Almost Famous

But not quite yet. I hesitate to tell this tale for fear it might not come to fruition (mmm. that word makes me want some strawberries) . . . so I'll knock on wood and throw some salt over my left shoulder (or is it the right?) and pray really hard that it does.

I was sitting in Lottie's (Marion's fine dining) at a lunch meeting last Friday when my phone rang. I don't usually answer the phone at the table because I think it's rude, but this time I did, for what reason I'm not quite sure. I didn't recognize the number, so I thought it might be a student calling about checking out of their room since it was the end of the semester. It was my friend Suzanah, who said, "Don't get mad, Susie. I'm in Monroeville and I'm seeing the play without you." We had each made a promise to not see To Kill a Mockingbird in Monroeville without the other when we were in China together. I didn't have time to be fly into my usual raging fury, because the next thing she was telling me was that she was with Kate Campbell (the funniest serious southern singer-songwriter ever), who wanted to commission me to do the cover art for her new CD. I was speechless. Suzanah had told Kate about my prints (I've taken two of Ted's printmaking classes during short term and discovered that I really love it, while most art majors hate it), and somehow convinced her that I should be considered for the cover.

I now have the title song, Save the Day, so I can be inspired. That shouldn't be too hard since my specialty is saving the day. But I'm still speechless. I get a little queasy whenever I think about it. What if whatever I do isn't so great? What if it's terrible? What if next fall I can walk into a Barnes & Noble and see the CD with the cover that I did available in the music section?

In that case, I'll send you all copies.