Debbie Taylor cover art @ The Wild Rose Press

Oooh la la........

   Here is the cover art for my new book "VICTORIAN DREAM".

                                 The artist is Debbie Taylor. 

1851 England & America.

      Trelayne St.Christopher, a cosseted young English woman, dreams of falling madly in love, just like the daring women in her purloined novels. Now faced with adult responsibilities for the first time in her life, she leaps at the opportunity to manage her father's shipping business. But when Trelayne ignores her prophetic nightmares in favor of passionate daydreams, her best laid plans go dangerously awry.

     Emotionally scarred after the death of his wife, Yankee sea captain Walker Garrison bans romance from his personal manifest--shipbuilding is his only passion. The transatlantic partnership between Walker and Trelayne's father seems a grand idea until her parents are critically injured and one of Walker's crew turns up dead. On the trail of the man responsible, Walker sets sail for England. After meeting his new partner's daughter, protecting Trelayne and not falling in love with her may prove impossible.

          Will he find the murderer, but lose his heart?

****

Excerpt.

         “Have I missed the first waltz?” Walker asked, escorting Trelayne to the center of the room.

         “No. I’ve allowed none to be played, and my poor guests are near to the point of exhaustion from quickstepping about the room.”

          He gave a chuckle, taking a step backward, his gaze gliding over her from head to toe. “You appear to have held up beautifully.”

          As they stood before one another, a hush blanketed the room. It was one tiny momnet, filled with a lifetime of anticipation. Coming to her senses, she caught Penelope’s attention and nodded toward the orchestra. Her friend rushed toward the musicians, nearly tripping on the hem of her dress. The lilting strains of Tchaikovsky soon swirled through the air like a welcoming breeze, and her guests issued playful hurrahs and hurried to find their partners.

        Captain Garrison, male elegance infused with animal-like grace and strength, swept her into his arms—and into a dream come true.

     When he solidly placed his hand at the small of her back, a tingling sensation shot straight up her spine to the roots of her hair. The resulting effect was more potent than wine. She was dizzy with desire, giddy with happiness. She must remember to breathe.

        They stood so close, only their clothing and the heat of their bodies between them—a glorious temptation, just beyond reach. Teasing and taunting, it was a fleeting taste of what she yearned to partake of fully.

       “I’ve thought a time or two about holding you in my arms,” he admitted, in a husky voice. “It feels even better than I imagined.”

         “What other thoughts have crossed your mind?” she dared to ask, finding the courage to stare up at him.

         His eyes crinkled at the corners, but his gaze held passion as well as mirth. “Things a man ought not discuss with a lady.”    

NIGHT OWL REVIEWS SCAVENGER HUNT.

Get ready to FALL into a harvest of prizes and fun.

September 1st through October 31st.

Win gift cards, print books, gift baskets, ebooks, and more!

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You CAN go home again!!!

     I grew up in Moline, Illinois and haven't been back for 35 years. After being lovingly badgered by my two best girlfriends, Cheryl and Leslie, I decided to attend my 45th high school reunion. I haven't had a vacation for 13 years and haven't flown since 1997. Needless to say I was a bit anxious about going. My sister, Kathy, came to the rescue once again, offering to go with me. She is a frequent flyer, and knows all the ropes.

                The flight went well....here we are landing in the quaint Moline Airport. They even let me wear my cowboy hat on board, hats being my fetish and my trademark, I just had to bring it.



                                                                                                       My cousin Mary Ann took us to the library so I could sign my books.  What a thrill. 

       There they were, with their own Dewey Decimal numbers, on the shelf right beside Karen Robards and Nora Roberts.

Who could ask for better company, maybe their success will rub off on me.

      Friday night was the meet and greet at the Bierstube, a German beer garden. When I first saw Cheryl and Leslie we started squealing and laughing like 16 year old girls, and we pretty much kept it up for the next two days. There were about 720 kids in my graduating class, but being a "nobody" I didn't know half of them. About 200 showed up for the reunion.

Saturday morning, Mary Ann, Leslie, Kathy and I went bumming around. We went to Lagomarcino's for an amazing lunch, including their famous hot fudge sundaes. This was not a time for counting calories.

Then we swung by the Mighty Mississippi. Now THERE'S a river for you. Even though low because of the drought in Illinois, it is big and muddy and seems so wide you can barely see across to the other side.

There was a beautiful riverboat docked nearby, wish we could have ridden on it, or even on the river taxi. Maybe next time.

    
Kathy and cousin Mary Ann



      The next stop was Blackhawk State Park. Some of my most cherished memories are of running through the forest near the Rock River, imagining what it was like when the Sauk tribe lived in those very woods as we watched out for poison ivy and poison sumac. The deciduous tree forest is so thick and green and goes on for miles, so different from the pine forests or the sparse gatherings of cotton wood trees in Colorado.

Had fun in the museum chatting with some of the locals.

The three amigas. Kathy,

Mary Ann, & Gini

   Then we grabbed our spoons and had the traditional bowl of  Whitey's ice cream...another taste of heaven. Yes, you know you're home indeed.



     That evening was the big party. Oh boy, a pig roast. Luckily for this vegetarian, there were plenty of side dishes. I've never starved yet. 

What a wonderful evening. We subversively checked out everybody, which was not easy as our name tags were written in  barely discernable fine-line pen, and they did not affix photo's from the year book. It was pretty difficult to recognize anybody. We tried not to be too happy about the gorgeous cheerleaders who now looked chubby and wrinkled.

                                                               Cheryl, Me, Leslie

     I was so proud of Cheryl, she won a prize for being the person attending with the longest military record. She spent 8 years as a National Guard Nurse and is a Captain. Leslie, the brain-trust, won a prize for her good memory regarding the words to the school "fight" song.

     I won an amazing trip down memory lane, and the joy of feeling 16 again for three days. What a wonderful trip.

SCANDINAVIAN SOLSTICE CELEBRATION

                                 
      My amazing sister, Kathy, drove us to Estes Park, Colorado on Saturday 6/23/12, to see the Scandinavian Solstice Celebration.

     It is a beautiful area, and the temperature that day was below the 104 degrees raging in Longmont and Berthoud. Sadly a new wild fire broke out up there that very morning, the smoke drifting in the air, one house already on fire with more structures and trees in jeopardy.

       It has been a tragic year for so many people, and much of our precious Colorado landscape. Our hearts go out to those touched by the fires, and our praise and prayers go to the many firefighters, first responders, and folks aiding and sheltering the people and animals in need.

        The festival was in full swing when we arrived, and it was a welcome joyful diversion. 

                The traditional Maypole was already decorated.

      Usually associated with May day rather than midsummer or summer solstice, the symbolism of the maypole has been continuously debated by folklorists for centuries.

     One theory holds that they are a remnant of the Germanic reverence for sacred trees, as there is evidence for various sacred trees and wooden pillars were venerated by the pagans across much of Germanic Europe.  Norse paganism, held that the universe was a world tree, known as Yggdrasil There is therefore speculation that the maypole was in some way a continuance of this tradition.

      The cross-arm may be a latter-day attempt to Christianize the pagan symbol into the semblance of a cross, although not completely successful

****

    At the Viking Village we saw demonstrations of an ancient horn and drum. Also a wonderful display of Viking tools and crafts material.

              The Norwegian Fjord Horses were also on hand.

        The Norwegian Fjord Horse is one of the world's oldest and purest breeds. It is believed that the original Fjord Horse migrated to Norway and was domesticated over 4,000 years ago. Herds of wild Fjord Horses existed in Norway after the last ice age. Archaeological excavations at Viking burial sites indicate that the Fjord Horse has been selectively bred for at least 2,000 years. They are draft type horses and were used for farming, a tough job traveling up and down the fjords.

                                               These beauties are from the Flying Pig Farm,
                                 Thank you Jeanne for speaking with us and letting us take this photo.

       One of their unique characteristics is that approximately 90% of all Fjord Horses are brown dun in color. The other 10% are either red dun, gray, white or "uls" dun, or yellow dun. The Fjord Horse retains the "wild" dun color of the original horse as well as the primitive markings which include zebra stripes on the legs and a dorsal stripe that runs from the forelock down the neck and back and into the tail. Dark stripes may also be seen over the withers.

                                                                                                  stock photo
        Another unique characteristic of the Fjord Horse is the mane. The center hair of the mane is dark (usually black) while the outer hair is white. The mane is cut short so it will stand erect. It is trimmed in a characteristic crescent shape to emphasize the graceful curve of the neck The white outer hair is then trimmed slightly shorter than the dark inner hair to display the dramatic dark stripe.

     Fjords generally range in size from 13.2 to 14.2 Hands and weigh between 900 and 1200 pounds at maturity, with a few individuals ranging outside these measurements.

               There were lots of booths selling a wide range of tempting items and bright colors seemed to be everywhere in flowers,
                            and lovely Scandinavian pottery.

    Then the day was over and we headed home, munching on roasted sugared almonds, tired , hot, but happy.  A good time was had by all. And on the way out of town, a real treat, several head of elk grazing by the road.

FRILLY HATS AND FANTASTIC CARS

Saturday June 16th was the Berthoud Home Tour, Quilt show, and Antique Car Rally.

The cars and quilts were works of art,

and I got to wear my new hat!

    Below we have Anne, inside the McCarty Fickel House, dressed in her "Fannie Palmer" outfit as she shows off some of the beautiful hats we have on hand.

Then there were the cars. Be still my heart. I would love to have any one of them for jaunting around on a summer day.

Hope your summer is full of the things you love, HAPPY SUMMER SOLSTICE........

Blessed be.... 

A BIT OF BERTHOUD HISTORY/STEPPING BACK IN TIME

       The Berthoud Historical Society rescues a cabin built in 1874.


       Charles Meining built his handhewn homestead cabin on the banks of the Little Thompson Creek with the hopes of using it temporarily while he built a more suitable frame house covered with clapboard siding. Did he envision flowers growing in the yard, a corral with livestock just out the back, and a field full of crops taking root nearby? Sadly he wasn't to see such dreams come true or to grow old there. The cabin was completed, but he lived only a short time there before succumbing to pneumonia.

     The 14 x 22 foot cabin still stood, perhaps filled with those unrealized dreams, hidden away inside a larger dwelling, waiting for the day it would be brought back to life and feel the sun once again on it's timbered walls.

    During a remodelling episode in 2001 the little cabin was discovered and donated to the historical society by Gary and Julie Moon. Generations of plaster and clapboard were carefully removed dismantled, and the little dwelling was restored to beyond its former glory. The cabin was given a new lease on life.

     After months of hard work, May 12th, 2012,there was a dedication ceremony. I felt fortunate to help by serving good old fashion pie to the crowd who came to see this bit of history unvailed. Jan, another Historical Society volunteer, and I dressed in period clothing, and when I later walked through the little cabin, it was like stepping back in time.

     The cabin was so small, what was it like to live in such confines with room only for the most precious of items. The walls were chinked with a mixture of cement, sand, and lime. There wasn't a stove yet, but I knew which corner I'd want to put it in if I were the housewife. Tiny steps led to the upper floor where sleeping would be warmer in winter but dang hot in the summer.  Did it stand up well to the wind coming off the foots, or to a Rocky Mountain blizzard or the dust in the summer months?

     It's a lovely place to dream of what might have been and I hope somewhere Charles Meining knows how many people are admiring and appreciating his little cabin. 

MAYPOLES & BONFIRES-HAPPY BELTANE

     

                         Beltane is a crossquarter Celtic holiday.

    It is a day the bonfires burn bright, darkness is over shadowed by light, Vulcan rules and lights our way into the summer months to bring us the fragrance of the flowers now blooming. 

    It is customary to wash your face in the morning dew to enhance beauty both physical and spiritual. Also, regardless of size be it an apartment or the rolling hills of a cattle ranch, to walk the perimeter of your land giving thanks and asking that it be protected.       The morning dew washes away our cares of winter and gives life to the green man, Hern of the forest . Mother Earth now releases the tiny plants that are the bounty of our life and the hope of summer. 

            May is Mary’s month and she is honored as a true and miraculous mother. Her shrines and alters are bedecked with flowers.

   The triple Goddess, Maiden, Mother, Crone is also honored. She who reminds us that all stages of life are holy and with purpose.

    We also honor our earthly mother, and I am thankful that I was blessed to be raised by a woman of such goodness and love. Happy Mother's Day.

      Some believe Beltane is the traditional marriage of the God and Goddess and is celebrated on May 1st. In ancient pagan times, this was the only marriage sanctioned during the month of May and only divine marriages, including those of kings, could be "sanctified" during May. Others had to wait until June, which is where the tradition of the June bride comes from.

 

         Beltane is the time of the ripening Earth and the appearance of the May flowers.




In many parts of Europe and in parts of the New World as well, the Maypole is erected and danced around in a sunward (deosil) motion. (the pole was often recognized as a phallic symbol)

         The Maypole is traditionally of Oak (a sacred tree of the Druids) and decorated with Hawthorne wreaths. The ribbons of the Maypole signify the softness of the Mother as the Maypole itself symbolizes the God.

       The ribbons are of many colors and in some traditions each color has significance. When the dancers chose a ribbon it is not uncommon for them to announce, "I dance red, for romance." or "I dance green for good fortune." As the dancers weave and twine the ribbons around the Maypole a cone of power is raised and their wishes are bound tightly into that cone.

      Traditionally, the last woman left holding a ribbon is crowned Queen of the May. There are a variety of methods of choosing the Oak King or King of the May. Often he is the man who is able to toss a wreath high enough and accurately enough to "ring" the Maypole. In other traditions he is the last man holding a ribbon after dancing the Maypole. Yet in other traditions the King is selected by the Queen to be her consort.

     As fertility of the people, animals, and land was essential for
survival, many traditions were engendered in this holiday. 

      As with all children conceived at festivals, children who are born nine months after a Beltane festival are considered gifts of the Gods and are referred to as "Merry Be Gots."

     In many parts of Europe, the Maypole was believed to increase fertility of women and cattle. Infertile women would embrace oaks on May Day. Other cultures deemed rolling on the ground under an apple tree a fertility enhancer. A bough fastened to one's home was believed to help cattle produce more milk.

    Beltane is also known as Cetsamhain and is directly opposite Samhain in terms of the wheel of the year.  And because Beltane means "good fire", bonfires were once used to mark the symbolic return of the sun and renewed life. 

     Great fires are lit, some folks leap the flames to show the exuberance of the season. It is believed that leaping the fire and declaring one's desire or intentions will help seal the outcome of what is wished for.

       The fire itself was made of nine different kind of woods. The number nine is a sacred number, representing the triple Goddess three times over. The woods included birch for the Goddess, oak for the God, fir for birth, willow for death, rowan for magic, apple for love, grapevine for joy , hazel for wisdom, and hawthorn for purity.

      In times long past the young people of the villages and towns would go into field and forest on May Eve to gather flowers. They would return to their villages the following day and gift each home with flowers. In turn they received the best food and drink each cotter had to offer. The revelers would bless the fields and flocks of those who were generous to them, in a similar manner to those well-gifted on Samhain (Halloween).

     Customs associated with Beltane include skimming water from the top of a wealthy person's well in order to bring luck. The battle of the Oak King and Holly King occurs at this festival, with each fighting for the love of the Goddess. The Oak King wins and presides until Samhain when the Holly King wins as Lord of the waning year.

                  

 

Wishing you a beautiful Spring seaon.......