The Pulpwood Queen Is Still Here, Make Each Day Count!

https://www.texasmonthly.com/the-culture/remembering-jan-reid-a-defining-magazine-journalist-and-voice-in-texas-literature/?fbclid=IwAR0yRgjdzN1uEhP8vn8bo2OilEOOlAjlFhMd1OJN_SMwgzg4lsAfsTwRdKo

I lost another dear friend, this time a Pulpwood Queen Book Club Author and Texas icon, Jan Reid. It hit me hard as no kinder man have I have ever met. I have two stories that say pretty much it all when it comes to Jan Reid, he was a man of few words in person but his words on paper where some of the most incredible as I have ever read.

The first time I met Jan Reid he came to do an author event as his book was our Pulpwood Queen Book of the Month. I offered him a haircut before the event as owning back then the only Hair Salon/Book Store, that is what I offered to authors who graced my doors. He nodded okay and I cut his hair, When I whipped him around to see himself in the mirror to show him my cut he did not say much. He just told me he usually cut his hair himself. As I took off the cape his tall self stood up and we went on to the task at hand.

A week later I get this email from him telling me briefly, “Thanks for the haircut, there were comments!” I laughed outloud. Probably the best compliment I could ever have deserved from a client. Still cracks me up, “There were comments.”

Another time, in my constant battle with my health and weight we were doing a big event at the convention center downtown in historic Jefferson, Texas. I was telling Jan that my doctor told me I needed to lose at least 50 lbs. His tall self looked at me for a long time and he said, “You look fine to me.” He meant it.

You see in this world we are so caught up in all that is happening in our world that has created a sense of fear of our futures. I have spent this time social distancing searching for what is really important in life. Like the words of Jan Reid, those pearls handed to us few, but precious. So last night I watched this film, “Pimpal” about a man who is lost in too finding out the meaning and purpose of his life where he lives alone. His family is now all in the United States. What is home? Makes you think no matter where you are from, what is home?

For me it will always be the small town of where I grew up with kids I knew from before Kindergarten to now. I am going to go and stay on my childhood best friend’s ranch, Heidi Surber Teichgraeber. Heidi is home for me. We spent our days walking to school together. She now has four daughters and I have two, we are proud mamas, but we have a shared history. I am headed back home.

But home is also my daughters, their significant others, and my new grandson so on the trip back home will swing by to visit both of them. Home is a place in our hearts. Home to me is the memory of all the words I have ever read and written.

I’ll sure miss Jan Reid but again, I am not afraid of the day when my time comes to leave this planet because so many of my author friends, my Pulpwood Queens, and my family will be there to greet me. But I smile every time I think about getting to see Pat Conroy, Doug Marlette, and now Jan Reid as they were such keepers of the stories. It’s all about the story so my focus for my purpose is to share these stories with all of you until my day comes to join these great storytellers in the sky.

My hope and prayer is that you will join me as this next year I will not only have 12 books of the year for our Pulpwood Queen Books of the Month, but 12 more books that will be our International Pulpwood Queen Books of the Month, plus all our Bonus Book Club Selections. We are an International Book Club so it is time to better reflect that in our readings by being even more diverse and more global. Please join me and I know we each can make this world a better place through our reading books and yes, watching the storytelling in films too.

I am still here so my time will be spent on sharing the stories, the stories behind the stories, in books and films with authors, going to their homes for my “Feather Your Nest” blog, my Breathless Bubbles & Books daily Pulpwood Queen Author blogs, and helping all my dear, dear friends on like minded missions to show the world that our stories shared can change the world. Read. It’s that important. It’s all about the story.