I watched the flag pass by one day,

It fluttered in the breeze; 

A young Marine saluted it,

And then he stood at ease.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I looked at him in uniform,

So young, so tall, so proud;

With hair cut square and eyes alert,

He’d stand out in any crowd.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I thought … how many men like him

Had fallen through the years?

How many died on foreign soil?

How many mothers’ tears?

  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How many pilot’s planes shot down?

How many died at sea?

How many foxholes were soldiers graves?

~ No … Freedom is not Free! ~ ““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““

 

I heard the sound of Taps one night,

When everything was still;

I listened to the bugler play,

And felt a sudden chill;

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I wondered just how many times

That Taps had meant “Amen,”

When a flag had draped a coffin

Of a brother or a friend;

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I thought of all the children,

Of the mothers and the wives,

Of fathers, sons and husbands …

With interrupted lives.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I thought about a graveyard

At the bottom of the sea,

Of unmarked graves in Arlington …

   No … Freedom is not Free!

~ Kelly Strong 1981 ~

This poem was written by a high school senior (JROTC cadet) at Homestead High, Homestead, FL. in 1981. It is a tribute to his father, a career marine who served two tours in Vietnam.

Kelly served as an active duty Coast Guard pilot and at the US Coast Guard Aviation Training Center.

St. Patrick’s Day is fast approaching and I can already smell the corn-beef and cabbage–a St.Patrick’s Day must in our house. My hubby is half Irish, though with his fair skin and orange beard, he looks more like a giant leprechaun (he really hates it when I call him that *g*). I have always found it interesting that the four-leaf clover is a symbol synonymous for this Irish holiday.  While the four-leaf clover is certainly a universal symbol for good luck, the true Irish clover, aka, the Shamrock, is a THREE-leaf clover. St. Patrick himself chose the shamrock specifically because of the three leaves, using the clover as a symbol of the Holy Trinity. I came across a Celtic gift site that had a some great facts on both shamrocks and four-leaf clovers.

The Shamrock: a 3-Leaf Clover, is Ireland’s most recognized National Symbol.

• In the 5th century when St. Patrick came to convert the Irish information on Christianity could only be spread across the realm from one storyteller, or seanchaí, pronounced shan-a-key to the other.
• In mind of this St. Patrick used to the Shamrock to explain the concept of the holy trinity – that God was composed of three entities – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit – yet each entity was part of the other just like the shamrock has three leaves but a single stem.
• As St. Patrick continued to use the Shamrock in his conversion of the irish it grew, through story telling to be seen as a holy plant, just as he was seen as a holy man.
• It is for this reason that the Shamrock is worn on the St. Patrick’s day and all other special occasions to celebrate his work and to bring ‘a bit o’luck’ to the Irish and all their children wherever they may be.
• Before the arrival of the Christians to Ireland the plant was sacred to the Irish Druids because the three leaves formed a triad.
• The word shamrock comes from the Irish word seamróg or seamair óg, meaning “little clover”.
• The tradition of wearing Shamrock on Saint Patrick’s Day can be traced back to the early 1700s.
• For good luck, it’s usually included in the bouquet of an Irish bride, and also in the boutonniere of the groom.
• In the 19th century it became a symbol of rebellion and began to be strongly associated with Irish identity. Apparently anyone wearing it risked death by hanging. People even ate the shamrock in times of famine.

4-Leaf Clover and Luck:

• Druids held the 4 leaf clover in high esteem and considered them a sign of luck. In 1620, Sir John Melton wrote: “If a man walking in the fields find any four-leaved grass, he shall in a small while after find some good thing.
• According to Irish folklore, finding a stem of clover with 4 leaves will bring you good luck, but finding a clover stem with more than 4 leaves will not bring you even more luck.
• The mystique of the four leaf clover continues today, since finding a real four leaf clover is still a rare occurrence and omen of good luck.
• One leaf is for HOPE… The second for FAITH…The third for LOVE… And the fourth for LUCK!

As I kid, I spent a ton of time searching those clover patches in the grass for the elusive four-leaf clover. Being a person who believes you can’t have too much good luck, those lucky 3-leaf clovers can come in real handy!

So how about the rest of y’all? Ever found a four-leaf clover in those three-leaf clover patches? Any special St. Patrick’s Day traditions in your house?

I love cowboy poetry. Just like my favorite western reads, cowboy poetry is often full of humor and vivid western imagery.  In honor of the approaching Valentine’s Day, I’m going to share a few of my favorites.

A love Poem

My horse is brown,
my dog’s name is Blue.
I feel so lucky to
have someone like you.

Your hair is like cornsilk
blowing in the breeze.
It’s softer than Blue’s
without all the fleas.

Cut from good cloth
like my best longjohns,
You pluck chickens all day
and still sing sweet songs.

I think I’m in love,

and I’m tickled pink.

We go together like, a skunk goes with stink

Gunnin’ for Cupid

By Charlie Sierra

I got my twelve-gauge primed up
With a double-ought buck load;
If Cupid wants to keep his hair,
He won’t come up MY road.

If that varmint comes around this year,
I’m gonna lay him low;
He won’t get no chance to nock
An arrow in his bow.

Ya guessed it- love has wounded me;
My heart’s shot fulla holes,
‘N’ one dang woman slapped
A runnin’ iron on my SOUL!

Them ladies throw a big wide loop
‘N’ rope me ever’ year;
But I’m gonna shoot their scout,
Afore they make this bull a STEER!

I think I’ll mount his cherub head
Right up above the door;
Or should I let him live,
‘N’ keep him ’round to do the chores?

Either way, I reckon
I’ll be doin’ men a favor;
They’ll break them chains of love at last,
‘N’ consider me their savior!

He’s comin’ now, ’cause I can hear
The sound of flappin’ feathers;
All right, Cupid, fill yer hand!
Time to slap some leather!

Aw dang, there’s someone with him!
That Cupid shore is shady;
How’d he know that I ain’t got
The heart to SHOOT A LADY?

For My Valentine

by Bruce Satta

When I’m countin’ blessin’s
You are always first.
You’re there with me in good times,
And right there for the worst.
You’ve stuck with me through thick and thin
Along life’s windin’ trail.
When I describe my love for you -
Well, words can only fail

For at that fateful moment
I first gazed into your eyes,
I felt my soul aflutter,
Like a thousand butterflies.
I felt my spirit soarin’
As high as any cloud,
And since we’ve been together,
I couldn’t be more proud.

We have our disagreements
As every couple will,
Yet, even when our nostrils flare
We love each other, still,
And when we fight and squabble,
You know I can’t stay mad:
Why, you’re the best darned saddle horse
A fella ever had.

Do you have any favorite poems?

If you liked these, here’s a few cowboy poetry sites:

Cowboy Poetry.com,  The Poet’s Corner, Cowboy Fun, Poetry Scriber

According to Wikipedia, the most popular New Year’s Resolutions are to quit smoking, lose weight, exercise more and cut back on alcohol. The Fillies have some other ideas for life in Wildflower Junction. Here they are . . .

 

Pat Potter
I have two. My resolution is to do an act of kindness every day, and to live each day as if it’s my last.

Elizabeth Lane
My resolution for 2010 is to work on living in the moment–it’s called mindfulness. 

Cheryl St. John
I don’t make resolutions, but I do set goals in three categories: Personal, career and craft. One of my goals is to use my date book consistently, plotting deadlines and page counts. Another is to build conflict into my characters, so it’s inherent. One of my personal goals is to plan in more time to read for enjoyment.

Karen Kay
I resolve to lose the weight I put on over the holidays.

I resolve to give as much assistance as I’m able to those who ask. And like Pat to give kindness to others, even in situations where one is tempted to be unkind. It’s said that one only errs in not giving as much kindness as one ought. There are those who would like to make one think that giving kindness is a weakness. I disagree. It takes moral fiber and greatness to be able to give kindness. Native Americans at one time understood this and recorded it.

Only the strong can afford to be kind, and only the weak would punish and harm when one could use other means to resolve differences. To the liars, the betrayers, the murderers and the thieves, I say all this is weakness. And since we live in a universe where one gets what he/she gives to others…guess what?

I resolve to get my everyday schedule working so that I get more work done — and hopefully faster.

Linda Broday
I want to laugh more and whine less. This will be a year for clinging fast to all the things that add joy to my life. I want to make each day really count for something. It’s a time for looking forward with hope and finding peace.

Margaret Brownley
My resolution is to organize my office and knock off at least a foot or two from the 7 foot vertical paper file.

Mary Connealy
My resolution is NO MORE RESOLUTIONS. I resolve to accept and like myself just like I am.  I  might as well….I’ve never had much luck changing.

Stacey Kayne
I have only one resolution: my continued efforts to find balance in my chaotic single-track-mind life; finding a happy, healthy balance of family, work, friends, and “me time” that’s productive and guilt free.  Sounds so simple 

Tanya Hanson
Get an inspirational proposal off. Exercise more and eat less.

Tracy Garrett
I resolve to better balance work time and play time. 

Victoria Bylin
To eat more and sleep less.  Oops!  That’s not right . . . To sleep more and eat less . . . I don’t like that one, either.  How about this? My New Year’s Resolution for 2010 is to eat right, sleep well, write diligently, pray faithfully, walk daily and read books just for the fun of it. Put more succinctly, my resolution is to live each day to the fullest.

Winnie Griggs
I resolve to work on getting better discipline in my life–most notably to begin chipping away at my tendency to procrastinate.

Felicia
Shoot, my vow is pretty simple! I’m gonna make the best durn cider you ever tasted and rope me a handsome cowboy who can put some zip in my doo-dah. Ain’t life grand? 

Margaret Brownley 

According to a recent survey 38% of us will go through the ritual of making New Year’s resolutions this year. Sad to say, only 8% of us will meet with success.  As someone once said, even the best intentions go in one year and out the other. That’s probably because we insist upon making resolutions that involve giving up something (drinking, smoking) or getting rid of something (weight, debt).  

I don’t know what resolutions they made in the Old West, but I’m willing to bet that giving up or getting rid of something was not on anyone’s priority list.  It was more like getting something (land or gold).   Early settlers probably didn’t do any better than us modern folks in keeping their resolutions, but you have to give them credit: some died trying. 

I plan to take my best shot at keeping my New Year’s  resolutions—but dying is where I draw the line. 

 

In 2010

I resolve to….

•  Lose the extra five pounds on my hips.  From now on, I’ll pack only one gun instead of two.

 

• Make an effort to see the good in everyone.   Even barbed wire has its good points.

 

• Stop treatin’ suspicion as abs’lute proof.           

 

• Be more generous.  No more keepin’ my opinions to myself.                        

 

• Make exercise a priority—for my horse.

 

 

•  Practice my quick draw with my gun—not my VISA card.

 

•  Keep from taking sides during a shoot-out, especially shoot-outs involving family members.

 

• Avoid stampedes by shopping online.        

 

• Limit time spent on the open range.  That www dot brand sure can waste a lot of time.

 

• Clean out closets.  Nothing (or no one) should hang that doesn’t deserve to be hung.

 

• Finally: In the year 2010, I’ll do my best to stop  holding up shopping carts and forcing people to buy my book.

 

 

I told you my resolutions–now tell me yours. Afraid you won’t keep them?  Not to worry.  I promise not to tell if you don’t die trying. 

 

Happy New Year!

 

   A Lady Like Sarah is available now!  Order from your favorite bookstore. 

Visit Margaret’s Website:www.margaretbrownley.com

 

Christmas Fruit Pizza

one pkg yellow cake mix

 (orange, butter pecan & fudge work too)

two eggs

one-fourth cup water

one-fourth cup butter

one-fourth cup packed brown sugar

one-half to one cup chopped nuts

 

Mix together, it will be thick. 

Spread in a circle on large cookie sheet and bake 10 -12 minutes at 350, or until golden brown. 

Cool.

 

Spread top with whipping cream (Cool Whip works, too). 

Use any kind of fruit to top the whipping cream. 

Melt apricot jam and brush on the fruit.

 

Ideas for Christmas: 

Kiwi slices cut in half for leaves. 

Strawberries cut in half for poinsettia leaves and pineapple tidbits for center of flowers. 

Green grapes work well, too.

 

See examples below.

 

 

Merry Christmas! 

How many of us, at the end of a holiday dinner, go back in that kitchen and stare at that carcass and just want to throw it straight into the trash.
Yes, there’s still a LOT of food on that thing. But come on, we’re STUFFED. (Insert your own turkey stuffing joke here)

Saving large amounts of food at this point seems like a ridiculous waste of time. A person can convince themselves that it’s the RIGHT thing to do to pitch the whole bird.
Unless you’ve got this recipe. Then you WANT that turkey meat. You’re looking forward to having it on hand.
Maybe not right away, but a week from now you’ll be coming out of your L-Tryptophan induced haze and really be wanting to eat again.
Although, this recipe is so good you might decide not to wait. And you might decide you need to eat it even when you’re not recovering from some major holiday.

 

Turkey Almond Casserole

6 Cups Cooked Turkey
2 Cups raw Rice
2 Cans Mushroom Soup
1 Cup Mayo
½ Cups sliced Water Chestnuts
1/2 cup slivered Almonds
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
1 ½ Cup raw Celery
1 small Onion

Mix ingredients together, top with crushed cornflakes and sprinkle with cheddar cheese
Bake in 9 x 13 pan for 1 hour.

Anyone with a great recipe for turkey….here’s your chance. Post it today. And if you’re awake and your head is clear from the feasting….Merry Christmas Everyone! http://maryconnealy.com

 

 

 

Christmas Bells

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

 

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

 

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

 

Till, ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

 

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The Carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

 

And in despair I bowed my head;
‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said;
‘For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!’

 

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
‘God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!’

JEFFREY KOTERBA’S ARTWORK USED WITH PERMISSION

VISIT HIS WEBSITE: http://jeffreykoterba.com/

‘Twas the night before Christmas in this Junction of ours;

The sky over the prairie was ablaze with bright stars;

Our boots were lined up by the fire with care,

In hopes that Old Santa Claus soon would be there;

Felicia’s ornery mule napped snug there in the barn,

Whilst our visiting guest was spinning a yarn;

O’course Winnie in her wool socks and Tanya in her cap,

Had just settled down for a long winter’s nap,

When out in the corral there arose such a ruckus,

I sprang from bed to see what the heck was…

…outside the window, there on the barn roof,

Victoria banged open the shutters and near busted a tooth!

The moon was so bright it near blinded my eye

And the snow landed like whippin’ cream coverin’ a pie,

When, what to my hornswaggled eyes should appear,

But a covered wagon and eight dusty reindeer!

With a little old driver wearing boots and a hat,

I knew for durned sure he was related to Pat.

He was cheery and bright, a right jolly cowpoke,

And I laughed when I saw him; he was my kind of  folk.

Those reindeers, they ain’t docile. What a hissy they threw!

Nearly toppled the wagon, and Old Santa Claus too.

Quicker’n a youngin’ off to play hookie,

That old geezer came in and asked Linda for a cookie;

She found one and he ate it, so Stacey got milk

Then Karen, she presented him with a scarf made of silk.

But Mary, she hung back, I think she was a’feared

‘Cause all night she trembled and her eyes how they teared

No worry, Margaret told her, the fat guy’s a friend.

To us in the Junction and those ’round the bend,

Sure ’nuff Santa left a package in each Fillies’ boot,

Didn’t matter none to him, they was dusted with soot.

Then somethin’ happened, caught us all by surprise,

Pam and Cheryl showed up with an armload of pies.

We sat down to eat ‘em, and they tasted fine,

Though they couldn’t have baked ‘em; They hadn’t had time;

Old Santa asked for seconds; Bet that’s why he’s merry.

He tried pumpkin and apple, even pe-can and cherry.

Charlene heaped on whipped cream, and still he ate more.

His belly how it swelled! Would he fit out the door?

“It’s my big night,” he declared.  “Only comes once a year.”

Good thing for that, too, or he’d burst I do fear.

He stifled a burp, and a pipe out it came;

“Smoking’s not good for you,” we did loudly exclaim.

“All that sugar and now this, think of your health.

“Think of all the children that count of your jolly old self!”

He listened real close and even nodded his head,

Took right to his heart everything we had said.

He tossed that old pipe in the fire with a pop,

“The Missus, she’s been tryin’ to get me to stop,”

With a hearty laugh and a promise to come back.

The Fillies watched that old fella leap up the smokestack.

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a yee-haw,

And away they all flew, like twister-flung straw.

And we heard him exclaim as that team took flight,

“Merry Christmas, you bloggers, and to all a good-night.”

My new book

The Husband Tree

releases January 1st.

I’ve already talked to someone who’s found it in a store and it’s no longer listed as a ‘pre-order’ on Amazon.

So it’s out there.

A cynical cowboy has to convince the toughest cowgirl you’ll ever meet he should join her family. . .and then convince himself.

 Here’s the beginning 

The Husband Tree

Belle Tanner pitched dirt right on Anthony’s handsome, worthless face.

 It was spitefulness that made her enjoy doing that. But she was sorely afraid Anthony Santoni’s square jaw and curly dark hair had tricked her into agreeing to marry him.

Which made her as big an idiot as Anthony.

Now he was dead and she was left to dig the grave. Why, oh why didn’t she just skip marrying him and save herself all this shoveling?

She probably should have wrapped him in a blanket, but blankets were hard to come by in Montana. . .unlike husbands.

She labored on with her filling, not bothering to look down again at the man who had shared her cabin and her bed for the last two years. She only hoped when she finished she didn’t forget where she’d buried Anthony’s no-account hide. She regretted not marking William’s and Gerald’s graves now for fear she’d dig in the same spot and uncover their bones. As she recalled, she’d planted William on the side nearest the house, thinking it had a nice view down the hill over their property. She wasn’t so sure about Gerald, but she’d most likely picked right, because she’d dug the hole and hadn’t hit bones. Unless critters had dug Gerald up and dragged him away.

Belle had to admit she didn’t dig one inch deeper than was absolutely necessary.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Husband Tree is available now on Amazon. And I’ve had my first reported sighting in a bookstore, so it’s HERE!. I have my author’s copies now. So I can give one away! YAY!

I’ve been playing my Mannheim Steamroller CD constantly on my computer. I just love their version of Deck the Halls. It says Christmas to me. And, I just heard Amy Grant singing Breath of Heaven. So, so beautiful, sort of downbeat and haunting but I keep thinking about it after it stops playing. I just love it.

Listen: 

Breath of Heaven

For a chance to win a signed copy of The Husband Tree and, in the spirit of the season, tell me:

Your Favorite Christmas Song

And to buy The Husband Tree on Amazon

CLICK HERE

And Have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS

http://maryconnealy.com/