Posted on 19th Apr, 2018
Making my Day
It was an ordinary day after being highly stimulated a few days earlier by a book-signing afternoon at Sounds Reflections in Blenheim. My latest picture book, Pepe & Tute, the story of a rare New Zealand forest ringlet butterfly, had just been released, and Skiddies was about to be released (May), so I’d had a fantastic few hours with Glenda and Melva, the owners of the gift shop and people who had popped in to meet me, buy a book and have it personally signed. One retired farmer’s wife bought every book I have ever written after instructions from her fan husband.
Now it was back to earth!
Back to my relatively quiet, remote life in Manaroa, a five-hour round trip from town. The good thing about Tuesday, though, is that it’s mail day. Tuesday and Friday. Mail usually consists of bills, bank statements, free newspapers, many flyers and the odd surprise. And it’s that surprise I’m always looking for but rarely receive, as most of my business and social contacts are now over email and Facebook.
I’d actually forgotten it was mail day, so I didn’t pop on my headlamp and make for the mailbox until evening. On returning, I snugged into the couch, by the roaring wood-burner and flicked through the pile of papers. Amongst them was an odd-sized white envelope (not bill size!) that made me immediately think, late birthday card.
I tore it open. Wrinkles of surprise appeared over my forehead and a slow smile built when I opened the navy card and a lovely ‘bunch of flowers’ popped out at me.
Wow!
I read the words: Dear Marion. Can I have 2 signed copies of Skiddies. Many thanx, Mal.
The address sat below, and when I picked up the paper that had fallen onto my lap, there was the payment.
What a beautiful way to receive a book order. Good, old-fashioned style! And not with just a letter, but a beautiful card, that would have cost.
My day was made.
Contact me
Marion Day801 Manaroa Road, Clova Bay
RD2
Picton 7282
P: (64) 03 579 8448
E: become-inspired@MarionDay.nz
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2024
Marion won the Rural Women's New Zealand National Short Story Competition - Present category. Her story will appear in the 2025 RWZZ Centennial Book, available in bookshops when published. Wellington City Libraries has chosen Pakupaku Pīwakawaka to have its pages transformed into billboards for a nature trail in one of Wellington's central parks. WCL works with the city's Parks, Sports, and Recreation staff on a project called Te Ara Pukapuka (Book Pathways). The billboards will be placed throughout nature trails and reserve pathways in Wellington for tamariki and their whānau to discover while exploring the region.
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Marion is a member of:
- New Zealand Society of Authors (NZSA)
- Storylines
- Rural Women New Zealand
- NZSA Top of the South
- Writers of Marlborough
- Writers in Schools Programme