Meeting everyone at the San Antonio BBQ was an amazing experience...
I stayed at the Holiday Inn, where all the LA posse were too (Philip/Sparky/Dan/Scott/Lynn), and honoury members Jan and Ellen...
After the Friday evening Dan, who had a suite, invited us back to his room where we all sat chatted and I got to know the LA posse and they me... They absolutely LOVED Jackie, or as they said THE PAINTED SHOES... They had long chatted about her wonderful posts and love that she spread around the forum... I told them that when I arrived in he states I had stayed with Jackie, and they immediately asked me all kinds of details, 'Describe the Painted Shoes Home' 'What does the Painted Shoes eat for breakfast' etc etc... They had adored her from afar...
The mischevious side of me, of course told Jackie that some of the group idolised her, and that she should go and make a speech to them...!!!!
She looked at me in that confused way, and said 'Honey you must be joking...Me?
' - I told her that the posse adored her and everything she stood for on the forum... She asked 'But what will I say' - I told her just to be herself...
You could literally see her pulling herself together as she went over to the posse who were gathered together...
I know this was very special to Jackie to have a group of people that talked about her, and appreciated her, people that she did not really know... just from what she wrote...
Hence, I quite often referred to her in he diner as 'THE HALLOWED PAINTED SHOES...'