PHX: Come see me tonight at Arizona Storytellers! I'll try not to cry!

Eeek, I'm excited and nervous to be one of the featured speakers tonight at this wonderful event! Arizona Storytellers is a night of local residents sharing stories about living in the Valley of the Sun. I'm going to tell a funny story about my dad and our tamale adventures together. This time every year, my dad would work so hard making 50 dozen red chile tamales for all the family. I think he'll be happy to know that I'm keeping his spirit alive this way, he loved meeting people and he was such a grand story teller himself, he knew how to create the set up, the accents and throw out a popper of a punchline! I hope I do him justice!

Here is my dad with DeAngelo, way back when. Feels like yesterday. Gulp.

I've been really anxious and nervous, praying I don't act like a big baby and start crying on stage. It's soooo hard for me to talk about my dad without that happening. I'm such an emotional wimp! I couldn't even speak at his funeral because I couldn't stop crying. I'm so regretful. That was in 2009, I hope I've pulled it together since then. I think he can feel my jitters and worries from upstairs...

The other night he came to me in a dream. He was excited too, about me telling a story about him for this event. His tamales were his pride and joy. and this event? We're in the Grand Ballroom of the Arizona Biltmore. If he were alive, he'd show up to support me in a tie and fancy shoes!

Anyway, my dream! In my dream he told me,

"Kathy! Don't start crying! Don't be all 'Waahhh, waahh, wahhh, my dad died!' Just tell the story!" 

Ha!!! This is exactly what he would say if he were still alive. It made me laugh and actually eased the pressure. I HAVE to do this right because I don't want to let him down. 

Stay tuned, I'll let you know how it goes! Here is more about Arizona Storytellers, watch this little video to get the gist!