Update - August 2011 meeting reflection

By Cahty Shouse

Meetings aren't my favorite activities. (Are they anybody's?) That's why I'm glad when I find an organization where meetings aren't really meetings. They feel like friendly gatherings. Since my schedule hadn't cooperated so that I could attend a Pen Woman meeting for awhile, I was especially happy to be able to go on August 19tth. Our hostess was Barb Kehoe, our membership chairman.

Barb is very suited to her job in the chapter. I should know. She "dragged" me into the group before she officially became membership chair. Of course, she was the president. I was a tough sell. Did I mention I don't like meetings? But Barb was persistent. And once I saw these weren't really "meetings" and that as women in the arts, we automatically "get" one another, it wasn't long before I joined. Such a warm, inviting group of women!

Friday the 19th, we convened in Barb's lovely dining room for a meal of pasta, finished off with snicker doodle cookies, catered by Judy Baker. Yes, there was other food, but I would have been satisfied with just those two delectable selections. Yum!


We ate at two separate tables and at our table, we covered a variety of topic, including the Kardashians. Think cocktail party talk, except there was no alcohol, and it was around noon, before the weekend even kicked off. Divine!

Member Holly Miller gave a talk on "Norman and Me", reflecting on her time as editor for The Saturday Evening Post. Norman referred to Norman Rockwell, who did the Post's covers for decades. No, she didn't get to meet him. However, her story of the history of the magazine was fascinating. I hadn't realized it started out as a weekly (I think) and had so many over-sized pages someone said it took about 18 hours to read it. That's the number I think she said. I was enthralled and didn't even take notes, which is unusual for me. I'm a journalist, after all. My favorite part was Holly's initial interview with the Post, and Cory SerVass hiring her on the spot to interview a celebrity that same afternoon. See, Holly's from Anderson and, to give herself an edge, had read the Indy Star before the interview in Indianapolis. Holly tipped Cory off to the celebrity going to be in town, per the newspaper, and they were off and rolling--literally. The two women went to the interview with Holly driving Cory's car--a Cadillac or something. (I’m not a car person, either.) What an unusual start to a long-term business relationship. How spunky Holly was--and still is.

Holly's was a great talk for Ella to bring her guest, Jan Lewis. Laurie Lunsford brought her mother, Willa Mae Stevenson. Laurie was excited to share that she's gotten a position as interactive art specialist at Parkview Hospital, where she'll work with poetry and other arts with the residents. Jude is still writing for Maximum Living magazine and showed us her latest article.

I always like to hear what others are doing and go home inspired to kick up my work a notch.

Charlotte Shepperd talked about  Dear Me: Advice to Our Younger Selves, a book published in August 2011. She edited it and contributed, too. She worked with the Savvy Dames, who created the project. The title says it all. Charlotte wrote for the chapter about children, organized the chapters and collaborated in other ways. Indeed, it takes a village to publish a book. What a great reminder. None of us really does art alone, although it can feel like it sometimes. That's what's nice about connecting with artsy friends!