Three months later …
Once again, three months have passed. It almost feels like a quarterly journal when I get round to bringing up to date this ‘news and events’ page on my website. A sort of parallel to the quarterly magazine, Chatline, I edit for my church, or (though this one is more frequent) the monthly eight-page newsletter, Probe, I produce for my Probus Club, or the monthly writing for Literati, or the three poetry groups we attend and write for each month. How quickly these dates come! Small wonder that, given all these regular obligations, the web page languishes neglected.
It has, as foreseen, been a very busy time. The Adelaide launch of Finding Emma was a great night, with 150 attending, including some old friends from past years, and enthusiastic speeches from West Torrens Mayor, Michael Coxon, and the SA Consul for Germany, Matthew Williams. Embarrassingly laudatory, true – but hey, great to hear their words. This was followed by a number of radio interviews and a very pleasing page on my books and background in SA Weekend, the Saturday magazine of The Advertiser. It surprised and delighted me how many people called or emailed their congratulations on these publications. Even more, I’ve been pleased by the comments of readers about the new book.
Albury events were also a great pleasure, with a chilly night at the Jindera Pioneer Museum warmed for the fifty people there by gas heaters in the courtyard, and Albury Mayor, Kylie King, as a polished book launcher. As was Paul Grover, editor of Studio journal, at the author event a few days later in Albury’s new and impressive LibraryMuseum Centre. Good to have excellent publicity there too with interviews on the ABC Breakfast Show and in several regional newspapers and magazines. A wonderful chance, also, to catch up with relatives and friends of former years – especially the ones who made the trek from interstate.
All this book launch excitement over, it’s time for the usual home events – a number of guest speaker occasions booked in coming months and several short holidays, one to Goolwa with a group of close friends, another a nostalgic few days in the country cottage in Inman Valley where David and I had had our first weekend away at the start of our relationship – so many years ago. Our next venture will be two weeks in Queensland (ah, warmth!) to see my first great-grandchild, born in February in Brisbane, then time with son Nick and Janee on their farm. Possibly the last trip there, as it’s up for sale and they plan a move to the coast. I guess we can handle that!
Plus that there’s a new book on the way – an unexpected but very pleasing invitation – more of that when the project has been firmed up. But exciting!