Nancy's Gifts to Me...

I told you I was going to write about the gifts I received from Nancy Zieman....

In the 1990's, I wrote a little book called, "How To Dress With Style When You Feel Like Cher, But Look Like Roseanne."

Mary Mulari recommended me to her friend Nancy Zieman, who invited me to be a speaker in her retail store in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. It was only my second out-of-town speaking gig...and I was more than a little nervous.

I drove three hours to Beaver Dam, and checked into the Park Motel. The morning of my seminar, Nancy picked me up at 8:00.  Her son, Tom, (a toddler then), was in a booster in the back seat of her mini-van.

Although I don't remember much about the seminar I presented on that day in the Nancy's Notions store -- I do know it was the beginning of an exciting new career for me.

For the next 20 years, I presented seminars at stores and sewing guilds in almost every State in the Union.  I was invited to speak at American Sewing Guild Chapters, and the biggest and best consumer shows in the country.  I wrote the book, "Life Is Not A Dress Size" -- and I did a 12-city book tour.  Eventually, I landed my dream job -- doing Public Relations and Marketing for the Sewing and Stitchery Expo in Puyallup, Washington.

That evening, we were driving to her house to eat supper.  She pulled into her garage, turned off the van and said,

"You're really good at this, Rita.  But you need to double your fee."

I didn't know it then...but that was Nancy's first gift to me.

*********

20 years later, her last gift was a beautiful set of wind chimes...which I have hanging on the back corner of my house.   Nancy sent a note with the chimes.  She signed it --  "consider yourself hugged, Rita"

And whenever I hear those chimes -- I feel that special Nancy hug...