This past week and a half have been a whirlwind of activities that kept me running (figuratively, not literally). I said yes too many times and paid for it.
The South Dakota Festival of Books is a very large event where over a hundred writers from all over are invited to speak and sell their books. Being such a large event, they beg for volunteers to help out. Since I lived relatively close to the airport, I was tapped to pick up guests and take them to hotels near and far. Thankfully, the late-night arrivals stayed in Rapid City, so I didn’t have to drive the hour to Spearfish where the event was held. The day-time arrivals had to be taken to Spearfish and dropped off.
The workshops offered sounded amazing, and I would have attended many of them except I had asked for a table at the book fair and had to sit there for both days to man it. Hubby even sat with me one day and helped me pack up when it was over. I sold a record number of books and met a whole lot of readers. It was delightful in this respect, but I feel like I missed out. The next time they have the event in West River, I will be an attendee, not a vendor, but may still help out with hauling people around.
During this time of year are all my wellness visits to doctors and specialists and get my vaccinations. It’s right before we head south for the winter, so I know I’m ready to go. I’ve had extra appointments this year and getting them all in has been a mess. The older I get, the more the refer me to other doctors. Edging in appointments and getting my hair trimmed has been quite an exercise. I’ve had to move things around more than once to fit them all in.
Hubby and I attended the West River History Conference as well. Individuals do research throughout the year and present their findings in this setting. A few were tied to colleges or tribes, but most were history buffs who love to prowl through old records to see what they discover. Some of the presentations were very interesting and some were…less so. Still, to listen to people who are passionate about their findings encourages them to keep it up. The directors served a good sandwich luncheon for free out on the sunny deck in the warm air. It was a good time to get out of the comfort zone of my computer desk and recliner.
We’re also starting to pack for our southward journey in a few weeks. In between all the appointments and meetings, I spent time finishing my final edits on my next book so I can send it on to my editor to work on. That’s exciting! I always look forward to releasing a new book for my readers. Finding the balance between work and play is always a tricky thing.