After being busy last week with three events for Caring Lessons, yesterday I started getting ready for the next reading at Women & Children First here in Chicago on 2/13. I wanted to make a one-page flyer to bring to a few colleges of nursing for them to post on their student bulletin boards. And since I made my own posters when I was presenting my doctoral research twenty years ago, I thought making a one-page flyer would be a kindergarten project.

It wasn’t.

First, those of you who make your Christmas letters with photos adorably cattywompused on the page probably know about templates. Not me, but I found something layered deep inside my Word program that looked like it would work.

It didn’t.

But I persevered. Hours. Then I was ready to send it to Staples to have 30 printed. I created an account. Lost it. Lost the flyer. Gave up. So today I walked to a Staples not far from me and bought a color inkjet cartridge. My last one was dated April 2007. I guess those colors evaporated from lack of use.

So $57.57 later, I now have printed 30 copies of my self-designed smashing one-page flyer featuring a photo of my book cover and one of me. I would share it with you, but I can’t “select” it to cut and paste, nor will it download.

My original plan was to have the flyer finished yesterday so I could take the ‘L’ to several colleges of nursing today to deliver them in person. But because I didn’t finish the flyer until two hours ago and the weather man is saying get home and stay home, I will place my flyers in manila envelopes and somehow piggyback them to snowplows so they’ll get delivered during the winter storm that promises to make us cozy and cheerful and bright as we are sequestered in our homes for a few days.

So, if you’d like to see one of my flyers, I guess you’ll just have to come to Women & Children First on Sunday, February 13, at 4:30pm. A flyer or two will be posted in the window. 5233 N. Clark St. Ph: 773-769-9299.

See you there!