Excerpt From PROFESSOR IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS ----------------- "Sittin' On The Rug With Paw Paw"

"Just use a throw away", she said.

The crowd was wrapping through the aisles and thickening at the gate.

I suppose she's right. If I drop a plastic camera and see it ground into popcorn by the oncoming theatre of boots and shoes, there'll be no cost or cringe.

While cloaking myself as juggler of her three media-hounded canines, on tour with the this mother of theirs, I created safe hugs for them just behind the corner of her book signing table. There, a step back from a mountain of mouth buzzing, foot shuffling autograph seekers, . . . I took pictures.

From behind this wooden table, Martha Stewart braced herself for a downpour of words, keepsakes and handshakes. Dog hair by the bale swirled off of Paw Paw, the Chow. Water cups spilled on rugs, with her French Bull Dogs Francesca and Sharkey, too noseless to reach in.

I, in a blissful state by now, fell into repose as one of a thousands cogs,
all click clacking in rhythm.

And those cameras?
They saw a good time too.

No throw away about it.

AJS



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{LEFT - Jodi Padgett, past President of National Cancer Society for Animals, gets Sharkey kisses, along with Andrea Spencer, CEO.}

{RIGHT - Martha Stewart, Founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Jan Bruce, Publisher of Body and Soul Magazine and staff.}



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