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Andra Watkins

Thank You, Stephen King!

Walking the Natchez Trace has been a lonely business, filled with thousands of minutes of angst. Of anger. Of discouragement. Then Stephen King invited me to dinner.

Walking the Natchez Trace has been a lonely business, filled with thousands of minutes of angst. Of anger. Of discouragement.

Then Stephen King invited me to dinner.

I sat at a welcoming table with him and his wife. Over grilled salmon and asparagus with some of the best salad I’ve ever had, we talked about family. Connections. The historical challenges of the Natchez Trace. The diversity that can happen within the bounds of one state.

Oh, and we talked about my book, too.

I’m grateful to have been given a respite from the insides of hotel rooms, from the solitude of the great outdoors. Thank you, Stephen and Mary Howard, for making me feel normal for a few hours on a Friday night.

Stephen King is a veterinarian in Tupelo, Mississippi. I met him through my friendship with his sister, Angie King Keesee.

(If you share this post on Twitter and add @StephenKing, who knows what other Stephen King might see it………)

Click here to see the best photos from a rest day on my Natchez Trace 444-mile walk: Andra Watkins Tumblr

You can make lots of noise before the Journey to Charleston Contest ends on April 15. Tweet, Facebook, type and review your way to Charleston, South Carolina in the To Live Forever Journey to Charleston Contest. The more you enter, the better your chance to WIN. Click here to find out more: Support My Aching Feet.

I bet you can still finish my novel before I’m done with my walk. To Live Forever: An Afterlife Journey of Meriwether Lewis is available in paperback and e-book formats at these outlets: Click to Purchase To Live Forever.

Today’s Reader Question. It’s buggy.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1Bya-t2T9k&w=560&h=315]

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67 Comments

  1. Happy birthday, Andra! Here’s a huge hug from the Midwest!

    1. Thanks, Linda. It’s been a great day………other than Dad has disappeared with the car……..

    1. It’s the Tupelo City Hall. 🙂 I know you know a lot about Elvis. Stay tuned tomorrow.

      Also, I got your e-book today. Can’t wait to dive in.

  3. Too funny, and Happy Birthday! Glad you had a good time at the pet cemetery. 😉

    1. Ha. The pets were all nice and well-behaved. Not at all what one would expect from pets of Stephen King.

  4. Happy Birthday! I bet this is one birthday you will always remember 🙂

    I just love your reader questions – thank you for showing those. Oh, and I really like seeing budding and flowering bushes/trees in the background. Spring hasn’t hit northeast Indiana yet unfortunately. We are expecting a small snowfall tomorrow 🙁

    1. Thanks, Pamela.

      I’m trying to snap as many spring flowers as I can, for all the folks still stuck with winter. They’re sparse here, though. I hope you don’t get any snow.

  5. Happy Birthday to you! I’m so glad Mr. King served you such a lovely dinner. And I love the video animation / card whirling into view at the hands of MTM.

  7. My business professor was Stephen King. It was a horrifying class. 🙂

  8. Happy Birthday Andra!

  9. Happy Birthday, Andra! And thank you so much for answering my question 🙂

  11. You had me going for a minute. Happy Birthday! It’s nice to see the sun on your face. I hope the bugs hold off until you have finished.

  12. Just had my birthday and had a wonderful time. I’m wishing you one equal to, or better.

    1. My feet are up now, and Mom is going to get me some dinner, so I’ll take what I can get. Thanks, Jim.

  13. Happy birthday Andra! Looks like you got flowers. What is blooming behind you that’s got the bees so interested?

    1. I’m not sure what that was, Lisa. It smelled really good. Thanks for the birthday wishes.

  16. Congrats on meeting, King, and happy birthday, dear Andra. Mine is the day after tomorrow. So the Inca Trail is next, right?

    Hugs from Ecuador,
    Kathy

    1. I’d love to do the Inca Trail. 🙂 Hope you and Sara have a lovely day on your birthday, Kathy.

  17. The best salad…ever? What made it so very special (besides the company)? Your on the downhill side of the numbers there Missy….so awesome, even though you’re climbing. 😉 Thinking of you. Pulling for you. PROUD of you.

    1. I think it was the dressing. She also made the best brownies I’ve ever had. I’m still eating them.

      Big, big hill climbed today. I think Wednesday will be even worse.

  18. Oh, and last but not least………….HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDRA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  19. Happy, happy birthday Andra! Wishing you a bug-free rest of your trek. And a decadent deep tissue massage. And no more blisters!!

    1. I wish I could find a decent deep tissue massage in Belmont, MS……..going to have to wait til Nashville for that one. 🙂 Thanks for the birthday wishes, Nancy.

  22. Dang IT. You got me good there, you. I was almost Carried away there because I though King moved from where he’s at now to along the Trace. Hmmm. Normally, I wouldn’t Stand for this sort of behavior, but it is your birthday, the sun is Shining and you’re allowed one day free of Misery on The Long Walk you’re on.

    I guess it’s great that it’s spring now, as in Different Seasons, you’d be burning or freezing yourself. Still, I’d bet this trip makes you Thinner if not less likely to want to walk more than two blocks without some sort of phantom pain or other unusual feeling creeping into your legs and feet.

    Oh, speaking of birthdays… I said I was going to bake you a cake, but let’s just say things got a bit… problematic here:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YO6Ks77oYo4

      1. (*beet*) Aw… thanks (*beet!*) Cujo be kidding me? I was half asleep when I wrote that reply (a bout of Insomnia around four Past Midnight)… 😀

  23. Happy Birthday Andra! Way to go on your huge (literally and figuratively) journey.

  24. Brilliant! You certainly piqued my interest with that name drop! And birthday happies to you and your feet. 🙂

    1. Thanks, Karen. (The things we have to do to get attention around here. 🙂 )

  26. Happy Birthday Andra! I hope it is a good day for you. And I hope you get cake.

    1. I had cake last night. I think I’m getting Mexican now for dinner. 🙂 Thanks for the birthday wishes.

  27. Happy birthday, Andra, from all the Shrewsdays xxx
    Stephen King. Well I never.

    1. Thanks, Kate. Please give all the Shrewsdays a hug from me. Even the cats. 🙂

  29. Happy Birthday!

  30. how fun and what a wonderful namesake. happiest of birthdays to you, andra. this is sure to be one you will never forget )

  31. Happy Birthday!!! Mexican has been my dinner of choice for many B’day celebrations. 🙂

  32. Happy Birthday A! I know you are tired but your accomplishments and drive are showing how wonderful your character is. Hope you had a great day

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