Poughkeepsie

Barnes and Noble in Poughkeepsie was scheduled for the next day.  We left Margie's home in the morning and arrived in Woodstock by one (with a stop at an optomotrist to repair Fran's bi-foculs which  had  fallen apart).  We figured we had time for a rest, even a walk, before leaving at 5:15 for our 7:00 signing.  It was nearly 3:00 when Barbara checked our blog and panicked.  "The signing is at six, not seven!" she shouted. "We have to leave in five minutes!"  Somehow we managed to dress, grab our poster and reading copies, and race out the door.

We arrived at the store just in time and took our seats at the table set up for us.  A couple of people arrived and we waited for more.  A woman came up to us and said she saw the name Pokras on the flyer posted at the entrance.  "I went to college with a woman named Pokras and wondered if you were related," she said.  Turned out that the Pokras woman she knew was Noreen, married to our first cousin, Dave.  She happily joined us.

Our table happened to be positioned next to the Romance Novel section, and the women who approached turned out to be more interested in the Harlequins than in us.  Then we spotted an older man carrying a copy of The Economist magazine.  We invited him to join us.  "I'm not really a fiction reader," he said,  "but I'd like to sit for awhile."

We began our readings and Edward (we found out later that was his name) put down his magazine and listened intently.  When we were done, he began the discussion which turned into a fascinating give and take about the pros and cons of nursing homes.  He and Fran later engaged in a lively conversation about the Brooklyn Dodgers and how they never forgave Walter O'Malley for moving them to L.A.  But that's another story.

And so the event in Poughkeepsie, while small, was stimulating and fun.  We hope that Edward enjoys FEEDING MRS. MOSKOWITZ AND THE CAREGIVER.  Who knows?  Maybe he will discover the joys of fiction.

Fran

All Things Literary

Our first east coast event was a distinct departure from the usual bookstore signings.  All Things Literary is a book club  in Levittown, Long Island, consisting of twelve lively, articulate, book-loving ladies.  We were flattered when they chose FEEDING MRS.MOSKOWITZ AND THE CAREGIVER as one of their selections and invited us to speak.

The trip from Woodstock proved more difficult than anticipated (so what else is new?) what with horrendous traffic and rain, combined with Barbara's determination to make a detour to Joe's Dairy in Manhattan for some handmade mozzarella.  But we made it to Margie Juszczak's home just as dinner was about to be served to the group.

The fact that the ladies had all read the book and had questions prepared made for an extremely interesting discussion.  Topics included problems facing the elderly when they encounter difficulty living on their own, and, believe me, everyone had an opinion!  The group wanted to know how we came to write the two novellas, and as a couple of the women were writers, the usual subject of how to get an agent and publisher came up.

After everyone left, we re-hashed the evening with Margie (who graciously put us up for the night) and dropped into bed, exhausted.

Fran

The End Was In Sight

The end was in sight.  The California end, that is.  Anyone who knows Santa Barbara knows Chaucer's Books, started 35 years ago by an enterprising woman named Mahri Kerley.  A fabulous meal at Maestro with good friend, pastry chef Katy Renner, put us in the mood for our reading and signing at Chaucer's.  Eric Love, aptly named, took charge of the reading and was enthused about our book and presentation.  A thought-provoking discussion followed.

Though late, the drive back to Los Angeles followed the shimmering ocean path, lit by the glow of a huge, full cantaloup moon.

Barbara was particularly looking forward to Book Soup in West Hollywood, as she had lived in that area and had many friends from her years in the film industry.  The turnout was impressive:  friends and family were augmented by passers-by and bookstore browsers.  A glorious end to the California travels of the Pokras sisters.

Barbara flew back to New York and was joined a week later by Fran, and her daughter Gabriela.

Fran

Do you like coffee?

We should have known something was wrong when the cab driver who was taking us from Oakland to San Francisco admitted that he didn't know where the Marina was.  We were lulled by the fact that he seemed to know how to get to Davis and Jackson, where our friends would meet us at Starbucks.

"There it is," shouted Fran, spying a Starbucks across the street. 
"Make a u-turn," I added.

Noori, our driver obliged.  Did we mention it was pouring rain?  Why else take a cab from Oakland airport?  Who knew that little luxury would end up costing more than our plane ticket?

We waited patiently at Starbucks.  Time passed.  Fran called our friends, who supposedly lived right around the corner.
"We're at Starbucks," we announced.
"So are we," was the reply.
Duh, wrong Starbucks!
Finally united with our friends, we headed off to dinner, first stopping by Book's Inc. to introduce ourselves.  We were pleased to see an announcement of our reading posted by the door, along with a display of copies of the book.  Bob, in charge of the evening's event, welcomed us warmly.  We knew we were in good hands.

Book's Inc, the West's oldest independent bookseller, has been around since 1851.  The Marina store, located on Chestnut Street is spacious, well lit, and well organized.  It was impossible not to browse, and each of us bought books -- not our own.

Dinner at A16, just down the street, was fabulous.  After a shared dessert, we left the bookstore.  To skip ahead a bit, lunch the next day was something out of a Steve Martin comedy.  The restaurant, a new addition to the Embarcadero, was a study in casual elegance.  No fault could be found with the food.  Fran, however, made the mistake of ordering a cup of coffee.  Our overeager waiter snapped his fingers, and two more servers quickly appeared at his side. 
"Coffee?" said our man.  "We have a blend of beans from three African countries, and then there's Blue Bottle, a local favorite.  We have drip, Americano, French Press, automatic, full strength, half strength, decaffeinated...."
"French Press, Ugandan, Espresso, drip...."echoed the chorus.
"Which of those is like regular coffee?" Fran naively queried.
"I would recommend the French Press."
"Fine," said Fran.
"Which French Press would you like?"
"How many do you have?"
"We have three."
Fran's eyes were glazing over.  Thankfully, our friend intervened.

Our presentation at Book's Inc. was well received, and we stayed to answer questions, mostly about assisted living and the challenge of aging.  We also spoke about how we hoped the writing of the book would prepare of for our own golden years.  As we left, thankfully out of earshot of others, our brutally honest friend reminded us that, in his word, "You two are no spring chickens!"

The little gift of a Book's Inc. book bag and moleskin journal given to us by Bob, helped blunt the pain!  Next stop, Santa Barbara!

Sipping and Signing in Sonoma!

What better place to have a book signing than Sonoma, in the heart of the Wine Country?  First, though, we needed to get there, stopping for lunch along the way with friends in Tiburon.  We expected blue skies and were surprised and unprepared for the downpour on the day of our trip.  We assumed buying an umbrella would be a snap.  Shops sell umbrellas, right?  Wrong!  Not in Tiburon in May!  Thanks to the kindness of strangers, shop owners who took pity on us, we were able to borrow one and arrive at the restaurant only semi-soaked.  We were pleased to hear that the shop owner knew about our book and had already ordered a copy.  The reunion with our friends was wonderful.  Both of us had had working relationships with them, Barbara as a film editor and Fran as a writer.  When it comes to friendship, time seems to disappear and we pick up just where we left off.

And off we went to Sonoma, with Gladys, our GPS, giving us flawless directions to Reader's Books.  Located just a few doors from the historic Sonoma Plaza, where the Bear Flag Revolt took place in 1846, Reader's Books is a book lovers' paradise, superbly organized and boasting thousands of hard-to-find titles.  Owners Andy and Lilla Weinberger have been nurturing the literary appetites of the community for almost twenty years and clearly pride themselves on their personalized and knowledgeable service.

We arrived the day before our reading and had arranged to stay with friends on a lovely, idyllic farm boasting several charming cottages.  Our friends, sensational cooks, had planned a wonderful dinner complete with magnificent wines.  We slept well that night.

The lure of the grape was irresistible, and the next day we visited several wineries and tasted some glorious wines.  Sonoma is home to some of the best restaurants anywhere, one of which is just steps away from Reader's Books.  How could we resist?  After an incredible dinner, it was time for our reading.  The discussion that followed was the liveliest to date with penetrating questions and revealing insights into a whole range of issues -- everything from aging to the meaning of fiction, to the influence of spiritual practice on creativity and much, much more.

Fran went back to Los Angeles the next day, but Barbara decided to stay a few days longer and enjoy this incomparable setting.  After all, as Golde Moskowitz might say, "What's not to like?"

Next stop, SAN FRANCISCO!

San Jose -- What could go wrong?

What could go wrong?  Up at the crack of dawn for our 7:30am flight to San Jose.  The car, reserved, and plenty of time for a leisurely drive to Barnes and Noble.  We boarded on time, the jet engines revved -- and then stopped.   It's a good thing they noticed the oil leak before we went in the air!  A half hour later it was decided a replacement plane was needed.  Would we be on time for our signing?  We didn't know.  Thankfully, an hour later we were in the air.

Our rental car was not as advertised, and we hoped they would take pity on us and provide a car that we would feel safe in driving in unfamiliar territory.  Ultimately that happened -- though at a price.  Our advice to you -- when renting cars online, don't believe the photos represent the car you'll actually be offered.  Take a cue from online dating -- the photo may not represent the date who shows up at the door.

"Gladys," our faithful GPS, got us to the store on time.  There we found several simultaneous events, including a children's signing and guitar fest.  We hoped some of the parents would be drawn to our presentation.  We really enjoyed Barbara's family who showed up in force and took the pictures that accompany this blog.  Off to a celebratory lunch before hitting the road again. 

We spent the night with family in San Rafael, discovered a terrific restaurant -- Citrus and Spice -- and explored Bolinas, a tiny, hippy town accessible only by a mountainous road with hairpin turns and astonishing vistas.

Next stop, Sonoma!

Fran & Barbara

A Grand Slam!

Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena and Village Books in Pacific Palisades proved to be perfect-and well attended - venues for the launch of our book tour. At Vroman's, Southern California's largest independent bookstore, it was "standing room only." The first guest to arrive was a high school friend Barbara hadn't seen since Cadillacs had fins! And Fran's "Sandwich Club" (a group of women stuck between the needs of grown children while caring for older parents) showed up in force.

Village Books, a much smaller venue in Pacific Palisades, had to bring out lots of chairs to accommodate the crowd. Each of us read from the book, and, as promised, lively discussions ensued.

Not that there weren't a few gaffes. Barbara had a "brain freeze" and forgot the name of her brother-in-laws only brother. We hope he'll forgive her. And when we got home, Fran was convinced she left behind a bag of books intended as gifts for family and friends. After frantic searches and phone calls, she discovered she had unpacked the books and put them back on her bookshelf.

All in all, not bad for a couple of ditzy sisters! Stay tuned for more of our version of "On the Road."

Barbara and Fran