Hi it’s Christina –
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| My Booth |
Good Morning! It’s going
to be one of those days. I’ve been up for three hours and I have done
absolutely nothing, and have no clue where the three hours went. Working on my
second cup of coffee now, but it’s not helping much.It is amazing to me how
exhausting book signings are, all I’m doing is talking to people for hours, but
when I’m done, I’m spent.
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| Barbara and Her Mom |
If it wasn’t for the
company I had, yesterday would have been a total bust. When we got to Milford
Alive, and hauled all our stuff over to where we were to set up, I got a nice
surprise. We were right next to another author, Barbara Steingas, who I met at
an event I did last year at Canterbury Tales. I really wish my Paulie would
read, because if he did, I’d give him one of Barbara’s books, “Germans AreFunny, Too!”. I think he would get a kick out of it.
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| Kathi & Me |
Kathi Kurz is such a doll.
I have known her for roughly a hundred years. She was friends with my
sister-in-law when they were growing up, and my mother-in-law and her mother
were best friends, so we were together quite often. (I really should be saying “are”
not “were”, because all parties are still alive, and well, and friends.)
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| Kathi's Book Does a Robot Have a Nose? |
Kathi’s book, “Does a
Robot Have a Nose?”, is an adorable and very imaginative children’s book
inspired by her oldest son. It is the first book in a series (next installment
due out in December). The story is about Robbie the Robot, but at the end of
the book it shows you how to build Robbie with items you find around the house –
a shoebox, a tissue box, water bottles and their caps, yogurt tops, etc. As
Kathi says, “All of the items are recycled, except the glue.” Each of the books
in the series will have arts and crafts projects parents can do with their kids
when they finish reading them the books.
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I couldn't get the link to
load for Maggie's to post
it here for you. So here's
her number instead.
(717) 254-7581
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Across the street from
where we set up, there was a tent where Face Paints by Maggie was doing free
face painting. I told Kathi she should go over and see if they would do a robot
on her cheek, and I said that if she did, I would go and get a heart on mine.
(Barbara was supposed to get a beer stein on hers, but she never made it over
there.) Hey, it was free right?
Kathi’s robot came out
great, but I was a tiny bit disappointed with my heart. I told the girl she
could do whatever she felt inspired to do. I thought, since she knew I was a
romance writer, she would do something red and pink with white frillies of some
sort, but she just made a plain red heart with a black outline. It came out
fine, but oh well, what do you want for nothing? The ladies doing the painting
were really sweet, and the work they did on the kids was true art. It’s no big
deal that they didn’t do anything elaborate on this old lady.
As I’m finding out, events
such as Milford Alive, favor children’s authors. Neither Barbara nor I sold a
single book, but Kathi did quite well. As a matter of fact, she sold her 200th
book while we were there, and we all did the happy dance.
We were set up between
Church Street and the bridge going into PA, in front of the Milford Station Bakery.
On our corner the Grace Fellowship Church had a stand and their praise band was
playing on the mobile “River Stage” (an Updyke Lumber flatbed truck) across the
street. Later in the day there were two other bands playing, Bad Hands &
Bliss, so we had music all day long. It made it a little difficult to talk over
the music, but it was still nice having them there.
The Milford Historical
Society’s stand was around the corner from us. Two of their members were decked
out in full regalia. They looked amazing, but it was a bit warm yesterday, so
they must have been dying. They told me they were going to be doing a
historical walking tour, which I believe will be on Saturday, October 4th
to commemorate the 137th anniversary of the wreck of the Oswego
Express. Unfortunately I do not know any of the details, and there is nothing
currently up on their webpage, but if you are interested, you can contact the
Milford Historical Society at http://milfordnjhistory.org,
and I’m sure they will be able to help you out.
If you have never been to
Milford Alive, I would suggest you attend. It was quite an event. The streets
were closed to traffic, and packed with vendors and patrons – both two and four
legged kind. I wish I had the time to go and check out the fair, because folks
walking by my stand were eating some yummy looking treats. You know me, I’m all
about the food. At the other end of the fair, they had the “Main Stage” with
bands playing, but they were out of earshot, so I cannot comment on them.
At 2:00 pm, the main event
occurred. The event which Milford is famous for… the bed race. It started off with
a parade. First came the boy scouts, troop 187 if I recall correctly, and they
lead the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance. A teenage girl sang the National
Anthem. I wish her name was listed in the program, because I would love to be
able to tell you who she was. She did a great job and deserves to get some
credit.
After the boys were done,
the parade of antique cars and trucks rolled by. I loved the old fire truck,
and this car was really cool. I think it’s an old Aston Martin, but I’m not
sure. Do any of you recognize it? 
When the cars finished
their second drive by, a flock of bi-planes flew overhead. All totaled, I think
eight or nine planes flew the length of Bridge Street, signaling the start of
the race.
Now this wasn’t a typical
race. Not only were the “vehicles” unusual, converted bed frames, but the
racers went one at a time, not head to head. Each vehicle consisted of one
driver and either three or four runners, and all the vehicles are themed. There
was one which was quite clever. They used a bunk bed frame, and atop sat Cleopatra
and her Roman guards – in togas of course – were her runners. I wish I had
gotten a photo of that one for you.
Even though the photo of
this one isn’t great, it was hysterical. It was the O Farma entry. All the runners
were in plaid flannel shirts and caps, and the “driver” was a hugely pregnant
cowgirl, supposedly in labor, huffing and puffing, as her runners were trying
to get the bed to the hospital in time. I was about five seconds late on
snapping this photo. She was already climbing down from her perch, but you get
the idea.
Okay, I have yammered on
long enough. I hope you have a wonderful day, and happy writing!
Your
Next Challenge:
It
has now become the time for action…
You have ten minutes (be
honest). There is no right or wrong, just write. Spelling and punctuation don’t
count, and NO ONE is allowed to criticize what someone else has written. Go.
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