The cover of the July 2012 edition of the Pinelands Muse (click on thumbnail)
My doorbell just rang – to reveal a most welcome visitor: Glynnis, here to hand me my very own copies of the latest Pinelands Muse Community Magazine, freshly printed and still in their protective plastic wrappings!
Thank you for the personal delivery, Glynnis!
Can you see what it says on the cover? “Regine & Richard in America”?
Yep! They published an article about Our Little American Roadtrip of Feb/March 2012. Isn’t that amazing?!
So guess what I did?
Page 1 of my article – click on the thumbnail
I brewed myself a cup of tea, stuck one of yesterday’s rolls into the toaster, and, while waiting for it to pop, carefully removed the July 2012 edition of the Muse from its plastic sleeve.
Max and Glynnis are using a different printer this time, and have – thoughtfully – decided that it would be wise to have the magazines wrapped in plastic for the soggy winter months because most people’s postboxes tend to get waterlogged at this time of year.
And no one wants to read a damp magazine!
Page 2 – click on thumbnail
It took a lot of self-control to delay turning the pages until I reached my article, let me tell you. But no, I made myself sit down with my tea and my honey toast, and read all the beautifully crafted articles from front to back, and marvelled at the work that must have gone into producing such a lovely and informative magazine… and suddenly, there was my article (PDF scan here: PinelandsMuse_July2012_Our-little-American-roadtrip)!
Oh, dear friends…. there are few things in life more exciting for a wannabe writer than seeing your name in print. In proper print, I mean, not in cyberspace. Such joy.
I am content. 😀
Grains of Sand 
CONGRATS! you musty be thrilled, & deservedly so.
I am, I am. I wonder what it is about seeing your name in print, hey? It’s more authoritative, somehow, is that it? Do you remember how you felt when you published your book? 🙂
Congratulations, Reggie! Today I am jumping up and down for you!
Why thank you, Miss Kathy! Are you still recovering from having one of your recent posts (this one) ‘Freshly Pressed’?!
Thanks, Reggie, am still happy about it. But not very happy because a chunk of my tooth just fell out and now need a crown. 😦
Oh no! I’m so sorry to hear that! Owww! I hope it’s not too painful? Can you get to the dentist quickly?
It’s not too painful. I was able to go to the dentist almost immediately and he scheduled me for the crown tomorrow at 5. Just kind of in shock about it… Thank you, dear friend.
What a relief you could get an appointment so quickly, Kathy. Now hang in there, and get some rest, and have some smoothies or soft food until your tooth is fixed. Thinking of you!
Hi Reggie
Thanks for the post – the grass certainly doesn’t grow under your feet! We enjoyed hearing about your American Road Trip. … Our first travel story about America, in the Muse! The online version is up now at http://www.pinelandsdirectory.co.za
Hope the trip to the stables went well today.
G
Hi Glynnis – yes, this afternoon was VERY interesting! I was allowed to join inspector Diana and the three farriers when they went to the Boland Scrapyard on the Cape Flats, where they hold a mobile clinic at the side of the road, and then had to rush off to find and bring back a horse that had been involved in a motor vehicle accident – but thankfully not hurt, just really freaked out by the whole experience. Their work can by no means be described as “a normal day at the office”! I plan to write something about the afternoon as soon as I have time!
Well done. I am sure you are set to become a regular contributor. Surely a feature on the cart horses is on the cards? I have so enjoyed reading those posts.
Thanks, GardenGirl. Yes, you are right – I shall ask them if they would like a piece on the cart horses, as they are so much a part of life in this neighbourhood.
excellent, congratulations!
Thank you, Dan!
Well done Reggie. I can only imagine how thrilling it must be to see your article in a magazine. I’m sure its just the beginning of your writing career.
Thank you, Rosie. I hope I’ll get a chance to write some more articles for various magazines in the coming years too. It is very rewarding.
Congrats! Lovely article, so interesting to read about my country from a visitor. Love it that you ate at Cracker Barrel, they are a tourist attraction in themselves. I’m sure the Pinelands readers enjoyed it, too.
Thank you, Sally. Glad you enjoyed reading the article; yes, we loved eating at the Cracker Barrel – such an unusual chain of restaurants. I usually had their baked potato special, with a tasty mixed salad – the spuds were so huge, that I sometimes only managed to eat half, and then took the other half and half of the salad along to have for supper, or the next day. Delicious!
P.S. I had to Google “padkos” 🙂
Chuckle – it means ‘food for the road’ in Afrikaans. Basically, some snacks, fruit, sandwiches, juice, yoghurt… 🙂
I’m glad that your work is beeing published in this magazine too – congratulations, Reggie!
Thank you so much, Truels!
Congratulations, how wonderful for you. 🙂
I like your style, reading the magazine slowly from the start and not just turning pages to find your own article, – that is really self-control of first degree. 🙂
Thank you very much, Giiid. It is marvelous to appear in print!
Wow. I can only just read in awe! This is such a style of amazing lucidity! I am present all over again just seeing the words…keep writing Regg!
THANK YOU, Bobz.
Well done Reggie! What a task it must have been for you to condense such an adventure! I love that image of you on the snow with your arms in the air.
What a task, indeed! I also like that image – it was done as a bit of a joke, really. Before we travelled to the US, I’d been excitedly looking forward to seeing my very first snow in real life – and perhaps even building a snowman. But the weather was great, so – no snowman! When we thus found this pile of slushy frozen snow, I just had to pose.
Oh Reggie, I’m so happy to hear that your wonderful stories are getting published – congratulations!
Thank you muchly, Lisa – it’s so exciting to see one’s name in print. Do you have a community paper or magazine in George? You take such lovely photos, and write so eloquently about your trips and excursions on your blog – have you thought of submitting any of your material?
I’m still practising to get up to your standards! 😉
Aw, no, your writing is *already* at a high standard. Thanks though 😉
I haven’t seen this one before, and I want to give you a belated congratulations. I can certainly understand your excitement. Very nice – and the article was nicely laid out. Even for me who’s work is in the media, there is something special about a proper print.