One thing leads to another

     Our Jackie K. Cooper workshop on Saturday, January 15th, was a huge success!  We had about 30 people show up, ready to learn how to write down their memories.  And everyone of them left so inspired!
     It was such a huge success that we're thinking about starting a blog for the participants who attended, a way to allow them to share their memories and continue to inspire each other.  We want to help this "writing community" join together, encourage each other, and become better friends.
     That workshop led me to think of a bunch of memories I just put into print.
     Over the past few years, I've given up sending Christmas gifts.  With all my family of youngsters and a host of friends living in other states, I decided to save the Christmas gift money, plus mailing expenses, and dedicate myself to being really creative for their birthdays.  No one seemed to mind not receiving Christmas gifts and, I feel, the birthday giving has become something really special to all of us. 
     But between Christmas 2010 and New Year's Day 2011, I sent all those loved ones a large bubble-wrapped envelope.  And inside were two handmade (crocheted) potholders and a 16-page cookbook I'd been working on all year.
     Over the past few years, some of my children had asked for certain recipes I'd used when they were growing up.  That's when I pulled out all those old recipes, opened up MS Publisher, and created my little cookbook. 
     But the special thing about each recipe was that I included my memories about whatever recipe was on that page.  For instance, my sister-in-law had the best tartar sauce for all those fish fries we used to have.  My brother would heat big bubbling pots of cooking oil just inside his garage doors (the doors were open, of course) and cook all kinds of fish for us to enjoy.  But one of the best things with that fish was Laura's tartar sauce.  So, that went into the cookbook.
     Of course, I had to give everyone my Mama's Stew recipe and tell how she came about to make it.  And I told about my friend Mona, the home-ec teacher, who taught me how to make fresh peach pie.  And my Aunt Lou Etta's bar-b-que sauce, the good stuff that went over all that deer meat after the guys went hunting.  I had to tell how we used to go visit her in the country and end up having a big feast...bar-b-que sauce and all.
     Well, this morning I realized how one thing leads to another and what I have to do next.  (Of course, you know how all these things I think of come right back around to the library.)
     For a couple of years now, I've been collecting recipes from the library ladies.  We usually have several "eating" events during the year for the staff here at the library and I've managed to store copies of their receipes in a secret place.  But now it's time to bring them out.  It's time to get with each person and have them tell me the story behind their recipe, bring out those memories and write them up in a cookbook.
     See how one things leads to another?  Jackie's workshop has made me want to continue what I learned in his class about memories.  I didn't realize how I'd actually started until I took his class.  And now I want all of us library ladies to continue sharing our memories, not only with family but with friends.
     So, I have my work cut out for me.  Wonder what memories will come from the library ladies?