Home at last! Hey, Sterling!

SterlingFest 2008 went off without a hitch yesterday. The weather was clear, beautiful and warm; just a lovely autumn day. This was our first time vending in Virginia and in my own community no less. Tamika and I both thought it was a great opportunity to see how a more diverse population would respond to our book.

It was wonderful. There were lots of people who were a bit standoffish (is that a word?) and we weren't sure what the deal was with that, but then there were the young girls who were drawn to our table and brought parents along. And the elderly who sort of wandered over waiting for us to speak first, before they would say anything. In between that were all manner of folk--- all shades and nationalities, who wanted to at the least just say hello or pat us on the back for making it that far. Funniest still were the non-english speaking ladies who tried to take copies of the book because they thought they were free. That happened twice but they politely put them back when asked. We received tons of questions about Sisters Are From Heaven, and many well wishes for success. And yes, we sold a few copies too!

At these events we always meet someone who has a book idea of their own and needs to know how to get started or how we did it. So it's our duty to make sure they are educated (as best we can), as well as, inspired to keep going until they get published.

The community event was fun and engaging. Even though it got downright hot after a while, we pulled our sun hats low and pressed on while chatting, selling and watching all the families have a good time. My husband brought the kids over so they could partake in the festivities too. Auntie Meek and I were both delighted to see them and it was a great for the three of them to see what I mean when I say, "Mommy has to work." We chowed down on some wonderful cuisine, shout out to Kabob Delicioso of Sterling, listened to live music and as always checked out other vendors for ideas and to see interesting crafts for sell. We made a few contacts and may even have our next gig thanks to the family vending beside us. All in all it was a fruitful day.