A week ago I was surrounded by my CWA friends in Atlanta and was running around like a cat with hyperesthesia. This morning I’m chilling at home, drinking a leisurely cup of Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee with my husband, and fighting my kitties for my spot on the couch. The 2014 Cat Writers’ Association 21st Writers’ Conference has been put to bed. Officially, “It’s a wrap.” I’m once again a civilian. And it’s great to be home.
I want to the thank everyone who worked so hard to put the conference on. Where do I start?
- Su Ewing-CWA past president, conference co-chair and good friend for her work coordinating with the hotel and listening to me whine and bitch for six years.
- Marci Kladnik-Contest chair and incoming president. She pulled my butt out of the fire on many occasions. Marci never does any half-vast. (Yes, I know that’s not the phrase.) When our regular categories contest chair suddenly resigned last year, Marci stepped up and saved the day. This year she did an amazing job of leading the contest committee. And when we lost Lorie, and we were asked to find homes for her six cats, Marci jumped in again and arranged the transportation of the kitties to their new families. When I was feeling overwhelmed, she told me, “Dusty, you worry about the conference and finding homes for the cats. I’ll take care of the transportation.” She did. And then when asked to take the reins as president, she did.
- Susan Willett for making lemonade out of lemons. Throughout the final planning of the conference, she was always there. It didn’t matter menial or how complicated the task was, she did it.
- Wendy Christensen for many years, as CWA secretary, she has had my back. She’s the glue of this organization. If I listed everything Wendy does, I’d run out of web space. For starters she’s responsible for the banquet program booklet. And she made the incredible Muse Medallion necklace I wore to the awards banquet. (Contact her about making one for you too.)
- Amy Shojai–I can’t even list everything Amy does. Behind the scenes activities, heading the emergency nominating committee, presenting an amazing talk about DIY publishing and sometimes just a calm word.
- Fran Pennock Shaw- She worked on the nominating committee. She took the book signing off my hands and made it a success despite the constant change. For a the month I was president she sent me gentle prompts, “You should be doing this and this.” And Fran simply does what needs to done. No questions.
- Rachel Phelps-She was our BarkWorld liaison
- Chris Ruben-Brainstorming, BarkWorld liaison, co-conspirator.
- Karen Payne-for the amazing newsletter and by her persistence and discovering Lorie was hospitalized
- Nancy Peterson for handling goodie bag donations.
- Heike Hagenguth-Editor appointment goddess the last 15 years
- BJ Bangs-for heading the nominating committee, taking on the job of VP and providing photographs
- Stephanie Piro for drawing the illustrations that appeared in our banquet program and the cards for the winners display
- Layla Morgan-Wilde-For her CWA website maintenance and blogs, her support and for organizing Absent Friends.
- Belated Sharon Melnyk for handling registration all those many years.
- Jonathan the Bartender-for being Jonathan the Bartender.
If I left anyone off, let me know. I’ll add you.
At the awards banquet I was honored with the Friskies Writer of the Year Award, the Hartz® Everyday Chewable Vitamin Award (for the best entry on senior cats) and the Hartz® Milk Replacement for Kittens Award (kitten rescue award.) I also took home a Muse Medallion for my Catster.com article about the quality of life scale.
However the most difficult and touching moment of the affair came when my friend and AdoptAShelter.com business partner, Chris Ruben, presented me with a bottle of Happy Cat Wine in a red bottle, a gift from absent friend, Lorie Huston. She had written Chris on August 30 (a month before she died) asking him to pick up the bottle to pick up a bottle and she would reimburse her. She wanted to give it to me as a thank you for helping her during her first year as president. Once he read her note and handed me the bottle everything else vanished. I so wish she had been able to present it to me personally.
Thank you to all my CWA friends, the editors, speakers, officers and organizers for a memorable weekend. I’ll see you next year.
