A poster for the event in which I held dual citizenship.
I don’t normally write about what happened to me over a weekend, because if would make for insufferably dull writing. This weekend, though, was an exception.
After wrestling with my printer for five hours Friday evening so it would print some things I needed for the next day, I awoke Saturday, practiced a little song I had written based on a poem by local poet Katherine Mercurio Gotthardt, loaded myself down with guitar case, writer’s bag, garment bag with my tux in it and my music folder and headed off to the Hylton Performing Arts Center on the campus of George Mason University for the 2013 edition of Arts Alive, sponsored by the Prince William Arts Council.
I was there as a member of Write by the Rails, an organization of local writers headed by two of the co-founders Cindy Brookshire and the aforementioned Katherine Gotthardt. (Neither of these ladies would claim leadership of the organization, but suffice it to say that they are darned good cat herders.)
WBTR (as we like to call it) grew from four members in August 2011 to its present membership of about 160 (if I recall correctly). We had venues for reading (and in my case singing) and also book displays by eighteen authors in the Center, and a good time was had by all. The festival included painters, photographers, performance groups, quilters and others I didn’t get around to see. Event organizers put the number of people who attended at 3000, and WBTR increased its representation from two authors two years ago and eight a year ago.
I did my song and hung out with my writerly buds, who are the best companions in the world. We talk about writing (shocker) and publishing and story conumdrums and thoroughly enjoy our time together.
I also sang with the Manassas Chorale at 1:30, and I’ve written about this group before. That’s why I had the garment bag with the tux in it. Then I changed back into my writer’s clothes, which look remarkably like my ordinary clothes.
I hung around the writers’ area until about 7:30 when I left, tried, but as they say, happy. We’ll be back next year, and I hope my novel will be published by then!
Sunday was good as well. Our worship service at church went well, and the choir did a passable job on the anthem. I taught Sunday School with some of the best people I’ve ever known and then we had lunch with daughter Amy her b/f Chris. I visited my dad for a while, and then came home and listened to the Nats lose to the Braves (boo!) on the radio while I prepared a rusty shed for painting. Then it was off to bell rehearsal until 7, home to eat and then at the computer to write this.
All, in all, a weekend filled with good things. I am grateful for writing, for my friends, for my family, WBTR, my church, my choir and my handbell group. Good, honest, real and talented people are at the core of all these experiences, and I am pleased to know each and every one of them! Thank you all!
Biscuit City 