Oversharing

....here's what I've been up to

The Potluck crew will not be hosting a Zoom call tomorrow, Labor Day. See you the following week.

This column is a bit like showing off a 5,000-piece puzzle put together, framed and hung on the living room wall.

As most Potluck readers know, I’m in the final stages of producing a writers’ and songwriters’ retreat in Okoboji starting on September 22.

I’m obsessed with his project. I’m zealous about encouraging and empowering people to tell their stories (you, too, btw). We are embarking on the fourth year of this event, which I did not intend to be an annual thing.

And, no, I have not decided to continue it another year. I’m 74 and am not a detail person by nature. I have yet to tackle everything on my bucket list. The clock is ticking. This isn’t a tease, but a statement of fact. I’m getting a little old for the minutia, which has grown exponentially each year.

The staff of Lakeside Labs, with Dr. Mary Skopec at the helm, do everything possible to make it come together. From what I know about the benefactors who donated the 147 acres of prime West Lake Okoboji property, I believe this event makes their memory and purpose proud.

Sara Sutter, the director of the neighboring Lakeshore Center, is working with us this year, too, as we are taking over their main hall, chapel, and meeting rooms on that campus for the songwriter’s workshops.

Northwest Bank became a sponsor this year and is promoting the retreat to the bank’s mailing list. Realtor Kirk Stauss has plugged it consistently, and of course, with the University of Okoboji Pep Band, the Richter family at the Three Sons Clothing Store, we wouldn’t have started it in the first place.

This year, we’ve added the president of the Iowa Rock 'n Roll Music Association, Ralph Kluseman, to our Pep Band crew.

Most of our new participants come because of the enthusiasm from friends who have attended in years past. And a big % of our enrollments have attended each year.

The stories from speakers and participants as to how this event has been a pivot point in their lives, have turned out to be addictive.

Word Camp.

Wordstock.

Okoboji Magic

If this is of zero interest to you, there’s no need to read on. But I’m finalizing the agenda, and since this takes up just about every once of mental bandwidth I have (except for trips to the dog park and compiling the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative Roundup) I thought I’d share it with you, my virtual friends.

So, why is this event so different? Well, I look at it more as a big party with a lot of friends, and plow most of the proceeds back into expenses associated with it - speakers, the venue, a sunset cruise on Tuesday night (in addition to the party barges we’ve used in years past, we get to have the Okoboji Queen!). Also, I am committed to having 1/3 of our participants on some level of scholarship. This opens up the experience for emerging writers and enriches the group as a whole.

We’ll have a concert on Monday night thanks to musicians Justin Roberts,

Jason Walsmith

, Carol Montag, Jara Johnson,

Dartanyan L. Brown

and Paul Micich. What a treat! That afternoon, they are holding a workshop for those who want to go behind the scenes and watch these pros put together the event.

Random photos from OWR III

Here is the draft version of the agenda for Monday, September 23. We gather the Sunday night before for a campfire hotdog roast volunteers put on (thanks, Theresa Albertson for being the lead, and Barb Royal for organizing all the other volunteer chores).

Here is what we are planning for Monday, September 23. If you have any interest in the Tuesday and Wednesday agenda, email me. Better yet, enroll and snap up one of the remaining seats, and you’ll get the full packet including a tote bag, pen, notebook, and other goodies.

Ta-da!

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Let me know if you want to see the full agenda (especially if you are considering attending!).

Thanks for indulging this bit of oversharing. Tell a friend?