Lake Writers and the Collyer Brothers book

I expected some of the older members of Lake Writers to identify with the Collyer Brothers book, but it was a much younger member who was intrigued, and who had read excerpts from the book. (She, as I, loved Doctorow as a writer of course.)

It's funny but not unexpected that I, at the age of 10, was one of those folks mystified by the discovery of the two brothers, both dead in the house and buried under tons of stacked newspapers, through which they had created tunnels to get through all the tons of items the one brother had hoarded.

Doctorow of course had to imagine conversations between the brothers, so he is careful to tell the reader that this is a novel, a work of fiction. Incredible...

If you are intrigued, Google 'Collyer Brothers' and you will find pictures of the exterior and interior of the house when the police came in to find out what had happened to the brothers.

Small Joys

I got a phone call from a local carpet cleaning business offering to clean FOUR rooms, a hallway, a carpeted bathroom, all for $50! Well, having silver-blue w/w that sucks in the red clay dirt even though we take our shoes off in the house...at least, us humans do... & having raised puppy Sadie Mae this past year, with all the accidents that come with new puppies, I jumped at the offer, fully expecting Larry, Darrell & Darrell to show up with a rented carpet cleaning machine on the back of their flatbed truck.

As it turned out, it was one fellow & his commercial carpet cleaning gear, and in 2.5 hours he'd finished, even including our camper carpet as the 4th room. It feels SO nice to have the carpets clean again, without Hubby renting a machine, buying the cleaning fluid, & cussing up a storm over all the work it takes...not to mention $50 hardly covers the expense involved.

So, that was an unexpected joy, to get that phone call & have such great results.

Today was Lake Writers meeting at the Moneta Library. I plugged Fred First's 'Visual Essay' production happening next Thursday, 18 October, 6:30 at the Franklin County Library in Rocky Mount. OK, I know the road runs from Rocky Mount to Moneta but hardly ever does it run the other direction...still, there was interest, and I hope we get a good crowd. Marilyn Amero is plugging the event on behalf of the FCL, on Cable 12 TV this morning. Dick Shoemaker will run the interview several times this weekend & into next week. He's a good friend to the FCL.

We had a good meeting, and Becky and I went out to lunch afterwards, and on to the Discovery Shop nearby, where I found some costume jewelry to wear on the 25th to the SMAC annual meeting. I'm reading a small part in one of Jim Morrison's short plays & wanted something flashy to wear.

On the 18th, prior to Fred First's presentation, we'll be at Avenel in Bedford, where we'll also read the same play and sign some books at their big luncheon. Cannot forget The General Store at Westlake, where we'll also sign books from 11-2 on Saturday the 20th.

WHEW! I'm just waiting for Dick to remind me that I am supposed to be cutting down on all this activity. I AM still taking my power nap every afternoon, with Sadie Mae cuddling up to the small of my back, taking her little puppy nap. One of us snores....