Everyone has a Story

 Because Everyone Has a Story…

Often, when people find out I’m an author, they tell me they have a story. Sometimes their story is one of surviving against all odds or a story of falling in love. On occasion they share how they would love to preserve their family history… which includes survival and love and everything in between.

This week I am going to offer you a challenge of sorts that will set you on the road to capturing your story and could prove to be a meaningful gift for someone special in your life.

For twenty years, people across the US and beyond participated in a sprint writing event called NaNoWriMo which stood for National Novel Writing Month. The idea was to complete fifty thousand (yes 50,000) words in thirty days. NaNoWriMo has since closed its internet doors.

 

Yet…People still write. It was merely a way to connect with other writers, encourage each other, and work hard to complete the task in a defined period of time. It’s called “accountability.”

This week I want to suggest a much different writing plan for you. NO WORD COUNT. NO ACCOUNTABILITY TO ANYONE EXCEPT YOURSELF.

For the month of November, every day…EVERY DAY…write a story about each member of your family. Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, kids, grandkids…anyone and everyone. 

That story your grandmother told you about how her dad rode a horse to school? Put it in writing.

That embarrassing moment you had in high school that now makes you laugh? Type it in your computer.

Write down how your parents met. 

Maybe you don’t know all that much about your Great-grandma Lucy. You have the date of birth and date of death…hmmm…research that time period. Can you find out what was going on when she was a teen? What would she have read in the news or heard on the radio? Think about how outside events shaped her life…and continue to shape ours.

For example, several years ago, my uncle put together a book for each member of his family called “Pages of Time.” He listed the dates chronologically of world news events with the dates of family births and deaths placed where they fell in the timeline. It is interesting to see what was going on in the world when my mother was born. Those events shaped her parents’ life choices which in turn shaped her.

Pages of Time 
Family History Book

Here's another idea for your “book.” My Aunt Pat made wonderful cake brownies she served with ice cream, drizzled with chocolate topping. I could write a memory of Aunt Pat and include her recipe, and yes, I have it. 

The challenge: This November write at least one story for each family member, those close and those “extended” family members. One a day.

In December, edit and print your “Family Portraits”, find recipes and photos to include and take your book to a print shop like Office Depot or such.

 

Your “book” will outlast you…and be a treasure to your family…

…Because Everyone Has a Story.

P.S. Let me know if you are considering this journey. Let’s encourage each other along the way. 

  

Tiki and GG

Tiki and G.G.

This past weekend, Mike and I did a little dog sitting. Mike’s son Shawn has two pit bulls. You’ve read about Roxy in an earlier post. If you missed it, CLICK HERE.

Roxy now has housemate. Grunt is larger and younger than Roxy. That doesn’t matter. Grunt pays attention to Roxy’s careful, motherly guidance. 

Grunt received his name because as a pup… and I guess for a fairly long time thereafter, he didn’t bark. He only grunted. 

The dogs were great and we enjoyed them. But this post isn’t actually about the dogs. It’s about our cat, Tiki.

Tiki is not a fan of the dogs. She walks softly but carries a sharp claw. Just ask Roxy, who still bears a scar on her nose from being  reprimanded by the cat years ago.

Meet Tiki-Kitty

Still, although the cat can stand up for herself, having two critters five times her size hanging around the house for several days is not pleasant. She doesn’t attack. She simply avoids them by hiding under the bed or in the closet in peaceful protest.

So, this time, when Shawn had an event planned for the weekend and asked us to dog-sit, we, in turn, asked my mom if she would be willing to cat-sit. 

Understand, neither my mom nor I were what you would call “cat people.” In our farm upbringing, cats were working animals in charge of keeping mice out of the corn or other grain stored in the barn. Cats were not pets. They were farm hands.

Enter Tiki.

Mike and the Cat

When I married Mike, he had two dogs and the cat. Everyone told me to steer clear of the cat. She was Mike’s and not likely to make friends. 

They were wrong. I never tried to force myself on Tiki. I spoke to her gently and fed her when needed. Mike was still her primary caregiver. When we would travel, we took Tiki to Shawn’s house where she contended first with Roxy and now, Grunt as well. 

Tiki was not a happy camper. 

Over time, Tiki learned to trust me. She likes when I scratch behind her ears and follows me when I head to the pantry to get food for her. When I didn’t feel well, she cozied up on my lap and kept watch. Tiki has accepted me as part of her world.

Then my mother came to live with us. Everyone told my mom to watch out for the cat. Mike would say, “Don’t trust her!”

But, like me, Mom only spoke words of kindness to the critter. And the cat responded. "GG loves you..." Mom cooed. (GG is what the great grandchildren call my mom.)

So, when Shawn asked us to take care of the dogs this past weekend, we asked Mom if she wanted to take care of Tiki. We delivered the cat, her food, litter box, and supplies to “visit grandma.” 

Both have enjoyed the time together. So today, I looked at my mom and asked, “Who knew we were cat people?”

I guess the only one who knew is…Tiki. But she hasn’t actually said anything about it. She just appreciates it.

I'm not 100% sure,
but I think Tiki sent the "kids"
to Time-Out before she left.

 

Vette Fest 2025

 Vette Fest 2025, Their Twentieth...Our First

This past weekend, Mike and I travelled to Kissimmee, Florida for the annual Vette Fest at Old Town. Although there is an actual “Old Town, Florida” on the banks of the Suwannee River, this Old Town is a recreated village in Kissimmee, Florida just a few miles from Disney World. 

This ‘Old Town” is an eighteen-acre entertainment district filled with shops, restaurants, rides, and live music. On occasion it is the backdrop for classic cars or muscle cars. And... it is the home to Vette Fest. 

You Know
You're at a Car Show
When the Golf Cart
is All Decked Out

Every year, Vette Fest brings Corvettes and their owners together for a weekend of fun. This was a full weekend and this year they celebrated the twentieth anniversary of the event. 

Mike and I go to car shows. A couple of hours here or there. Never a full weekend.

 

Our Vette... because
"A Corvette Should be Red," Mike says.

We prepared. We packed our bags and took Tiki Kitty to stay with my mom for a little Vacay.

The drive was incident free. Good thing.  But it meant we were off to a good start.

We settled in at our hotel and set about to explore a bit of Old Town. Since this was our first Vette Fest, we checked in with the folks running the event to get the lay of the land…so to speak. 

We roamed around and decided on dinner at a place called Olde Town Tavern. We were a bit early and the only folks there so the service was great! Moreover, the food was excellent. Afterward we explored a bit more, headed back to our hotel, and settled in for a good night’s sleep.

The View of Oldtown
From Our Room at Night

The day of the show, we parked our pretty red car as assigned on the brick road in front of the myriad of shops and restaurants. We were one of the over three hundred and seventy-five Corvettes present.

Once parked, we set off exploring, talking to other car owners, and poking around in the many specialty shops along the way. 

At lunchtime the sky opened and the rain poured down. But it wasn’t bad. Actually, it was kind of fun. We cozied up on a bench and watched the people, the cars, the rain. The rain didn’t stop people from shopping, stopping to look at the cars, or to enjoy every aspect of the venue.

To quote Mike,"It's a car. it won't melt."

At three o’clock, the rain had slowed enough for the parade of cars to snake their way around the town. People lined the street taking pictures. 

It isn’t often you see that many corvettes from nearly every era of their existence cruising along the brick streets of Old Town. People took pictures, movies, and waved. Everyone on the sidewalks stopped and those in the stores came out. 

Over 375 Cars? Yep. 

Corvettes are pretty cars and often get a modicum of attention, anyway. But to have that many in one place at one time was, quite frankly, impressive. And fun.

So even though Vette Fest was almost Wet Fest, we had a great time.

Mike and I aren’t flashy people. We aren’t ones to seek attention because of things we own. We simply both like our Corvette and the fun of a car show. 

And as a hint…I was there collecting valuable information for something else in the works. Any guesses?