was eight-years-old, who actually lives in New Mexico, walked in with her brother and his lovely wife. I just about fainted when I saw her. "Oh my goodness, Ann! I can't believe that you are here." After the howdies and hugs I introduced Ann and her sweet family to the audience and then told them a little background about Ann and me.

The book signing was totally awesome. A lot of people showed up for it. And I had a blast visiting with friends and the audience I actually forgot to do a reading. This is me signing a book for my dear friend and of me enjoying myself as I visited with the audience about my novella, The Cowgirl Sisterhood: The Membership Drive, Part I.

When Charlie Cooper walked in, I announced to the crowd that he and his wife Ellen were characters in my novella and I did the exact same thing when Fourth Coates walked in a little later.

I loved seeing my friends: Andy, Cary, Fourth, Charlie and his adorable father Mr. Cooper, who is ninety-three-years-old, Stacy, Dr. Lindstrom, Mary Ellen, Ann with her family and Steve and meeting the audience. All in all it was a good time and the best book signing @ the Best Little Library in Texas.

I want to thank Mary Ellen and everyone else who was involved in helping make my first book signing such a big success.

After the book signing ended we joined Ann, Lynn and Lola for lunch at the Highway 16 Cafe and Tony and I really enjoyed it. When we had finished our lunch our good friend Ann walked inside the cafe and said, "There you are, Nancy. I'm glad that I found you. I'm sorry that I didn't make your book signing. I was involved with a miniature burro rescue. I want to buy your book."

When Ann and I went outside to get a copy of my novella, we came back inside the cafe, so I could sign it to her. Then I introduced Ann to Ann and her family and asked her to join us. And by the time our fun visit was over, I told the two Anns, "I'm going to put you two Anns in one of my upcoming novellas. Probably in number three. Maybe as the good Ann and the bad Ann." And they laughed.

After we adios-ed everyone we came back home and I was and still am on Cloud Nine about the book signing. When I checked Carlton for any new messages, I had one from Carol, who has been feeling under the weather. "Nancy, I can't wait to hear how it went. I'll call you back, because I cannot wait to hear all about it. Bye." So, I picked up the phone, punched in Carol's number and told her all about it and she was thrilled for me.

And that is about it for today, because I am fixin' to pick and grin with Brandon for a few hours. I can't wait to play some music and to tell Kinky about my great book signing when he returns to the ranch later tonight.

Y'all have a great evening!

Green Eggs!

Today has been great and it started early this morning when I was cooking up my latest stolen recipe.

Yesterday, while Vern and us were eating lunch at the Highway 16 Cafe, in Medina, Vern told us about the delicious breakfast that David Farrar had cooked for him, at the Trail's End Guest House. "When Desiree served me David's scrambled eggs that were green, I was a little hesitant to eat them, so I asked Desiree why the eggs were a greenish color and she laughed and told me that David had made his avocado scrambled eggs, so I took a bite and could not believe how delicious it was. I would have never thought of scrambling eggs with an avocado..."

So, this morning, for the very first time, I made, "Cousin Nancy's Green Eggs" for our breakfast and I topped it off with my homemade salsa and to say the least, "Tony and I absolutely loved it!" Here is a picture that I took, before topping off the avocado eggs with what Tony calls, "my not-so-hot" salsa.

Around 3:00 today, our dear friend and one of the Texas Hill Country's most famous and favorite artist, Dusty Pendleton, came out to meet Emmylou Harris, because he and his sweet wife, Martha, are thinking about adopting her! Dusty is the artist that painted the beautiful, "The Von Kinky Family Singers," that we have used on the front of our rescue ranch 2009 calendar and holiday cards. 

After Dusty and Emmylou Harris fell heads-over-heels in love with each other, we invited Dusty to come up to The Cabin, so we could visit with him and it was so much fun. For one and a half hours we laughed and talked about many different subjects and when he told us he had to head back home, in Bandera, we didn't want him to leave. But the good thing is, we might see him much sooner than later, because when Martha comes out with him, in the next few days, so she can meet their possible new fur buddy—we'll get to do it all over again!

That's about it for tonight, because it has started thundering and lightning and raining, so I need to get offline, so I can go unplug everything. And I hope that all of y'all will try making my new avocado scrambled eggs recipe, because I guarantee that you will love it at first bite.

Y'all have a great evening!

Vern Was Here!

Today has been a lot of fun. Our good friend Vern, from League City, who was in Kerrville, staying at  the Trail's End Guest House, came out to take us to lunch. "Y'all pick any restaurant and I'll drive you there," Vern told us, as we climbed into his Toyota. Tony rode shotgun, so I sat in the backseat.

"Let's go to Medina," I suggested, because I was getting a little worried about some dark clouds that were rolling in and also because I didn't know if Vern was a secret, wannabe-race-car driver, ready to test his driving skills, in the Texas Hill Country.

"Let's eat at the Highway 16 Cafe," Tony suggested. "You'll like it, Vern. It's one of our favorite places to eat in Medina."

"Let's go!" Vern said, enthusiastically, as I quickly buckled up my seat belt, while silently praying that Vern wasn't related to any Nascar drivers. And my prayers were soon answered, because Vern drove great, exactly the way I drive—slow!

Our lunch was a lot of fun. We all ended up ordering the exact same thing—Today's Special, which was chicken fried chicken breast, real homemade mashed potatoes, homemade creamed corn, homemade biscuits and homemade upside down pineapple cake for dessert.

As we ate, we laughed and talked non-stop about our chickens and the chickens he used to have and how much better tasting and healthier for you real farm eggs taste, compared to store bought eggs, his dogs and our dogs, about chickens and fish eating each other, the devastation of Hurricane Ike on Galveston, fishing on the Texas Coast, Kinky, our favorite Kinky books, his delicious Louisiana BBQ sauce recipe, that he inherited, which can only be made up in 5 gallon batches, because he has tried to break it down several times to make less of it, but it tastes different, our fun trip with Sandy and Jon Wolfmueller out to Terlingua, his trip to Terlingua, he and I both being deaf in our left ears and him telling me his method on how to cook fish in foil, our love for the Texas Hill country, etc. So, to say the least, "We were having a blast with Vern."

When Vern went to pay for our delicious lunch, Tone and I went outside to wait for him on the porch and that's when I spotted the cutest, baby pink Honda scooter across the street. "I love that pink scooter," I remarked. "It's like the kind, that Cindy had and let me borrow and used to ride, back in 1969. I wonder if it is for sale?"

"I'll go find out," Tony said, as he started walking across the street.

When Vern came outside he immediately looked around for Tony. "Tony's across the street. He went to find out about that scooter," I said. Then we saw T. leave the building and walk back across the street to us. "Is it for sale?" I asked.

"Yes, they want $600.00 for it and..." Then we walked back to Vern's car and he returned us safely back to the rescue ranch.

Because, Tony and I were having so much fun visiting with Vern and didn't want him to leave, I invited him to come inside The Cabin, so I could show it off to him and also brag about Tony's beautiful cedar furniture that he used to make.

After giving Vern a tour of The Cabin, which I am pretty sure impressed him, we went outside to The Okay Corral, because Tony and I wanted to show him Tone's chuck box, our chickens, T.'s tomato and pepper plants, our bird feeders and our bird bath, with its solar water wiggler.

As we gave Vern a tour, we talked about birds, birdwatching, outdoor cooking, etc. before he told us that it was time for him to leave. So, before he left to go back to Kerrville, we gave Vern some of our chicken's eggs, Tony's peppers and tomatoes, to take back with him to League City. "Vern, it was great seeing you again and thank you so much for a great lunch and for sponsoring a pen to help our rescue ranch," I said. "Please come back any time, because our gate will always be open for you." Then we hugged each other, before he drove away.

As we returned back to the trailer aka The Cabin, Tony and I both agreed that we loved seeing him and that we were so glad that Vern was here today. "Thank you for coming to see us, Vern! Have a safe trip home."

Y'all have a great evening!"