Thursday, September 24, 2009

Always the Sidekick . . .

Ramona here, and after a rough month in August, September has been a month of new beginnings. I started a new job (teaching an American Lit class at a local college), finished a couple of major projects, and worked on the manuscript for the next Love Inspired Suspense.

I also renewed an old friendship, which has been an amazing joy. Sharon and I have been friends since high school, providing me with one of a dozen or more opportunities to be a bridesmaid. I started this long collection of one-time dresses at 19, in this red beauty, when my friend Denise married her sweetheart (and they are still together 33 years later).

I’m actually a good bridesmaid, just as I am a sidekick. With most of my friends, that’s what I do. Never the heroine, I’m the one who cracks the jokes, brings extra food, and occasionally points out the clue the hero just stepped over. Men think of me as a sister; woman love to confide in me.

This is OK, believe me. It’s a great position to be in for taking notes, finding fresh angles, and telling the tale around the campfire. After all, the heroine and hero are too classy to brag about their exploits. That’s for the bard, the sidekick. Like Mr. Gibbs to Captain Jack Sparrow, I’m the storyteller.

So pull up a log and gather ‘round the campfire. Starting next month, I’ll have a Field of Danger to tell you about . . .

10 comments:

Pamela Tracy said...

Oh, I don't even want to go looking for my first bridesmaid dress. I'm pretty sure it was powder blue, but then again, I have one that is orange (I'm not kidding). I think from the time I turned 18 until I hit 25, I was in about ten weddings.

Marjorie/cenya2 said...

I enjoy the Christian web sites,
and I would love to win a book, but, I don't know where to enter,
can you help me.

cenya2 at hotmail dot com

Pamela Tracy said...

Marjorie,
You just did, by commenting. And, throughout the month, you can comment more than once. Welcome!

Debby Giusti said...

Hi Ramona, Marjorie and Pam!!!

Love your title and cover, Ramona! The story looks great. I'll be tuning in to learn more the next time you post.

Ramona, aren't you teaching a workshop at the Georgia Romance Writers' Moonlight and Magnolia's Conference next weekend? I'll be there. Looking forward to seeing you.

Shall I bring one of my bridesmaids' dresses? Wouldn't we look cute wearing them to the Awards Ceremony!!! :)

Lisa Mondello said...

Deb if you bring that bridesmaid dress, I want a picture! Love the pic of you in the bridesmaids dress, Ramona. I've been a bridemaids several times and like Pam had a powder blue one. But of course, that comes with a story. The bride wanted us all to look like Southern Bells. (I'm so not a Southern Bell!) And to satisfy her mom, she had to have 4 of her cousins in the wedding when she wanted 4 of her college friends, me included. There were 8 bridesmaids with dresses that had petticoats and little gathers on the skirt with bows all around.

I made a fatal mistake though. Since I lived so far away, I never tried the dress on after the alterations until the morning of the wedding. That's when I found out that they neglected to HEM the dress. And since I'm 5 feet tall when I'm standing straight up the dress was 7 inches too long! We frantically pinned the petticoat and I had a sworm of girls taking each bow pulling the gathered pieces up and sewing them. I sat on pins the whole wedding. It was awful. And the worst thing is I paid more for that dress than I did my own wedding dress! We laugh about it now.

EllenToo said...

I've only been a bridesmaid once in my life and boy was I lucky...the dress was suitable (after hemming the length up) to wear as just a dressy dress for other special occasions.

Project Journal said...

Hi Ramona!
I was a bridesmaid in my dad's wedding last October. This was his 4th wedding : / Anyway...all of his 3 daughters(myself included) and his new stepdaughter were the bridesmaids and maid of honor. Our dresses were cognac, which is a brownish orange color, almost rust, but a pretty rust lol! I have no way of wearing it again, so my mom and I are having it hemmed(since it's floor length now) up to my knee to wear to our Homecoming Dance! Lol...Dad'll probably never know ; ) Actually, I think that he'd like it because I was getting more out of it...

Anyway, I also wanted to tell you that how you described yourself as being the sidekick...it sounded exactly like me! Honestly, it fits me to a T. So, you're not alone. I'm 17 and already a sidekick...what does that say about me? Hmmmm...
Hannah

Linda said...

I would love a new mystery! This one makes me wonder what is all entailed.

desertrose5173 at gmail dot com


Only been a bridesmaid once, for my cousin. BIG poofy sleeves and a large white hat.

Ramona Richards said...

Thanks, everyone. I LOVE the bridemaid stories. I'm sure there are quite a few more out there lurking in the darkness. And, Hannah, I've been a sidekick since high school. I was usually the lookout for any, um, illicit activities in the band room.

I meant to stop by earlier, but had to take my car to the shop and wound up being there all afternoon! Blech. But now the car is ready for that trip to Atlanta.

So, yep! Heading for Moonlight & Magnolias next week. REALLY looking forward to it.

Project Journal said...

Oh my goodness Ramona! That sounds like me too! Chorus and band rooms and the auditorium....frequently visited during my day : )
Hannah