SHEsaysWITHaSMILE.blogspot.com

GOD IS GREAT, LIFE IS GOOD PART TWO by (me!) sandra, tvgp

original post date (?)  -2009.

a gorgeous day!

walk to the farmer's market for my fresh flowers, + hug and quick visit

orange juice, banana nut bread on the patio at rising loafer.. where i met the owner mary, for the first time.. i've seen her/talked with her.. have been going to the rising loafer every now and then for several years in fact.. but only yesterday learned mary is the owner

and she is quick to give credit for rising loafers success to her long time employees..

i do think they must have the lowest employee turn over on main street, and i enjoy seeing these familiar faces, month after month, year after year. always great service; great food

plus I LOVE anywhere i can sit and eat outdoors. -at my table for two on the sidewalk/patio, one chair was occupied by my 3 bouquets of fresh flowers, which meant raymond had to sit on my lap

raymond is my new true love. he makes me think AND laugh, which caused me to draw a heart shape next to his name in the book i'm reading

oh! he made me laugh so hard telling his cathedral story.. honestly.. couldn't stop laughing to finish the story; had to take three long breaks

but he can spin a tear-jerker too, and with equal skill

i found myself -not near tears- but in tears, at the rising loafer. such a beautiful day.. wonderful morning.. sunshine, fresh flowers, fresh orange juice, families filling the sidewalks with strollers, dogs, children, shopping bags from the farmer's market, to-go containers from the local eateries

and there i am falling all to pieces. stuck in the hospital waiting room with howard and ann, waiting for dr. francis.. our 8 year old son in a coma.. maybe. or maybe not.. we don't know yet

i realize i should not be crying on such a lovely day. it's only a story... it's only a story

and so i close the book and day dream some. watch the passersby.. nibble on my banana nut bread

damn you raymond carver! open the book and keep reading

feel i'm being watched from afar. notice in my peripheral vision that some feet, some legs.. they have not passed my table by, but have come to a complete stop

i look up to see bernie berke (my former flute teacher. twosguys.com) and his wife linda -always a pleasant surprise, and i'm so relieved to have this chance to close the book and visit

learn linda loves the short stories too.. so i share more about the book i'm reading.. show her the table of contents and LOVE how many authors/stories she knows and can recommend

i glance at my hand-scribbled notes next to the names in the contents section.. the hearts.. the stars.. and then ..


i flipped quickly to page vi, vii. -where she sang the praises of shirley jackson, franz kafka, herman melville. and page viii, where she sang the praises of isaac singer, and we were triggered to talk in more detail about joyce carol oats

and here is my confession about joyce carol oats: i devour her televised interviews. i devoured her journals. -but have not read her novels. and hers is THE ONLY story in this book, the art of short stories, that i leaped ahead to read. but wished i didn't.

anyway.. while linda and i were chit-chattin' about authors/short stories, bernie went and visited with friends at casa madrid, where he performs on friday nights -AND- he snuck back to the farmer's market around the corner

set down a big basket of fresh strawberries on my table before leaving. -and.. save the date/join me because i'm really looking foward to seeing him/claude perform may 7th at studio 7 art gallery on the corner of main & w. angela

THANKS BERNIE! THANKS LINDA! -great seeing you as always

and THANK YOU DANA GIOIA/R.S. GWYNN!

this book is a dream come true for someone like me.. because a) i love biography b) i love short stories c) i love discussing the craft of writing d) i love learning about other cultures/places/people in the world

here it is! all in one book.. organized/edited.. wonderful. -and as linda also pointed out, when i told her about how this book contained all those elements

"we had to search forever to find that kind of information about authors before.. you had to go to the library and research if you wanted to know more about the authors of your favorite stories.."

AND I ALWAYS WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE AUTHORS OF MY FAVORITE STORIES -don't you?

so, very nice to meet you raymond carver..

next stop was alexander's fine art gallery a little further down main street, to congratulate and celebrate with gary winter & other local artists and art-appreciater friends

it seems a year or two ago, gary pulled a napkin from his pocket.. told me about his upcoming idea.. showed me the draft for "SNgear"

the story behind "get your S.N. gear" /how to motivate without really cussin'

and now here he is with a whole, beautiful, creative, inspiring line of SNgear products, "to motivate & inspire. a lifestyle brand company with a concise rule of conduct, "put it in gear"

t-shirts; coffee mugs; paintings; music; jewelry. i've eye-witnessed his idea grow from paper napkin to popular product. -and the people he's inspired in the process!

claudett mcdermott got her SNgear.. and was invited/sparked/inspired to create a line of jewelry. darling/charming earrings, keychains and necklaces with beads and gear-looking embellishments... (will post picture soon of my purchase & gary/claudette)

michael dean got his SNgear.. and was invited/sparked/inspired to write & record a SNgear song.. "it's wonderful!" -i listened to it myself during gary's reception. -and learned how the invitation from gary winter to write this song, inspired michael also to finally record some other songs that have been in waiting for some too long of time..

and there are more, others.. creative people getting their SNgear thank you to gary winter

i just looked around and couldn't stop smiling.

noting how none of the products on the table -none of the t-shirts, paintings, coffee mugs, jewelry, music, etc.. existed this time last year. how each and every item manifested as a direct result of one man honoring his inspired idea, acting on it; inviting others to do the same

he walks what he talks, gary winter. got his own SNgear and is leading by example

and i note again:

everything that exists was first a thought.

think good thoughts. then get your SNgear...

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posted by SHE @ 9:26 AM