Back and Up to Speed!

I flew to Orlando on January 28th and host Cheri Cowell picked me up at the airport. Cheri was a prior publicity client of mine, and we've developed a friendship over the past couple of years. We have lots of great talks about life, especially as it pertains to writing, speaking, and ministry. She opened up her home for me to stay 3 nights, total.

The Word Weavers of Florida invited me to be their retreat speaker Friday through Sunday. Within minutes of meeting these writers, I felt like I knew them all. The entire event was great. Lot's of "aha moments" and "light bulb" moments as listeners related personally to a topic or realized how to apply something I said to their own lives. So rewarding!

Like most events, I was "on" from the moment I stepped out of my room until the moment I determined I couldn't say another word of conversation for the day. All told, I spoke for about 4 hours on workshops and keynotes, about 3 hours on panel discussions with a couple others, and lots of one-on-one time. The retreat was hosted at a very nice encampment and my room was like a hotel room. We were there from Friday night until noon on Sunday.

Sunday I took one appointment in the afternoon--over the next 30 hours or so I consulted with 12 writers, during one hour appointments. Lots of really great ideas started flowing with all this thinking going on. Dangerous huh? :o)

Sunday night Cheri and hubby Randy drove me to Titusville so I could get my fill of rock shrimp, served much like itty bitty lobster bites, with drawn butter. YUM. I first had this delicacy a few years ago and have tried to figure out how to get more of it ever since then! When I saw the Titusville sign and shouted out "ROCK SHRIMP," Cheri made sure I had this little outing away from work. Very nice!

Also a break, we went to hear Eugene Peterson, translator/writer of The Message Bible and many other books. At 77 years old, I knew that hearing his point of view was a source of wisdom audiences may not get to hear for many more years. Obviously I didn't agree with every point, but I could respect his passion and his wisdom. He gave me a great deal to think about!

At this same event (at Asbury Theological University), I enjoyed the St. John's Episcopal Steel Orchestra from Kissimee, FL. They were amazing. Their talent spanned about 60 years, from an 8-year-old boy to a senior citizen lady. Their island music thrilled my soul. Especially Beethovan's Fifth, which I can't seem to shake from my brain's concert hall! Not a bad problem to bring home on the plane.

My entire trip was wonderful. Good fellowship. Great opportunities. Incredible ideas. Special people.

I started this note by saying I was back home and finally up to speed--but now, almost a week later, I'm still feeling like I'm playing catch up!

Packing For A Trip

This year I'm going to be flying at least eight times that I know of, and it's just January! So that number could go up if I book any more events. I leave tomorrow morning for Orlando, where I'll be the retreat speaker for the Word Weavers. It's going to be a great weekend with the theme SuperMarketing. It will be a play on what we do to market ourselves and our books, and on the supermarket. The team has planned an imaginary WeaverMart store, for games and decorations and I might even take a trip to WeaverMart!

So...today I'm packing. I'm getting pretty good at this. I have a few suggestions for others who are traveling this year and want some tips.

I use the spacebags designed for luggage. It doesn't require a vacuum cleaner. I put all my clothes inside the bag. Lay down on it to squish all the air out until it looks like an astronaut's meal. It gives me more space in my suitcase AND surprisingly, it helps with some of the wrinkling.

With what wrinkling does happen--as soon as I get to my destination I pull out my clothes and hang them up. Then I retrieve an empty spray bottle I always pack, fill it with simple water, and spritz my clothing. This freshens it up and the wrinkles fall out over night. No need for fancy products!

I try to pack my clothing in a couple of basic color combinations so I can coordinate them like grown-up garanimals. And it limits my shoes and jewelry needs.

I have a travel notebook that has all my important contact information for people where I'm going, for people from home in case something happens to me, my medical information, my agendas, my boarding passes, etc. This time it will include the cell phone number of the person picking me up since she will be hanging out at the cell phone parking lot waiting for a call--then she will pull up to the arrivals where I'll be waiting for her. This saves time and money and also reduces the number of cars hanging out around arrivals waiting for their passengers--a security thing.

I'll write more travel tips in the next day or two. In the meantime, please pray for my travels. I never take safety or security for granted. I rest in God's hands--as do each one of us!

SEATTLE: Personality

Some of the things I wanted to share about our Seattle vacation regard the personality and style of the town. It's like no other town I've been in: liberal politics, alternative lifestyles of every sort, eco-friendly, natural, multi-ethnic, vibrant, colorful, energetic, eccentric, etc.

Clothing styles like I've seen nowhere else in my travels--as ecclectic as the personalities, mixing function, message, and style. Women of all ages and shapes wore leggings under dresses or long shirts or under shorts. You name it, they had on leggings. Some with high heels to rival the space needle, others with tennis shoes that advertised a walking to work pedestrian. If not leggings, the skinny jean.

More dreadlocks, less deodorant. More walking, less driving. More coffee, less tea. More languages, less litter. More fresh, less canned. More entertainment choices, less church buildings. More Smart Cars, less SUVs.

The weather alone made me happy. The view...happier still.

And for this public relations gal, the palpable BUZZ was thrilling. Maybe it was all that collective coffee drinking (me withstanding).

Here are some photos to tell the tale of Seattle moods: