Twists and Turns

When I began this book tour, I expected adventures—but in the emotional area. Meeting new people. Getting to know new towns. Learning life lessons. And all that has happened and continues to.

But what also has occurred are physical adventures and these are my very least favorite kind.

I pictured driving cross country on highway 70, stopping at charming/ interesting places and then driving on—on a flat surface. What I never pictured was my worst nightmare: driving up a mountain on a skinny little road with no guardrail.

I have always avoided ANY activity where I would be up in the air, or, for that matter, tilted in any way, because all my life, I have been extremely afraid of heights. I skied only once and that provided a funny story for me and my best friend Kathy because I cried the whole way down a tiny little baby slope and never skiied again.

But two years ago, I married a man who loves mountains. So in our recent travels, when we left the adorable town of Ouray (second pic down,surrounded by mountains), and began a road that said “Pass,” I smiled and said, “Sure.” We had already been through a sudden snowstorm in a previous mountain pass (see pic). How bad could a mountain pass be?

This one was bad. My husband is an excellent driver, there were other cars on the road happily zooming along. But there were no guardrails, the car tilted seriously to the left, then the right, then the left again….my worst nightmare.

Fear is the worst, right? But the good news is I did it and I’m a little less fearful than I was before.

Once we left Denver, we encountered Adventures (pretty exciting for a mostly stay-at-home person like me). First was Glenwood Springs, CO, a town Warren (my husband) fell in love with many years ago and couldn't wait to introduce me to.

At the right is me when we first arrived. (The top photo is "After" one day there.) I'm gamely smiling but actually very grumpy inside. I couldn’t see the point: after traveling for miles, getting into a bathing suit on a chilly breezy day and sprinting for the pool. But soon I was a convert. There are two large pools, each fed by hot springs that have all kinds of healing properties. Once you're in the water, you feel like you're in a fairy tale because anywhere you look, there are mountains (which surround the town), beautiful foliage, gorgeous colors...

Inside the water it's fairy-tale-like as well. The pools are divided into areas that are sort of hot, not really hot, more hot, really hot, etc. There’s a cooler area where you can do laps. But you can swim anywhere...or do anything you want.

It reminded me of a movie—Last Year at Marienbad comes to mind, people dotting the water in every conceivable pose...Head against the tiled walls, feet sticking out of the water...engrossed in a book one arm is holding aloft (that was me)...giggling under the splashing faucets...really, everyone just wafting around blissfully.

And then there are all the conversations.

Glenwood Springs seems to attract the most fascinating people; I fell into one great conversation after the other. For a whole afternoon, I talked to a couple who ran a Wellness Spa called Reversaging in Breckenridge. The next day, we had a completely fascinating conversation with a couple from Denver, both psychic healers. The man who had just lost his job and had come to get perspective. A long conversation with the Glenwood Springs librarian who visits the pools every day.

Warren really wants to settle in Glenwood Springs but I think we will VISIT there a lot. The jury is still out on where we’re going to live.

Autumn Romance comes to Denver

I knew this trip would be different from anything I’ve ever done – it’s a book tour, for one thing!—but as we roll along, I find myself deeper and deeper in delight...overflowing with thoughts and feelingse…

From Kansas, a straight shot to Denver, CO, a special destination for two reasons: one, Warren’s three daughters, Debbie, Lisa and Becky, are there, along with Becky’s husband Pat and their beautiful kids, Ella (3) and Rex (7 months). And two, Judy and Vernon, the couple on page 15, live in Denver.

We met Judy and Vernon almost three years ago when we sat in their kitchen and heard their story. We immediately fell in love with these two “gentle people” (as they say in the book). Since then,lots of emails--just a few phone calls--each one filled with affection and sincere good wishes. A solid friendship formed. Now, we sat in that same kitchen, eating a delicious steak dinner prepared by Judy and talked and laughed and caught up. It was a unique reunion.

One thing I wanted to do was to take one of Judy’s line dance classes (she teaches at nine different senior centers). So when she invited me, I thought, “Oh good! It will be easy and I’ll see Judy in action.” Well, there was Judy in action: 70 years old, gracefully demonstrating one elaborate combination of steps after another. And there was I, out of breath and always going the wrong way. The kind of line dancing Judy does ain’t at all easy. (“No more treadmill," I vowed to myself. “Line dancing is great exercise--plus it's FUN.")

Two days later, we had a book signing at The Bookery Nook, a wonderful independent bookstore that Shannon and Gary Piserchio started one year ago. This is an awesome shop, cozy as a living room but impressive as a library. The owners know and love books. They also carry top quality puzzles and toys and art supplies for children.

But the arrangements had been made from St. Louis. So a lovely surprise: we drive up to find this cozy, lit-up shop...then go in to meet the incredibly gracious and friendly owners, see the flowers and chairs so artfully arranged, and half hour later, a full house at the signing!

Judy’s family helped. She is the youngest of 11 sisters—and 6 of them showed up, along with other relatives. (In the top photo, Judy is at right.) What a privilege to meet such sweet, elegant women who are so loving to each other…

Two of Warren’s daughters came to the Bookery Nook (there they are in the front row, Debbie in the red shirt, Lisa with the long dark hair. Talking to them about love from a woman's perspective—very exciting. I got to see another side of them and they of me, and Warren. It was very cool.

The Tattered Cover bookstore stocked 8 copies of Autumn Romance and so we stopped to say hello on our way out of town. And then we were off (I’ll tell you about the Scary Mountain Snowstorm and the Terrifying Mountain Pass in the next post.)

See lots of photo for the above at http://www.tinyurl.com/yf498O9