Like all brides, we kept our outfits a surprise, but I reckon the jeans were pretty-much expected!
The sun shone (but, oh, that Barmoya breeze!!)
Those special people we missed having with us on the day were remembered — they were with us in spirit and in picture frames!
(And my sister and dad gave us the roses (coz they knew we’d be too cheap to buy flowers!) and the Willow Tree figurines – two ladies, their hands actually grasp each other’s. Love them!)
Shannon Garner is far too gorgeous to be a bridesmaid, but she is also far too special to not be, so we did our best to also look 38!!
Shannon looked after our wedding bands, did a beautiful reading about dragonflies (so fitting) and she also came in handy doing nails.
We got to have our cake and eat our cake, too! Not only was the cake a surprise (thanks to our super, multi-talented celebrant, Cheryl Steele), it was a Red Velvet cake that not only matched our outfits, it was yum! And I’d always wanted to try a red velvet cake, too.)
The 4th generation Barretts (David and Marie) were our witnesses and there is Mount Hedlow in the background (which I mention in A Place to Remember).
And of course there were Henderson Park cows!
Henderson Park is, of course, the inspiring landscape where I camped in a paddock while writing A Place to Remember. (And I did drop a big hint in Chapter 32!!)
Thank you Gina (L) and Annika (R) (the 5th generation Barretts and #6 is pretty in pink, too!)
Henderson Park Farm Retreat shone, as always — and it will always be A Place to Remember.
Henderson Park Farm Retreat picAva’s cooks’ cottage (Henderson Park Farm Retreat)Blair’s marquee (Henderson Park Farm Retreat pic)And we danced!
So, there you go. If you voted “yes’ last year, thank you!
PS: I think I might have found my next book cover. Thank you Shannon and Iron Pot Hill for being so beautiful on the day and being my muse for another story!!
This #RovingWriter finally got to be Miss Philadelphia. (You know the one… Nancy Cato’s All The Rivers Run. Sigrid Thornton played the character in the 1980’s mini series of the same name.) It’s been a dream of mine to visit Echuca, to traverse that ancient wharf, to board the same wood-fired steamer, and to travel the Mighty Murray to the pulse of paddles and the huffing and puffing of pistons.
P.S. Pevensey
Echuca wharf
Under Echuca wharf
Aboard
Two years ago, I heard about P.S. Pevensey (that it was the steamer used in the mini series) and if that was not exciting enough, I was told EVERY, yes EVERY, passenger gets a ticket – even the fur-kids. So, I made a promise to the one-eyed Dude dog at that time. I told her we’d take a boat trip together along the Murray.
Sadly, it’s taken two years to get to Echuca (on the NSW/Vic border) and as you may know, we lost the bravest dog in the world last year. So it was with sad hearts that we decided to go ahead and take a trip on the dog-friendly P.S. Pevensey anyway.
After telling our sad story to the lovely lady in the Discovery Centre, she gave us a canine ticket for our dearly departed ‘dog in a box’.
Canine Tickets for special passengers
When the lady took the time to write the date on the ticket, we realised the significance. While not planned, May 10 is one year – to the day – that we said goodbye to the Dude dog after 14 years with us. Suddenly, the much-anticipated trip turned bittersweet.
The one-eyed Dude dog, Daiquiri
Feeling miserable, what did we see? Bella.
Bella aboard P.S. Pevensy
With Leanne and Bella
What a joy. Here she is aboard and with Mum, Leanne. (I was itching for a puppy cuddle. I even had a sneaky cry.)
Once we disembarked, Bella’s family stopped with us at the Star Hotel for lunch – and some water from a wine goblet!
With Keith and Leanne at Echuca’s Star Hotel
Bella and her wine goblet water.
I’ve always believed some people come into our lives for a season and some for a reason. A massive thank you to Keith and Leanne and Bella for sharing the trip and the pizza afterwards. I believe we were meant to meet today. Safe travels!
ABOUT THE BOOK: If you are interested in Nancy Cato’s novel – Booktopia has All The Rivers Run.
BEFORE YOU GO: It’s time we took back some control. Don’t leave it to Facebook (and the like) to decide what information you see and when you see it. I have book news coming soon and if, like me, you distrust social media’s filtering of information, join my New Release Reminder Service and I will email you my news direct to your inbox. (Just look top right on this page!) Leave your email (which I’ll protect with my life) and I’ll send you a reminder. This is NOT a monthly newsletter full of stuff you probably don’t want to know. I only send New Release Reminders when I have a new book out (or if my books go on sale online – and who doesn’t love a bargain book?)
The long way to Mudgee Readers Festival – a big literary event in a small town.
Opening night: with organiser Portia Lindsay
And what fun! From opening night drinks and mingling with *warning: name-dropping ahead*: Kate Forsyth, Charlotte Wood, Jane Caro, David Dyer, and more) books and bookish types took over the pretty streets of Mudgee, where every second shop is a cafe and every second person a book (or wine) lover.
Officially, I was there as a presenter and I talked ‘Books With Heart’ with Amy Andrews, Alissa Callen and Charlotte Nash (about how the heart finds its way into all sorts of books: fiction, memoir, medical, sporting stories, even . . . cook books!! A robust cab sav is required in such instances! That’s ‘offal’ I know! ) We stuck mostly to fictional hearts: hearts that flutter, bang, burst, pound, race, tear, rip, break, swell, jump, thump, beat, bleed and skip and love, hate, ache, sigh, melt, palpitate, sink, shatter, somersault, radiate, glow, embrace, adore and feel. We discussed how hearts talk to us and betray us; become our weakness and our strength; and make us spontaneous and (according to the character in my next book) sometimes makes us wait.
Laughing about serial killers in the outback!
Then, for something a little different, I had a few laughs with Candice Fox about outback serial killers and psychopaths. In fact I asked Candice for her thoughts on the most effective means of warding of potential psychopaths from my caravan door while free camping. I offered her a list of strategies:
Leave out a pair of size 11 work boots and an empty box of bullets?
Set up a chunky dog chain and a big, empty dog bowl—the words STILL HUNGRY visible on the bottom?
Or a sign that tells the truth: “Beware – two angry, menopausal women on board?”
(Yes, she thought #3 might work, too.)
While the welcome was warm (the atmosphere too) the temps were a tad chilly. (Minus 2 over night.)
Despite it being winter, Mudgee was a great destination. But …
Of course my book tour of NSW started well before Mudgee. We took the long road, starting with the launch of book four – The Other Side of the Season – at my home base – The Coffs Coast and after that a whole lot of small towns.
Nambucca was nice
May 19, 2016 Author talk: Nambucca Library Lots of lovely local media.
Coffs Harbour was commemorative
May 25, 2016 Library Event/Official Launch Book number 4 of my Season Collection with moregreat PRINT MEDIA and a book signing at The Book Warehouse.
MOREE was magnificent
Catching up with Nicole Alexander and Greg Barron.
July 9, 2016 Library Event and a catch up with Nicole and Greg
NEWCASTLE was noteworthy
(I mean, seriously, look at the size of the poster!)
Now THAT’s a poster…
August 20, 2016 Book signing: Big W, Charlestown (biggest shopping centre EVA!)
Back to NAMBUCCA
Elizabeth’s Turning Pages on 2NVR Radio
August 25, 2016 RADIO interview: 2NVR Radio – Elizabeth’s Turning Pages.
So, there you have it.
And home in time to remember Mum on her birthday and share Father’s Day with Dad.
Oh, and by the way… If you are into stats, we did around 3,200 kms and fed the beast about $650.00 in diesel. While it was a great experience and fun, I do hope my tour helped to get my name out there and I found some more lovely readers. Word of mouth is the best compliment. (Have you told someone today about the last great book you read?)
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