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“I feel like I’ve regressed
twenty years,” I told Rod as we both rushed around trying to get the
grandchildren ready to go with us to my book signing at Hastings in
Stillwater, Oklahoma some forty miles from here.
We, when young, ran our
children back and forth to meetings where they had to be dressed in
conservative attire of suits and ties or dresses and patent leather shoes.
At least this was not the necessity in this case. Still we had to have a
pony tail with a cute tie and clean hands and nails. The children were
obedient and co-operative so that made it easier. In the back of my mind I’m
praying they would be as well behaved in the book store.
The terrain over prairie land
was where we even were able to catch a quick glimpse of buffalo resting in a
herd. They were not on their legs and their anatomy made them look to be
large dark brown rocks all in a group. No matter how often I have seen this
scene, it is always a thrill and equally so with the children.
At the I-Hop restaurant we
enjoyed a leisurely meal with the kids ordering funny-face, pan cakes and
hamburgers with fat beet patties. My brother joined us as well as Mother and
Sister, who had followed us in their car from Ponca City.
My time at Hastings was not
until two o’clock so we enjoyed a very pleasant, extended lunch hour.
While the other authors and I
visited, Rodney took our family to the small park across the street from
Hastings. They had a swing for disabled people so Rhonda enjoyed that, as
well.
My grandson stayed by my side
as I passed out a small brochure we had printed out ahead of time. On the
brochure my Native American grandmother had a smile on her face to tell what
the book “HOW TO KEEP UP WITH THE JONESES” was all about. People who were
browsing through the books had faces that broke into a quick-smile as they
read the front of the brochure. It was a pleasant feeling to see worry lines
drop away from their faces and a twinkle came to their eye when they saw my
grandmother looking back at them while wearing her Gibson girl dress. Her
appearance and facial expression held the thought that she, indeed, even
though full Native, had the secret of How to Keep Up With the Joneses.”
That experience and the
seeing of my grandson’s mind wake up to a new world where books are a very
important part of many people’s lives was so worth all the work that went
into writing and publishing the book.
“Gramma! When is your next
book signing?” he asked me this morning on the telephone.
“Maybe Dallas!” I told him.
“High-dollar!” he responded
with mischievous laughter. |
