Get Your Foot Out of the Durn Petunias

About the Book

Book Description The stories in this book are from the life of an unusual woman. She is unusual because of the many different kinds of things that have happened to her. After her husband died, she raised her three children in very difficult circumstances in spite of the many setbacks she faced. From the stories from her childhood through her days working for Texas newspapers, she covered everything from macaroni to murder. As a mission interpreter for the National Presbyterian Church U.S.A., she traveled into jungles where there were grass fires and snakes and angry people. She also traveled where there was love and concern and caring people. Some of her life stories are extremely humorous and some are tragic. Her two books, To the Ends of the Earth and A Little Bit Farther, are stories from the many mission areas in various countries around the world. Marj also had a daily column in the Big Spring Herald called “Riding Fence” and now emcees a radio talk show by the same name. Her travels took her into Communist Russia when it was still behind the Iron Curtain and afterward. She also went to North Korea and met the leadership there. Very few people can say that. She went from Brazil to Zimbabwe and from Japan to the Ivory Coast. Marj set up the press conference for Hostage Ben Weir when he came home. And she did the first story of Dr. Kao in Taiwan when he was first released from jail. She admitted that her life had no plan and that she never knew what was coming next. As one of the very earliest women sports writers in Texas, she faced a lot of criticism. Her life took her to meet nine Presidents and many other well known politicians. She admitted that she never had the slightest idea where she was going with the life. “God must have planned it, I didn’t,” she admitted. Come step into the petunias in the White House Garden with Marj and see where you go from there.

About the Author

Author Biography Marj Carpenter, a native Texan, had a 28 year career in newspapers and an 18 year service to the National Presbyterian Church USA. None of her life was ordinary. It was always full of surprises and shocks. She was President of the National Press Women, and Moderator of the 207th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church. Marj has been recognized in books written by Mike Cochran of Associated Press, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson, P.J. Pierce, Elmer Kelton and Sara McClendon. She holds three honorary degrees from Austin College, Presbyterian College in Clinton, S.C. and Presbyterian Women’s College in Seoul, Korea.