Posted by: Gail Anderson-Dargatz - Author of Turtle Valley

My husband and I had our honeymoon this past August at the Writers at Woody Point festival in Newfoundland, where I launched my new novel Turtle Valley. It’s a wonderful event where musicians and authors share the stage. Music, music everywhere, but I couldn’t get my man to dance. One of the local ladies, who I’d watched dance night after night, finally tapped Mitch on the shoulder and said, “You’ve got to let your inner Newfoundland out!” Mitch did find himself out on the dance floor in the end, but it took a wee bit of magic to get him there.

Stan Pickett and his band The Pickett Line were playing at the Old Loft Restaurant where we had supper one night. We were chatting away, only half taking in the music. Then I poked Mitch to get him to listen. The band was playing “Music for a Found Harmonium,” by The Penguin Café Orchestra. It was our wedding march! Mitch got up to tell Stan what the song meant to us, but I still couldn’t get him to dance.

At the wrap-up event at the Legion on the last night of the festival, Stan Pickett and his band were playing once again. After the party had been rollicking for a bit, Stan told the crowd that Mitch and I were on our honeymoon, and that he had a surprise for us: the band would play us “The Wedding Gift,” a slow dancin’ tune written by a friend of his, Dave Panting. What could Mitch do? Everyone at the Legion was turned to us. So he led me to the floor and I got my honeymoon dance with my husband, just a shuffle really, but when he whispered in my ear that he loved me, that was good enough for me.

For more of Gail’s adventures at Woody Point, check out her blog.