Sue Ellen's Blog

I went to Dallas for a booksigning at Barnes and Noble on NW Highway and what I got was a day of visiting with people from my past…not so distant as well as super distant past. While standing at the table with copies of Two Nuts in Italy (hardback), who appears before me but Debra and Chelsea, two gals in my class at the Parelli ranch last month! They came from Ft. Worth to buy copies and visit. They left and next up was a lady I had met in the hot springs in Pagosa Springs. She and her husband are cyclists and were riding in the mountains. Wow, it took me a minute to place her since all she said was, “I met you in Pagosa Springs.” So in my head I’m sifting through the gals in my class and she’s not one of them. I finally realized that it was while soaking in the hot springs that we met. She brought a friend with her. Next came a friend I grew up with in Texarkana. We actually played together on the floor as babies and grew up together although she went to Arkansas schools and I to Texas schools in Texarkana. She made a 3-hour drive to come see me and she, too, brought a friend. After the signing we went to Cheesecake Factory and laughed about some crazy things we did as children. Then, Saturday evening, the friend I was staying with, Lucy, invited two sorority sisters from my days at Oklahoma State to come over and OMG, do you know what seeing someone for the first time in 39 years does? I don’t know what they were thinking, but when I saw them, all I could think was how great they looked. We all graduated together and lived in the Zeta Tau Alpha house together and in 4 hours talked about everyone and everything that happened in our lives between 1967 and 1971. Four hours of flashbacks and laughter that couldn’t be contained.

What’s been happening in my life since I last wrote keeps getting better and better. I spent five wonderful days with my new grandson and his parents and while there had a booksigning at the Columbia, SC, Barnes and Noble! I am experiencing the gifts of grandchildren that I have heard so much about for years. Hansen is 4 months old and laughs and responds with a pouty lip when Grandma went a little overboard in the play. Then….I flew home on Monday from Columbia and flew out on Tuesday to Dallas to be on Good Morning Texas promoting Two Nuts in Italy and the booksigning at Barnes and Noble in Lincoln Park on NW Highway this Saturday, July 17. The interviewer, Rob, was great. It’s amazing how talented people can make the interviewee look good. Rob did just that.

 http://www.wfaa.com/good-morning-texas/Two-Nuts-in-Italy-98416264.html

Flew home after the interview and work today 11-5 then drive to Dallas tomorrow for the booksigning on Saturday. Whew!! In two weeks it’s off to Houston and Colorado Springs and Two Nuts in Italy IS getting out there.

Up, up we go,

Sue Ellen

I have returned (reluctantly) from Pagosa Springs, CO, where horse heaven is located. My 60th birthday present to myself was a beautiful thoroughbred/quarter horse named Patrone. I call him Tronie since he is not the boss and is soooo sweet. A friend got me involved in Parelli Natural Horsemanship in hopes I could learn about horses and not get my inexperienced self killed. The program is the best self-development program in the world. As Pat Parelli says, “The horse already knows all this. It’s the human that has to be trained.” If you know of any jobs in Pagosa Springs, let me know. I’d love to live there. Each morning until noon, we had to wear out jackets and the afternoons were sunny and 70s or low 80s. Mmmm. Then there’s the scenery. While grazing Tronie, I was mesmerized by the Rocky Mountains, blue sky, and green, green, green. But it’s back to the real world and I’m off to 4 book signings in the next month. Columbia, SC, Dallas, Houston, and Colorado Springs, CO. Life would be perfect if I could get some press in each city.

Breathe in, breathe out, life is good.

Sue Ellen

Wow! It’s here. Hot weather. I have a love/hate relationship with summer. I love daylight savings time because I’m an outdoor person, but I hate hot weather. My summer is heating up with lots of activity surrounding Two Nuts in Italy. I have three booksignings so far and am working on a 4th one in August. Columbia, SC, Dallas, and Houston Barnes and Nobles will host booksignings. I look forward to seeing what press I can rouse in these cities. Still working on a signing in August hopefully in Colorado Springs. My daydreams are on next summer’s Two Nuts in Italy tour. Should be an adventure for sure. I smell and feel the Swiss wildflowers and alpine air. Mmmmmm. Hope you are going with us. Looks like the tour will be limited to 20 adventurers.

Have a nutty week,

Sue Ellen

Today I thought a lot about the change in me since my backpacking experience five years ago with Jenny.  The experience opened many parts of me. I am open to more of life’s goodness, adventures, and newness thanks to what I observed in the Italian people as well as staying outside my comfort zone long enough to understand new. Before Italy, I didn’t slow down enough to see what each day has to offer let alone experience it. Food tastes different to me now. Colors are more vivid. Smells more saturating. What might happen if I took this same adventure one more time? Who knows, maybe Jenny will want to go backpacking again when she is 56 and I’m 91! Now that will be something to write about.

Enjoy all life’s adventures,

Sue Ellen

I’m looking forward to next summer’s Two Nuts in Italy tour. It’s been exciting talking about it and making plans. If you would like a close experience to what Jenny and I had, this is the trip for you. It will be like none other. As the plans are secured, I’ll be announcing them. Here’s a hint. Find a backpack you like.

Ciao,

Sue Ellen

The favorite vacation photo contest was great fun. Twenty eight photos were entered and the beautiful picture of Ouray, Colo, entered by Dana, Boltz won the red and black backpack. Congratulations to Dana. Stay tuned for the next give away contest.

Sue Ellen

Things are clicking along in Two Nuts land. We just completed our first contest where the public gets to vote. It was ‘favorite vacation photo’ contest. Twenty-eight photos were entered, and 322 votes were cast and the prize for the winning photo was a red and black backpack similar to the one I carried in Italy. The photo was of beautiful Ouray, Colorado.  It was great fun to see people getting their friends to vote. This summer will be a busy one for me. My horse, Tronie, and I will spend two weeks in Pagosa Springs, CO, at the Parelli Ranch. We went last year and I had a great time. Then in July I have three booksignings at Barnes and Nobles in Columbia, SC, and Dallas and Houston. Wow! Fun!! It’s all good.

Buon giorno,

Sue Ellen

Recently I’ve been daydreaming a lot. It must be my mind’s way of looking for new ideas. Anyway, it’s always been fun. I remember daydreaming as a child but haven’t engaged in it as much as an adult except when I am writing. Then I came across a book called the Einstein Factor which encourages what the author calls ‘image streaming’. He says we ignore 99% of what streams through our minds and in these images lies the answer to everything. Einstein, Edison, etc. types used this type of dreaming and found their inventions and ideas there. Fascinating stuff really. Food for thought. Now go daydream! Enjoy!

Sue Ellen

The contest is going well, so I don’t want to close it just yet. In order not to have a bias on the voting, I will gather a bevy of willing subjects and show them the photos and let them vote on the winner. Good luck out there. Wonder where the prize will end up.

What I am most excited about right now are the opportunities to speak and share my Two Nuts in Italy experiences with people. So far these engagements have all been in Lubbock, and it’s great fun speaking to people and seeing the looks on their faces when I recount some of the crazy things we did on the trip. I’ve noticed that at each event, there is one person who never cracks a smile even when everyone else is laughing, and this person usually doesn’t even change body position the entire time I’m talking. They never get into the spirit that’s in the room. This is fascinating to me, and I’d love to stop and study them or talk to them and see what’s on their minds. I’m sure it’s all good.

Ciao and go have a glass of wine,

Sue Ellen