DAY #16 - Karen & Karla - back together again!

Who's Karla you might ask? I thought this was Donna's Blog??? Well, yes, but you see Karen flew into Wichita today at 4 pm and the first thing we did as we kicked up the last of the Kansas dust was revert back to our youth (oh wait, we're still young-lol!) and put Karla Bonoff on the CD player. Of course, the last time we heard from Karla......she was on an album and an 8 track! But, we still know all the words and remember the teen angst that accompanied our hair brush in the mirror performances! Oh, Karla we have missed you! How we wish we could have stayed in Salina, KS where she will be performing on May 3rd, but alas...we will have to put that off for another day - or another cross country trip. Okay, maybe not.

We left the airport and headed straight for the KS turnpike EAST enjoying the view of grazing cattle.... and more grazing cattle....and a few more. That might be enough grazing cattle for a few months :) Then we entered the great state of Missouri. Taking a page from my previous follower's comment, we tried really hard to find something resembling...oh I don't know.....home? So......we veered into a Pizza Hut! Now that should do it. Pizza Huts are EVERYWHERE, right?? Yes, but they're special in Missouri. Enough Said. What happens on the road home to Delaware....sometimes has to stay on the road. (Hint: Do you have club soda? With lemon? Oh, we only have lemon "packets". oooh. no thanks. Karen, just have a beer. Oh, okay...what kind of beer do you have? "I don't know, I don't drink beer.")

After driving for 200 miles, Karen sighed as we passed yet another 18 wheeler.... "I could never be a truck driver." To which Donna immediately and without thinking (becoming a bad habit) replied, "I could be a truck driver's wife!" So....tomorrow we will be working hard on lyrics to our new country song, "I could never be a trucker but I'll be a trucker's wife" - to the tune of Miranda Lambert's "Gotta Get a Gun." Be sure to check back, you won't want to miss that!

10:30 pm and we're in Columbia MO enjoying a few Jack Rose's (that's a mixed drink - get your mind out of the gutter) and relaxing before we start all over again in the morning.

See you then!

DAY #14 - All good things must come to an end...

Today I had my last 2 school presentations here in Kansas. It's been a really exciting time and there have been so many wonderful people to meet and share the stories of the orphan trains with. I'm a little sad to see it come to an end.... I'll have great pictures and new friends to reminisce with, and the satisfying knowledge that through my efforts....as well as the work of so many other people....just maybe the history of America's Orphan Train Riders will not be lost to future generations. Did you know that it is estimated that one out of every 25 Americans is somehow connected to an orphan train rider? With the last train running in 1929, the youngest surviving rider is now 81 so of the 250,000+ children who rode the trains over a period of 75 years, there are fewer than 200 left to tell the tale. Maybe you'll tell one person.......

Today's schools and kids were just what I needed to end this adventure on a HIGH NOTE! These pictures are from Solomon Elementary School about 15 miles east of Salina. The little boy pictured with me at the table is Cameron - he is the grandson of Jean (one of the teachers who has worked so hard to make this trip a reality). What a nice young man! The group shot is with Mrs. Kirby's 4th grade students and the picture of me talking to the little girl is during my demonstration of choosing a child from the orphan train. I'm asking her if she knows how to clean chicken coops and collect eggs. "Oh yes," she answered me. Of course if she were from an orphanage in NYC she wouldn't know much about farm life, if anything, but orphan train children were in search of homes and families so they were apt to say anything in order to be chosen!

After a book signing and pictures, I continued on to St. Mary's Grade School back in Salina where I talked with 4th, 5th and 6th graders. Lots of great kids, questions and participation! My funniest comment came from John, a boy who, when I showed the slide of a sodhouse on the prairie, raised his hand to identify it as "a mobile home?" Hmmm... maybe one covered in mud John??

Many, many thanks to all the schools, students, teachers and community members who have made this book tour an absolute success! I am so appreciative and I know that when I remember my time here in central Kansas it will be with a happy heart and a smile on my face!

A day of preparation tomorrow for the journey home.......

DAY #14 - Vacation? Ya think?

I'll be blogging in 2 parts again today - for right now I just wanted to post this crazy picture that I took driving down interstate 70 at 75 MPH in 50 mph winds......READY?

This guy passed me so he must have been doing at least 80 mph. There was no tailgate on the truck....the suitcases and cooler rested precariously on top of a shelf just behind the cab, there were other items under the suitcases(the really important stuff no doubt!) and best of all.....two large dogs were crouched down trying to stay ON THE TRUCK and out of the wind!

Hey, I guess everyone needs a vacation once in awhile....no matter what it takes! All I could think of was the country song.... God is great, Beer is good......and People are crazy!

I'll be back with news from Solomon Elementary :)

LUCKY #13!

Here I am on the 13th day of my book tour to Kansas and I can honestly say that nothing has gone wrong the entire trip! Well, nothing seriously wrong. And believe me, if something had...I would write about it. Those of you who know me well, know that it's the truth. I am not a fan of people who put on happy faces and act like nothing ever goes wrong in their world....give me a break. If that's the case, you're not living very far outside your four walls-lol!

Today was in fact one of the best days so far. I spoke at two schools - each about a 20 minute drive away. Both presentations were given before large crowds (upwards of 100 students) and there were lots of great questions which makes me know that they were paying attention and thinking about what I was saying. Things like.... "What if the baby died on the train from NYC to Kansas? Would they bury it along the track or bring it to you and let you bury it?" Huh?? And this one... "I think if the train got to the end of the line and there was a kid left, then they should just leave that kid because he musta not been trying hard enough to get picked by a farmer. Maybe he was lazy and didn't want to work." Okay.... And the last one that comes to mind, and probably my favorite comment of the day.... "Why did you end Fly Little Bird, Fly! the way your did? It made me want to keep reading and I don't like to read." What?? Well you see it was actually a conspiracy, have you ever heard that word? I wanted to control your mind and make you do something you hated..... wait till you read my next book - it might cause you to want to clean your room or some other equally horrid thing!

I'm posting a picture from my first talk - I'm cringing because I look....I don't know...I can't tell what I'm doing, it's pretty bad. But, I wanted to show you how cool the PowerPoint looked on this wall sized screen. This school also had a great sound system so the tape recordings I usually play on my CD player were played instead through the sound system - what a difference.

My second talk of the day was in Lindsborg, Kansas at Soderstrom Elementary School. I'm posting some pictures of the town since it was very unique for this area of the country. I'm going to go back on Friday morning on my way to the airport to pick up my friend Karen (who has very generously offered to drive home with me even though her life has been thrown into general chaos....you know how thankful I am for your friendship, Karen. I hope to be able to repay you some day!)

Lindsborg has a main street that is laid in brick and very wide with lots of neat little shops, and wide tree lined residential streets with cute little picture perfect houses. I can't wait to get out and walk around, especially since Friday is forecast to be in the 80's here in central Kansas.

This has been an awesome trip but I'm beginning to hear my real life calling in the background.....Estella hit a car in the parking lot, it happened to be a brand new Lexus and the bill is $1800.... Christian (James' job coach) can't seem to get his GPS to work in the car's lighter and seems to think he can't get around town without it so that car needs to go into the shop... Bob's still working two jobs and trying to keep everything else going too and is starting to mention how, "I need a wife".... and the dog (Ginger) will soon be looking for a new home through the SPCA if I don't get back soon to take care of her....so, the party's almost over.

Let's hope my luck can hold out for just a few days more!!!

DAY #12 - The National Orphan Train Complex

WELCOME BACK! I took a true day of rest yesterday and didn't even blog. The hotel pool and spa were very relaxing - 20 laps and 20 minutes - then back to the room to get organized for the new week, visit with some friends on facebook, call home to check if everyone is surviving ("barely, but don't worry mom!") and watch a bit of TV after an early dinner.

Today I headed back to Concordia, 50 miles north of here, to tour the National Orphan Train Complex, take a video to show my Dad and Mom when I get home, buy some souvenirs, and sell another 20 books. I had a great discussion with the new curator, Muriel Anderson, about the future of the museum (she plans to re-do the entire interior) and we talked about a permanent display that would document Oliver and Edward's journey from the Children's Village Orphanage in Dobbs Ferry (Long Island, NY) to Bern, Kansas. The display would incorporate two excerpts of Oliver's oral history (wasn't my Dad brilliant to sit his father down and record his story?!) One side of the display case would include artifacts, documents and audio from Oliver's life in NYC and the orphanage. The other side would highlight his ride on the train and his years in Kansas. There would also be a brief bio of his life as an adult. So.....I have a new project when I get home. It will be up to me to decide what to include on each of the two audio clips and I'll need to go through our records to make sure Muriel has all the documentation that she needs, and if not, get it to her. I also need to get up to the NY Historical Society sometime in May so that I can review Oliver and Edward's records from the Children's Aid Society to see if there's any additional info there that the previous archivist left out when he sent me papers from Oliver's file records.

"A lot to do, a lot to do, a lot a lot a lot to do!" What's that from? Quiz question for the day-lol! Joany, I'm sure you'll know!

So......after my visit to the museum, I drove around town to see the sights then visited Concordia Elementary School for a 1:30 presentation and book signing to the fourth graders. The one hour drive back along Interstate 135 was very peaceful and relaxing. There is nothing to see but gently rolling hills etched with grazing cattle, a few windmills, and open sky that goes on forever. Some people would find that excruciatingly boring....but I love it! Good thing I'm here alone :)

Two schools tomorrow - one of which is in Lindsborg, a town settled by the Swedes. They're both south of Salina so it will be a pretty long day - see you then!

PART 2 - Cowboys, Windmills & Tea Parties: SNAPSHOTS From the DAY!

What a fun day! Here are my "picture postcards" from Kansas. I love the shot of the windmill and the house...things have come a long way since the windmill and sodhouse on the prairie of Oliver's day, that's for sure. Well...maybe not the house, but the windmill has certainly been improved upon :)





Here is an old homestead that we came upon while chasing windmills - and a lone cowboy on a mule. I know it will never happen with a city boy for a husband, but I personally could live here in Kansas!

This is me with Virginia Alexander. I met Virginia when I was in Esbon, KS back in 2006. She knows a lot about the history of the area and she has sent me some great records over the last few years. I had no idea she was coming to the museum today to hear me talk and I was thrilled to see her again!

The sandwiches on the menu at the Tea Room all have names - This one is called "The Oliver" - how could we resist! Well, truth be known, I resisted since it is tuna (no thank you) but Virginia said she was going to order it in honor of Oliver whether she liked it or not, and order it she did!

Here is the player piano from the tea room - only 25 cents
a song - can you see the keys playing??

Here is 1/2 of our table at the Huckleberry Tea House. These three ladies are Kathleen, Tina and Jean - all good friends of my host, Sara Gault. They are all in education - principals and teachers - and wonderful people!

And last, but certainly not least.....the girls of the Tea House! Don't they look like they're having fun....dressing up in hats, boas, white gloves, etc. and sitting down to Afternoon Tea with girlfriends??? I don't think we have Tea Rooms in Delaware, do we? Maybe when I get back home, I'll look into opening one, it was such a fun time!

Tomorrow I'll be spending the day relaxing at the hotel....sleeping....reading....swimming in the pool... soaking in the hot tub (don't be looking for any pictures - there won't be any!)

Monday starts week #2 with fewer visits but more driving since the schools are in areas around Salina anywhere from 10-50 miles. I do plan to get back to Concordia since I haven't yet been able to actually go in the museum and I'm NOT leaving Kansas before I do that :)

Day #10 - The Huckleberry Tea Room

I'll be writing today in two posts. This picture is from my booksigning with some of the attendees at the National Orphan Train Complex in Concordia this morning. The lady to my left (as you face the picture) is a descendant of W.L. Gish - the farmer who took in Edward, my great uncle, after his second ride on the Orphan Train. Very Amazing! The gentleman next to me is her husband and they had a lot of information to share and promised to email me even more...including pictures! How cool is that?? During my visit to the complex, I also gave an interview to the local radio station about Oliver's story, my books and my impressions of the museum and the work that is being carried out there. By 11:45 we were in town at the Huckleberry Tea Room for a delicious luncheon for 14 people. Many, many thanks to my friends in Salina....Sara, Tina, Jean and Kathleen for their companionship and transportation. It was really a fun day and a great way to wrap up the week! More to come.....