The Pulpwood Queen Recognizes and Bows to the Feet of my Girlfriend Weekend Volunteers!

You all I am a bit under the weather, perhaps a cold, just overdoing it as usual, but just give me a chance to recoup and get caught up here as unpacking soon my camper and car. I would certainly appreciate it!

But in the meantime, I have something to say that is important. All the people working my 20th Anniversary Pulpwood Queen Girlfriend Weekend are volunteers. They need to be recognized and treated like Queens and Kings. Service Above Self, they gave it there all. So for those that approached my volunteers over things beyond our control, help us find solutions, not create more problems. We had two major volunteers that had to back out at the last minute. Danielle Woods started out helping them came down with the flu and Karen Perkins who got called back a week early to teach at Stephen F. Austin State University so they could not come at the last minute which left us short of help.

Next year we will address these issues. First, we will have a Queen’s Counsel table for all those in need of having someone to talk to about any pressing issues that may arise so that my volunteer staff can concentrate on their tasks assigned. so that we can provide for you the best service and hospitality for you.

Always the first to show up, my charter chapter, The Pulpwood Queens of East Texas. Thank you all who came to help set up and who helped to take down.

Volunteer Alexandra Jenkins

First, BRAVA! BRAVA!, to Alexandra Jenkins, my now graduated Texas A & M University student right-hand assistant who graciously filled in for Tiajuana Anderson Neel at the Registration Desk all alone. Pulpwood Queen Tamela Maxim, a Tiajuana Anderson Neel Scholarship recipient stepped in without anyone asking to help her, as well as, Tamra Bolton.

Left to right, Tamra Bolton, Ginger Smith, and Tamela Maxim

Alex worked tirelessly to do her best and was helping us break down the convention center nearly ever night until 2:00 a.m. She arrived around 7 each morning. Think about that.

To Author/Pulpwood Queen, Tiajuana Anderson Neel recipient Tamra Bolton who did the same. She gave it her all and I cannot thank her too enough for all her help and service for all of us.

To Pulpwood Queen Beth Snyder Honea for working the concession stand and way beyond I will ever be grateful. Here is Beth with Susan Peterson of Sue’s Reading Neighborhood!

To Mark and Adam Green who brought in a film crew to not only film the entire event but each night helped clean up, set up our DJ Russ Forsyth who worked all night setting up the computerized light system and sounds for our Great Big Ball of Hair Ball with his Foresight Productions, BRAVA! BRAVA! They helped break down the convention center and went so beyond the call, you have to know this was all on their own dime. Volunteers! Think about all that giving.

To Pulpwood Queen Lea Anne Brandon for creating the best programs, we have ever had for Girlfriend Weekend.

To Pulpwood Queen Ginger Smith who handmade all the incredible TIARA name tags, what an amazing endeavor, she nailed it!

The Paul Roberson, Brooklyn Bradley-LeFleur and my daughters, Madeleine Alexandrite Patrick and Helaina Amethyst Wilkerson ran errands, hauled and broke down the convention center. We worked each night until usually around 2 a.m,

Webmaster, Paul Roberson and Brooklyn Bradley- LeFleur, the New Face of The Pulpwood Queens and Host of our Pulpwood Queen Girlfriend Weekend!

Left to right, Madeleine Alexaxdrite Patrick, Helaina Amethyst Wilkerson with my grandson and Aunt Marty.

Paul Roberson, Brooklyn Bradley-LeFleur and my daughters, Madeleine Alexandrite Patrick and Helaina Amethyst Wilkerson ran errands, hauled and broke down the convention center. We worked each night until usually around 2 a.m.

Pulpwood Queen Volunteer and fellow cosmetologist, Laura McClelland with her dog, Boots!

Pulpwood Queens, Sisters, and my childhood Eureka, Kansas dearest friends, Heidi Surber Teichgraeber and Erika Becktel.

Then the Sunday after the event, my fellow cosmetologist, Laure McClelland, Heidi Surber Teichgraeber and Erika Becktel plus my daughters broke down and packed up all the convention center and then cleaned the facility. We were determined to leave the center cleaner than when we arrived.

I would like to thank Marion County Judge Leward LeFleur too for helping volunteer to make this event possible too. And a very special thanks to The City of Jefferson, Mayor Bubba Haggard and the city workers, Sherry who took good care of us in the housekeeping department and the Jesse Allen Wise Garden Club.

One of the most wonderful things for me is having this event in the city that I love, Jefferson, Texas. From the moment, the day I stepped out on to its brick-lined streets I knew I had found a home in East Texas. Our “Belle of the Bayou” and truly like stepping back in time. A bustling little city steeped in its history and thanks to the good garden club lady founders like Katherine Wise, and the late great Lucille Terry, those who embraced me when this crazy young woman from California that was born and raised in Kansas came to town in 1987 to lay down my roots. They were so good to me and never judged ‘a book by the cover’, they read me and knew my heart to was with Jefferson, Texas. I understood that their incredible ingenuity saved so many historical businesses and architectural buildings and homes. They led by example and inspired many, many more people to restore more and more of the incredible historic homes of Jefferson, Texas, so others could benefit from their saving its history and by welcoming those who were beginning their own history with the beginning of a book club. It’s all about the story. Women on a mission for a change for the better. Oh, how I love that against all odds against them. They changed a complete town’s direction, God Bless them All.

Now on to a new chapter, a new beginning because you see life is about change and I live for it! We certainly all should be in this together. It’s all about the story! Be a leader, be a reader and support our volunteers!

Truly, Tiara Wearing and Book Sharing,

Kathy L. Murphy

Artist/Author/Founder of the Pulpwood Queens and Timber Guys Book Clubs and Author of “The Pulpwood Queens’ Tiara Wearing, Book Sharing Guide to Life”

P.O. Box 1220

Hawkins, Texas 75765 – 1220

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