The Pulpwood Queen Talks About Defining Moments!

Well, I built me a raft and she’s ready for floatin’
Ol’ Mississippi, she’s callin’ my name
Catfish are jumpin’
That paddle wheel thumpin’
Black water keeps rollin’ on past just the same
Old black water, keep on rollin’
Mississippi moon, won’t you keep on shinin’ on me
Old black water, keep on rollin’
Mississippi moon, won’t you keep on shinin’ on me
Old black water, keep on rollin’
Mississippi moon, won’t you keep on shinin’ on me
Yeah, keep on shinin’ your light
Gonna make everything, pretty mama
Gonna make everything all right
And I ain’t got no worries
‘Cause I ain’t in no hurry at all

Well, if it rains, I don’t care
Don’t make no difference to me
Just take that street car thats goin’ up town
Yeah, I’d like to hear some funky Dixieland
And dance a honky tonk
And I’ll be buyin’ ev’rybody drinks all ‘roun’

Old black water, keep on rollin’
Mississippi moon, won’t you keep on shinin’ on me
Old black water, keep on rollin’
Mississippi moon, won’t you keep on shinin’ on me
Old black water, keep on rollin’
Mississippi moon, won’t you keep on shinin’ on me
Yeah, keep on shinin’ your light
Gonna make everything, pretty mama
Gonna make everything all right
And I ain’t got no worries
‘Cause I ain’t in no hurry at all

I’d like to hear some funky Dixieland
Pretty mama come and take me by the hand
By the hand, take me by the hand pretty mama
Come and dance with your daddy all night long
I want to honky tonk, honky tonk, honky tonk
With you all night long

I was on southern soil with southern writers, it was a defining moment for me.  I had gone back to the roots of what made me love reading in the first place.  People living on the land in the community sharing their stories.   The books shelves were in every room floor to ceiling, The photographs of the family taken way back when. were throughout the many rooms.  But the soft voices of Suzanne and Joe, both melodious in timber and soothing to the soul were the only thing that broke the silence and peacefulness of this place.  It was of no surprise to me to learn that besides writing, Joe is now the voice of author’s recorded books. He had a recording studio in the far left corner of the back enclosed porch with windows to look out to their world.  I could listen to that voice and of Suzanne’s all day.  Such calm, their home is a virtual utopia.  Once you land there you find that her mama and daddy live in the house that they divided so each would have their own space.  Their son and wife live just off in another side building and in the back, author, Sonny Brewer occupies a tiny home of sorts.  It is a regular Kennedy compound with a southern twist. I love that the whole family lives together but separate.  We need more of that because that was what I grew up with too.  Family moved in, they stayed together, they shared meals and their lives.  How comforting.

I had a great time there.  I felt right at home as everybody gets up really early and slow, plenty of time to reflect on life and drink that black coffee.  We headed into town fairly early to beat the heat.  It was muggy, hot, and water seemed to hang in the air until it did not, and downpours happened intermittently throughout the day.  No stopping us as I was being shown the town, the galleries, the shops, the iconic Page and Palette Bookstore, the historic home now a marked a historic place and subject of a Sonny Brewer book.  Then we happened into Nall Hollis studio and home and fell in love with his art.  It was a big day.

My grandparents woke up before the chickens and went to bed too when often it was still daylight out.  They had put in a full day and time to rest.  We went to bed early too at their home.  I read and worked on my writing, my emails, and it was delightful.

Everything is slower in the south, I like that.  Time to write, time to think, time to drink your tea out on the porch.  I slept like a log as the room was dark.  Great conversation from the books both my hosts were working on to the news and politics of the day but without the heat of my point of view is better than yours.  Sharing each other’s lives and again those defining moments of what I really was trying to do when I started my book club nearly twenty years ago.  Yes, we are older, wiser, and perhaps not as fast-paced as we use to be but we still have that hope in our hearts of making a difference.

I had a grand time at Suzanne Hudson’s and Joe Formichella’s.  I was reminded of going to visit relatives and how even though you may not have seen each other in years, you just began again where you left off the last time.  You may remember that comfortable chair, the one you always go to with the just right pillow and perhaps footstool to rest your weary feet.  That is exactly what it is like to visit Suzanne and Joe’s.  That chair  where you snuggle in and hear the best stories.

At one point I brought in my art and talked about it as we set around their big wooden table.  I explained that everything I paint comes from the imaginations of the stories that I have read.  We talked about the commissioned painting I was going to do of them.  I am doing “Queen and King” portraits.  They brought out photos of them getting married in Mardi Gras outfits.  To paint someone it is so nice to have this conversation, see where they live, know who they are.  I now have the perfect idea in my mind of how to capture their true essence.  As an artist, it is important to me that they love the portrait I do and will keep going until they do.  I am so thrilled to begin painting my dear, dear friends.

I will always have happy memories of that place, their darling rescue dogs, the snapdragon hovering on the birdhouse, the cat reclining out on the porch.  This is a real life and I am blessed to have experienced it.  Getting back to your roots, hmmm, I think that will be the theme of my 20th Anniversary Girlfriend Weekend.  I see the stage as a porch,  Authors featured telling stories, A big pitcher of lemonade or perhaps tea, can you see it?  Yes, back to our roots, that is where we need to go.

Truly, Tiara Wearing And Book Travel Sharing,

Kathy L. Murphy

The Pulpwood Queen

www.thepulpwoodqueens.com

Email: thepulpwoodqueen@gmail.com

To Shop my art-inspired fashions for you and your home:  www.ShopVida.com/collections/thepulpwoodqueen