Sue Ellen's Blog

It’s not often that I get to personally meet a reader who emails me about reading Two Nuts in Italy, but today I got to meet Diana Rodriquez of Lubbock who picked up one of my business cards, (that I had left at the Pancake House), ordered the book, emailed me with a glowing review, and asked if I would sign her copy.  Meeting Diana was a blessing to me. Some people are just sweet all the way through, and she is one of those people. Diana had a great idea that I will follow up on and who knows what might happen. It could be the exact thing I need to get Two Nuts in Italy out there. Thanks, Diana.

I hope everyone’s weekend is as good as mine is going to be!

Until next time,

Sue Ellen

I have returned from five heavenly days in Colorado Springs with Monte and Brooke Squires hosting me in their beautiful home where I fed a deer right out of my hand on their patio! (I’m glad the neighborhood bears didn’t show while I was there.) I met Brooke through Two Nuts in Italy. She read the book and contacted me offering her help in promoting it in her community. Brooke is responsible for getting me book signings at Barnes and Noble and Borders. That’s not all Brooke did either. She got the Colorado Springs library system to add Two Nuts in Italy to their shelves. She had aprons made with the book’s cover embroidered on the front. She threw a wine and cheese party for me and invited her friends who had all read Two Nuts in Italy. The conversation bounced! What fun it was!  Brooke has tirelessly emailed her friends encouraging them to jump on the Two Nuts in Italy wagon. She called the Colorado Springs news media (which resulted in a radio interview for me, announcements of the book signings in a couple local papers, and a posting on Jeanette Hynes’ blog http://www.jeannettehynes.com/, and she furnished both book stores with flyers announcing the signings so they could include them in sacks at the checkout. WOW! The effort she has put into promoting Two Nuts in Italy is epic. How does one reciprocate? I told Brooke if she ever needed a kidney to call me and she just said, “It was all fun.” Thank you, Brooke.

Breathe in. Breathe out. Life is great!

Sue Ellen

Life never ceases to amaze me. The abundance in my life I mean. Because someone forwarded an email I sent to my address list, I was the recipient of a fabulous day Saturday, July 31, 2010. Six women that I had never met, took me to lunch before the book signing at Barnes and Noble. These are all business women and great fun. We shook hands when we met and ended with hugs three hours later. Only women can do that, right? They all followed me to Barnes and Noble and bought multiple copies of Two Nuts in Italy for me to sign for them. They hung out at the signing for an hour giving tremendous energy to the event. A college friend who didn’t even know I had written a book came in and we ended up having dinner together. My son, Jake, who was competing in a dance in Houston dropped in and in spite of the fact that he is 29, his hugs are still heart-warming and nothing makes a mother happier than her children’s show of affection toward her. The icing on the Houston weekend cake was Heather and Denis Langlais who hosted me, completely giving up their weekend to cart me around including to and from the airport, to feed me, entertain me, and add to the Two Nuts in Italy interest. I felt like a queen. Thank you to all for a wonderful weekend. Life is indeed good.

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