Falling in Love by Bea Tifton

Fall is fast approaching, and I am almost giddy.  In North Texas, the summers are blisteringly hot and I am heat intolerant so I am unable to do much. The State Fair of Texas begins in late September, and I have many fun memories of attending.  The air seems a little less humid and more crisp. I make baked apple dishes and soup. And some years I can even break out the fall sweaters. Actually, fall comes late to Texas if it comes at all, mid-October usually. Sometimes we skip fall altogether and go from summer to winter. But I love the idea of fall. At the top of my bucket list, I have the desire to go to New England in the fall and take a leaf peeping/whale watching tour. Some people think the leaves don’t change at all in Texas, but they do somewhat. We take what we can get. 

 

So, even though I’m jumping the gun a bit, I’d like to share five quotes about the loveliest of seasons, fall. 

“There is a harmony in autumn, and a luster in its sky, which through the summer is not heard or seen, as if it could not be, as if it had not been.” Percy Bysshe Shelley

“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” Albert Camus

“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” F. Scott Fitzgerald

“I notice that autumn is more the season of the soul than of nature.” Friedrich Nietzsche

“Autumn whispered to the wind, ‘I fall, but always rise again.’” Angie Weiland-Crosby 

And, of course,every day is always a great day to fall into a good book. 

Happy fall, everyone!

 

Photo Credits: Pexels.com

Squash still life: Mathias P.R. Reding

Boy in leaves: Scott Webb

Mountains: Michael Block

Tree Branch: Pixabay

Baby: Marina Abrosimova

Forest with Sunlight: Johannes Plenio

Lady with Leaves: Andrea Piacquadio

Redhead Reading: Geri Art

 

History of Thanksgiving~ Sherri Easley

 

History of Thanksgiving~ Sherri Easley

Since my book is set in 1942- here is another little tidbit of information I found in my research:

 
Have you ever wondered why we have Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November?

In 1789, President Washington declared Thursday, November 26, as a "Day of Publick Thanksgivin," according to the National Archives.

For the next 70 years, Thanksgiving was held on various dates and months, as announced by the president in office.

In 1863, President Lincoln made a Thanksgiving proclamation setting the last Thursday of November as standard.

Seventy years later, in 1933, November had five Thursdays. Because of this, the Downtown Association of Los Angeles asked President Roosevelt to push back Thanksgiving by a week to create a longer time for commercial sales. The President denied the request and everyone had Thanksgiving on the last Thursday as in previous years.  

Roosevelt, however, was president for a long time, so long that another five-Thursday November rolled around in 1939. Once again, business leaders asked if the date for the holiday could change to a week earlier to give people more time to shop for Christmas. This time Roosevelt agreed to do it. This date change angered people as they felt the President was catering to large retailers so they could make more money.

A few state governors decided they would continue to have Thanksgiving on the last Thursday of the month, as usual. For two years, some people ended up celebrating Thanksgiving a week earlier or later than others.

Finally, on December 26, 1941, Congress passed a law making Thanksgiving the fourth Thursday of November.

Fortunately for my character, Emma, she loves Thanksgiving, and they celebrated both days.

Source: NPR.org

What's New in the @JacquieRogers Neighborhood

What's New in the Rogers Neighborhood

by Jacquie Rogers

Before I get started, let's take care of the important business:  ABBA is releasing a new album after 40 years!!!  

Okay, now that we have taken care of priorities, let's get down to the business of life in the writing lane.

I missed my blogging date last month and I'm sorry about that.  Life has been a bit on the busy side.  It's hard to grow a large garden, harvest, and preserve food all with recent shoulder surgery.  I'm afraid that I won't get it all done this year--more for the squirrels, apparently.

But we did have our Silver City readers' event, which was a total blast as usual.  You should seriously consider joining the fun in 2022!

This is how you fashionably coordinate a corset and a sling. LOL
Tresa Hiatt is in the middle and Colleen Paxton is on the right.

Here's a bunch of happy people eating a fabulously delicious dinner

prepared by Idaho Hotel owner Jerri Nelson and staff.

So what do you do when you're ridiculously busy and have a bum shoulder on top of it all?  Easy! You buy a camper.  We opted for a teensy one so it would be easier to pull and also we can go more places.  The trade off is that it's, well, teensy.  There's no counter space and the sink is really small.  The bathroom is rather convenient, though.  You can sit on the toilet, brush your teeth, and take a shower all at the same time.  Now that's efficient.

Here's a picture of our Casita next to a friend's 42' motorhome.

Someone commented that our little travel trailer looked like the
propane tank for the motorhome. Hahaha.
So we named her The Tank.

Are you hungry?  I made a taco pie.

It was really good with cilantro, sour cream, and salsa piled on top.  All I did was make a keto pie crust (added corn flavoring), sprinkled cheese on the bottom, then a layer of taco meat, cheese on top of the meat, then olives and cilantro. And of course everything tastes better cooked in a cast iron skillet.

Did I mention my nephew got married?  They had a lovely wedding at his parents' house (my brother and SIL), so we pulled The Tank to their horse pasture and had a great time.  All except for the getting sick part.  And no, I did have any alcohol!  Nevertheless, I'm a real softie when it comes to weddings.

So until next month, Happy Reading!

Jacquie's Website | Amazon author page | BookBub

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Honey Beaulieu - Man Hunter series

Hearts of Owyhee series

COASTING INTO FALL!

By Caroline Clemmons

We’ve survived summer, and we’re coasting toward fall. In North Central Texas, summer lasts through September and sometimes into October. August usually brings our hottest temperatures. Fortunately, this year was kinder.

My family recalls 1980, a year we had so many consecutive days over 100 degrees F that many people got the T-shirt touting they’d survived. We had guests from Tampa, Florida on a day that was 113 degrees. One of the sons asked, “Why do you live here?”

Hmm, at the time I didn’t have a good answer. I still can’t explain it except to say, “It’s a Texas thang.” We’ve lived in other states—California and Florida. Both are lovely places with many benefits and attractions. But, we always come “home” to Texas. But I digress.

Fall is my favorite season. Mother Nature paints most trees lovely shades of gold, orange, and red. Our weather becomes bearable so we can enjoy being outside.

In fall, we pick up the anticipation of the approaching holidays. Indeed, from now until December 24, I’m filled with plans and happiness. You see, I’m a Christmas-aholic. I’m not being irreverent, because I’m a devout Christian who reveres the “reason for the season.”

At the same time, I love the joy of giving gifts to those we love and to those in need. Don’t you giggle inside with anticipation of how pleased a loved one will be with what you’ve chosen? I do. Of course, we don’t always see the loved one or friend open the gift, but we have a good imagination.

A friend and I enjoy choosing names from an Angel tree and try to get those in the same family. That way we’re assured that each child’s gifts will be similar—at least in value. Again, we laugh inside when we imagine the happiness each child will feel.

I treasure all the decorations. I’m not alone—some people leave their tree up all year. A week or so before Christmas, Darling Daughter 2 and I drive around to look at the lights. We ooh and aah at the elaborately decorated homes.

Before then, there’re Halloween and Thanksgiving.

I’m amazed that Halloween has become as big on decorations as Christmas. The knowledge makes me a little sad because it means Christmas is less special to those people. But, I suppose it’s all in fun.

Thanksgiving is not a huge holiday at our house. We try to be thankful all year, so one day of thanks seems contradictory. Still, we get together for a special meal. Being together is a reason to be thankful.

Fall arrives officially in a few weeks. Do you welcome the change or long for summer weather all year?

Life changes quickly as it speeds by. Enjoy each day! 

For the Love of Lavender

 “The air was fragrant with a thousand aromatic herbs, with fields of lavender, and with the brightest roses blushing in tufts all over the meadows.” ~ William C. Bryant

(lavender in our garden)

I'm happy to report success with lavender these past few years and I've been encouraged to plant more varieties. Phenomenal, which has lived up to its name, is an outstanding introduction in the lavender world. The shorter Munstead variety has proven reliable, and an even smaller one called Lavance Purple has made it through the spring and summer. The true test awaits it. My thoughts as to why lavender has survived the past two winters here with its tendency to freeze and rot is because I planted it along my rock border, a low wall I'm building by adding every rock I find. The stones absorb the sun's heat and give the plants some warmth and shelter from icy winds. I also mixed small stones into the planting hole for better drainage. Fingers crossed for this coming season.

If asked to choose my favorite herb, lavender would be at the top. The scent is wonderful, transporting even, and has a calming effect. Some enthusiasts take lavender internally, but I have not done this. I'm probably missing out. I've also used lavender oil to heal cuts and skin ailments. The oil helps ward off biting insects and mosquitoes.

(bees visiting our lavender)

Lavender is a perfect companion plant for roses and beloved by bees and butterflies. When I envision old English gardens, lavender comes to mind, but this antiquated herb goes much farther back to ancient Egypt, Rome, and Greece. It's a biblical herb. There is a heated debate as to which plant is meant by 'lavender' in early references. A costly oil made from the rhizomes of Spikenard, a plant native to the Himalayas, is called both spikenard and nard and sometimes confused with lavender. That is believed to be the perfume Mary Magdalene poured on Christ's feet, unless it was made from true lavender or 'nard' as the Greeks called it. And then there's an aromatic herb called spike lavender, related to lavender, also used by the ancients that enters into the debate. 

I'm not sure we can know for certain which plant is meant unless we go back in time. It's also unclear exactly when lavender arrived in England as the herb we know, but it seems to have been in common use by the sixteenth century. Some monasteries grew lavender much earlier, as monks were the keepers of herbs and the knowledge of their uses during the dark ages. Bless them. It's not worth a knock down drag out fight over lavenders arrival in England. As a local country woman once said of her toddler's moods, it's all 'right mixy.' So if you used lavender in an English historical and have gotten some flack over it, don't worry about it. You can justify its use well back if need be. Lavender is a fascinating herb with an amazing legacy stretching back into the mists of time.

I grow lavender, enjoy its beauty and fragrance, and use the lovely oils. I also use it in sachets, but you can do more. Let me know if you do.

DAILY TIME SPENT READING IN THE U.S.

by Judy Ann Davis

In 2020, according to Statista data, adults in the United States spent more time reading on weekdays than in the past seven years. The average time spent reading in the U.S. amounted to 0.34 hours (approximately 20 minutes) on weekdays, while daily time spent reading on weekends and holidays reached 21 minutes or 0.35 hours.

And before we get too excited, in 2019, the time spent reading for personal interest varied greatly by age. Individuals 75 and older averaged 48 minutes of reading per day, whereas individuals 15-54 read on average 10 minute or less per day.                                              

Recently, Better Homes and Gardens (BH&G) magazine verified the above statistic, stating in their August 2021 edition that “the average 15-44 year old spends only 10 minutes or LESS reading daily.”

Disheartened, I dug into articles about reading. What did I find? The only logical conclusion I can make is that electronic devices, radio, and television have replaced reading—even though reading strengthens a person’s mind, and boosts memory and thinking skills. Again, according to BH&G, research shows  reading also reduces stress levels by 68 percent. Avid readers know even a few minutes before bed time with a good book helps a person to wind down and find sleep easier and faster. Reading also increases vocabulary, allows a person to better understand the mental state of others, and can make a person more self-confident.

I’m throwing this out for no other reason than to enlighten everyone that authors today have an even harder task of gaining readership in a changing world now that it’s electronically driven. It makes authors wonder where, when, and how should they target advertisements or social media posts. It makes us wonder about the intelligence level of our nation as a whole. It makes us wonder where we might be headed in the future. And it makes me somewhat dispirited.

What do you—as a reader, writer, or author—see as we navigate these new waters? Are you concerned? Or do you just see this as our ever-changing world?

I’m highlighting my new cover for Under Starry Skies again. It’s designed by Silver Sage Book Covers. The dog’s name is Swamp, a mutt rescued by rancher Tye Ashmore from a river. It's Book 2 of the Ashmore Brothers. Red Fox Woman is Book 1.

BLURB:

Hired as the town’s school teacher, Maria O’Donnell and her sister Abigail arrive in the Colorado Territory in 1875, only to find the uncle they were to stay with has been murdered.

Rancher Tye Ashmore is content with life until he meets quiet and beautiful Maria. He falls in love at first sight, but her reluctance to jeopardize her teaching position by accepting his marriage proposal only makes him more determined to make her part of his life.

When their lives are threatened by gunshots and a gunnysack of dangerous wildlife, Tye believes he in the cross-hairs of an unknown enemy. Not until Maria receives written threats urging her to leave does she realize she is the target instead of the handsome rancher.

With the help of Tye, Abigail, and a wily Indian called Two Bears, Maria works to uncover her uncle’s killer and put aside her fears. But will she discover happiness and true love under Colorado’s starry skies?

                             CLICK HERE FOR:   Judy Ann Davis's Amazon Author Page