"The Connector" - with Laurie Riedman!

If I were working on Joy Ride Journeys (my second book coming soon), a connector could be a part of the engine, or the muffler, or the radio. But, I’m not there yet…please stay tuned.

Instead, I had an IRL meet-up with Laurie Riedman of the WIC (Writing in Community from 2020-2024). When I looked at my iPhone map upon my arrival and knew Laurie lived in the region, I noticed that she lived about 45 minutes from where we were staying in the Finger Lakes Region. So, I texted her when I arrived to see if she would be available sometime while I was there. With a busy summer schedule, she texted back, “Yes!” She was available on Tuesday morning, on the day I was leaving, which worked out perfectly.

Thankfully, the connection worked! We had a lovely breakfast at a locally owned restaurant, which was equidistant from where I was coming from, going north, and Laurie, driving south.

As our conversation deepened, we realized that we had lived parallel lives even though she was born in Connecticut and I in Ohio. We were born in the same year, got married in the same year, have grandbabies born one month apart (March/April 2024), and had to manufacture a lot of sunshine throughout our lives!

The 90 minutes flew by in an instant! I was fascinated by her life and the stories she so freely shared with me. One story she shared with me about her painstakingly restored Victorian home, which she and her husband sold three years ago, could be a book! Laurie is a fantastic storyteller for sure! She was also happy I contacted her, and called me “The Connector!”

Since Laurie was a local and knew many of the townspeople around her Finger Lake, Canandaigua, she saw a friend enter the restaurant who took our photo. It was like I was in Mayberry; it had that homey feel you get in places like this. Our meet-up was another highlight of my trip!

Laurie’s memoir, Diamonds in the Dirt, is terrific! Please take a peek at her story of growing up on a junkyard in Connecticut.

bSoleille!

Terri

Terri & Laurie in Caruso's Cafe, Naples, New York