Hoping you have a wonderful day celebrating in a way that brings you joy and contentment. May you be surrounded by love and loved ones and food you love. May you eat too much, laugh too much, hug too much, and just plain have too much fun. Take a moment to count your blessings and share a smile. Go to bed contented and at peace.
The holidays are upon us! I had barely dropped bags of Halloween candy into my shopping cart when I turned into the next aisle and was bombarded by a full-blown display of Christmas. The retail community had completely overlooked the day set aside for gratitude and giving thanks.
This revelation gave me pause, as I wondered how the celebration of Thanksgiving came about. Was it suggested by a group of civic-minded people or just one person? How was it decided to celebrate the day on the fourth Thursday in November?
So, like much of my research, down the rabbit hole I went. To my delight, I discovered once again it was a woman who led the campaign, giving us a day set to give thanks for the blessings and freedoms we enjoy today.
Suddenly finding herself a widow and single mother with children to support–including a brand-new baby–Sarah wrote a book, Northwood. Its success led to a job offer for the “editorship” of a new “ladies” magazine, turning Godey’s into one of the most important periodicals in 19th century America. Though it is now remembered primarily for its fashion plates, crafts, and household tidbits, it covered social issues as well.
Year after year, Godey’s Lady’s Book published the same plea. Each year the campaign brought new success. By 1851, 29 out of 31 states celebrated a day of Thanksgiving. However, not on the same day so she continued to insist the holiday be celebrated on the exact same day.
Despite her claims, she had not achieved the ultimate endorsement; a proclamation from the President. In 1861, with civil war looming, she focused on national unity as her strongest selling point.
Finally, under these conditions and the stress of considerable loss of life, a devastated Southern economy, and public support for the holiday, President Abraham Lincoln endorsed and proclaimed, “a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelt in the heavens.” Furthermore, he stated, Americans should “fervently implore” blessings from the Almighty to “heal the wounds of the nations, and to restore it…to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and union.”
Successive presidents continued the tradition and proclaimed a yearly Thanksgiving at the end of every November. Still not satisfied, Hale’s magazine urged Congress to recognize the holiday. Unfortunately, she didn’t live to see the Congressional Proclamation of the Thanksgiving story (which finally took place in 1941), but by the 1870’s Thanksgiving was already a part of America’s culture.
The national holiday has become just what Sarah Josepha Hale envisioned: a celebration of home and hearth and the blessings for which we are grateful.
Two lucky winners will each receive an e-book edition of my upcoming release, “Ivy” Christmas Quilt Brides. Just leave a comment below telling me how you celebrate Thanksgiving in your home.
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He was the town bully.
She was his target.
Has anything changed?
Years ago, Ivy Sutton was drawn to the new orphan boy in town. Unfortunately, she soon became the focus of Grady Walsh’s mischievous deeds in school.
Ivy is back home in Harmony, Kansas for good but is she willing and able to forgive the boy who made her childhood unbearable?
Grady Walsh lost his heart to the sweet girl the day she gave him a quilt. Now, as a well-liked and respected tradesman in Harmony, can he make up for the reckless actions of his youth? Or will another steal er away before they have a chance to discover a kind of love that might heal the pain from the past?
You probably know from many of my blog posts, my books, and author takeovers I’ve done, that quilts are my favorite things…and they are, most definitely!
However, there is a very close runner-up…I love making Italian cookies! Baked and decorated mainly for the holidays, I have wonderfully fond memories of helping my mother, grandmothers, and aunts baking cookies for weddings, bridal and baby showers, and significant anniversaries.
About two weeks prior to the occasion, my mother and my aunts would gather in the evenings at Aunt Cel’s or Aunt Bonnie’s or Aunt Bea’s (that’s my mom!) home to begin the marathon. Soon the house would be filled with the sweet smells of sugar, lemon, orange, and vanilla extracts. Bowls of raisins, dates, and nuts waited to be added to the doughs. Bags of confectioner’s sugar mixed with water or milk were turned into frostings and glazes and waited to be topped with colored sprinkles.
Of course, a tasting ‘just to make sure they tasted right” was a highlight. And as luck would have it, there always seemed to be a handful of “oops” that somehow never quite made it into the trays.
Recently, I had the chance to indulge in this favorite activity when my grandson and his lovely fiancé got married in early August. Despite the downpours and the humidity, it was a lovely, intimate wedding with their immediate families and college friends.
In mid-July, I made several varieties of dough and froze them. Because I was on a deadline for “Olivia’s Odyssey” (Westward Homes and Hearts), I made one different cookie a night…I even drafted Papa Bob into helping! The morning before we left for the trip to Virginia, I made up the trays and found a cooler large enough to transport them.
It’s already the end of August. I’ve got two more books to write before the holiday baking season begins…wish me luck!!
Neapolitan Cookies Cherry Ricotta Cookies
Chocolate Mexican Wedding Bells Thumbprint Cookies (courtesy of Papa Bob)
Lemon Poppy Seed & Orange Cranberry Biscotti Russian Teacakes
Italian Cookies (Taralle) Fig Cookies Scandinavian Almond Cookies
Before the wrapping…In a traditional Italian Wedding Tray they would have used Jordan Almonds symbolizing how the newlyweds will share everything equally and remain undivided, and Jordan almonds are often given five at a time. Each almond represents a quality guests wish for the couple getting married: health, fertility, wealth, longevity and happiness. I had to substitute Hershey Kisses as my grandson doesn’t like almonds… I sure hope Hershey Kisses have the same effect!
Final Products!
I love me a parade. Always have, always will. From when I was a little girl, to the years when my daughters were small, and now more recently, attending with my granddarlings, I’m entranced with the marching bands, floats, noisy go-carts with overgrown men stuffed in the driver’s seat, the tossed candy . . . The whole thing is just full of good, old-fashioned fun.
Parades have been around for centuries. Perhaps the earliest depiction is one found from drawings in a Spanish cave, evidently celebrating a successful hunt. George Washington threw numerous parades to boost morale during the Revolutionary War. Imagine the euphoria from the impromptu parades all over the country in 1945–to celebrate the end of World War 2!
With the advent of television and time, the parades got bigger and more elaborate. Who hasn’t heard of the Mardi Gras Parade, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, the Rose Bowl Parade, 4th of July Parades, and on and on?
I’m not alone in my love for parades.
Recently, we attended the annual parade in the small town near our cabin at the lake. No need to arrive 60-90 minutes early to save a spot, but we did mark our claim with chairs about a half hour beforehand. Parking isn’t a problem at all. Shade, a bit more so. The parade is over before we can barely think of it – only 45 minutes long.
The granddarlings bring a blanket and games and wait excitedly for that first police car escort to appear, signaling the parade is going to begin. Of course, each of the kids bring sacks to keep their candy haul. The treats have been upgraded lately–popsicles, water bottles, t-shirts, swag, and of course, more candy than a kid could (or should!) eat.
Here’s a few pictures to show what I mean:
Remember those overgrown men stuffed into little go-carts? They were having a ball doing figure-eights in the street.
Who doesn’t love getting their picture taken with a couple of parade clowns?
A colorful (and patriotic!) train locomotive.
Best-laid plans sometimes go awry. This old-time trolley broke down and needed a little manpower to get it off the parade route.
He’s ready to make his move for the next round of candy-tossing. Note the loot already in his bag! 🙂
Afterward, we played bingo at the local park, had some free watermelon, came out to the cabin to roast hot dogs and s’mores, and then headed home.
It was a lovely day, one that fills my heart with happy memories.
Do you love a parade as much as I do?
Have you watched a parade recently from the comfort of your lawn chair?
Or do you prefer to watch on TV?
Let’s chat – and you can win a bag of parade candy!
Howdy, everyone! Cathy McDavid here with an exciting announcement.
Lately, there have been a few changes in the corral here at Petticoats & Pistols. To celebrate our newest members and reacquaint you with familiar faces, we’ve put together a short video featuring all of the fillies. Take a peek at some of their awesome books and learn a little bit about them. Just click on the link below, and you’ll be taken to the video.
We hope you enjoy the video and will even share this post to help us spread the word. We really appreciate all our friends here at Petticoats and Pistols and love starting our days with you.
(POST 2 of 2 for Thursday)
Hello everyone, Winnie Griggs here, and I get to wrap up our Cowboys & Mistletoe Two Truths and a Lie posts. I hope you all have been enjoying them as much as we Fillies have. It’s always so fun to share festive silliness with special friends, which how I feel about this wonderful community that’s developed and blossomed here over the years.
Christmas books are not only fun to read but to write as well. For the writer it allows us to tap into everything we love about the season and it can bring up memories, both happy and emotional, as well as bittersweet thoughts of what used to be.
I’ve written a number of books set around the holidays, but today I want to feature His Christmas Matchmaker. I love Janell and Hank, they are such engaging, honorable characters who are perfect for each other – they just take a while to figure that out. But it’s the two children in the story, Chloe and Alex, who really touched my heart. Recently orphaned with one of them rendered deaf by the same accident that took their parents, they are truly hurting. And gruff, confirmed bachelor Uncle Hank means well but he has no idea how to help or deal with them. The fact that it’s just a month until Christmas drives this home all the more. Janell, a schoolteacher, recognizes that this newly-formed family is hurting and impulsively steps in to help.
Here’s a little more info:
A guilty secret…
Vowing to put her past behind her, schoolteacher Janell Whitman has resigned herself to spinsterhood and she’s erected walls to guard her heart from all but her students.
A solitary heart…
Hank Chandler is quite comfortable with his uncomplicated bachelor life. But when he suddenly finds himself the guardian of his orphaned niece and nephew he knows all that will have to change. Not only do the children need a mother’s love, but he’s not fit to be a single parent. So he’ll need to marry quickly, whether he wants to or not.
A Christmas bargain…
Seeing their need, Janell impulsively reaches out to help the hurting Chandler family. But when Hank proposes a businesslike marriage she draws the line at becoming his wife. She softens her refusal, however, with a counteroffer – she’ll take care of the children after school and help him find an appropriate wife in time for Christmas. After all, with a man as great as Hank, how hard can it be?
But as the holiday grows closer, it seems increasingly difficult to find a suitable candidate––not to mention even harder to deny their growing feelings for each other. It might take a miracle for these two hearts to become one, but Christmas is the season of miracles–and love.
And for my prize, I’ll be giving away a signed copy of one of my other Christmas titles, Her Holiday Family, along with a fun reader ornament.
And now, on with the fun!!
Below you will find three statements, two are true, one is not.
Guess which is the lie in the comments to be entered in the drawings.
Winners and answers will be announced on Sunday 12/03.
Thanks again for stopping by to play 2 Truths And a Lie with us this week. Remember that the answers and winners will be announced on Sunday.
And if you missed any of the 11 posts this week there’s still time to go back and get all caught up. Winners won’t be drawn until Saturday
(POST 1 of 2 for Thursday)
Warmest greetings of the season!
I’m so happy to be here with you today celebrating our annual Cowboys & Mistletoe event, and also to share about my new sweet holiday romance that releases today!
Truitt Lucas is the guy who brings laughter wherever he goes and refuses to take life too seriously. Beneath his carefree exterior, though, he yearns for more adventure and excitement than he’ll find working on the family ranch alongside his cousin and grandmother. When the opportunity arises to assist a trick rider, Truitt eagerly lends a hand. However, he soon finds himself drawn to the perplexing woman who barely tolerates him.
Jolee Judson is living her dream as a trick rider on the rodeo circuit, using her lifelong passion for horses and gymnastics to wow the crowds. But when her partner unexpectedly abandons her, Jolee is just desperate enough to accept a good-natured cowboy’s offer to help. Fascinated and infuriated by Truitt and his shenanigans, Jolee struggles against her growing feelings for him. Falling for Truitt could spell disaster for her future and derail everything she’s worked for.
Can the two of them find common ground where trust is earned and love becomes a cherished gift?
A sweet holiday novel full of the magic of Christmas, Tricking Christmas brims with small-town humor, heartwarming moments, and wholesome romance.
Get your copy of Tricking Christmas today on Amazon, and in Kindle Unlimited!
FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A $10 AMAZON GIFT CARD,
JOIN IN THE FUN BELOW!
Below you will find three statements, two are true, one is not.
Guess which is the lie in the comments to be entered in the drawings.
Winners and answers will be announced on Sunday 12/03.
1. I listen to Christmas music all year long.
2. I love to bake with eggnog.
3. I once received a bag of dog food for Christmas.
(POST 3 of 3 for Wednesday)
Now that our Cowboys & Mistletoe celebration is in full swing, I hope you’ve been enjoying the fun and silliness of trying to determine if we are telling you the truth – or lying right at you!!
It’s hard to beat a romantic Christmas story, isn’t it? I’ve written several, but today I’m featuring THE CATTLEMAN’S CHRISTMAS BRIDE, Book 2 of my Wells Cattle Co. trilogy.
After Allethaire Gibson was kidnapped several years earlier in the wilds of Montana Territory, she tries hard to put her life back together in civilized Minnesota. She almost succeeds—until she’s framed for a crime she didn’t commit. With her reputation in shreds, she flees back to Montana to seek her father’s help in proving her innocence.
Mick Vasco never expects to see Allethaire again, but when he finds her in the middle of a train-robbery-in-progress, he has no choice but to kidnap her—again.
Together they race against time to find crucial answers. But during the blessed season of Christmas, they find wondrous gifts of forgiveness and love instead.
Find The Cattleman’s Christmas Bride on Amazon
Only 99¢
Find the Wells Cattle Company Series on Amazon
(Note: Book 1 and Book 3 are not sweet romances.)
TO WIN A $10 AMAZON GIFT CARD . . .
Below you will find three statements, two are true, one is not.
Guess which is the lie in the comments to be entered in the drawings.
Winners and answers will be announced on Sunday 12/03.
1. I once celebrated Christmas with my family in a bike shop.
2. A couple of years ago, we made 18 pans of the Pioneer Woman’s cinnamon rolls as gifts, and none of them raised.
3. My Christmas dinner was once delayed for several hours because the fresh turkey just wouldn’t get done.
(POST 2 of 3 for Wednesday)
Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. It starts on Thanksgiving and lasts until after New Years Day and the decorations come down.
We’re kicking off the season here with games and prizes. My prize today is a $25 Amazon gift card. Every one who guesses which is the lie, gets there name in the drawing.
First a little bit about my next release, coming January 1st. The Legacy of Rocking K Ranch.
Six Decades of History Unfurls on a Wyoming Ranch
Journey to untamed Wyoming where four generations of women experience love, loss, grace, adoption, struggles with the law, relationships with natives, and through it all, family bonds.
Eleanor by Mary Connealy
1850 – Wagon train guide, Ray “Wild Cat” Manning, can’t ignore the abandoned wagon stricken with smallpox. Eleanor Yates, now widowed with an ailing daughter, says yes to Wild Cat’s marriage of convenience. It is her only choice—but far from her romantic dreams.
Grace by D. J. Gudger
1867 – Grace Manning abandons her journey east at Fort Laramie. The ranch is where she belongs. Unable to reach her father, Grace scrambles to find a way home. Captain Winfield Cooper is mustering out in a few short days. The gold fields at South Pass City are calling but a lonely laundress pleads to tag along with him and his motley men. Will this woman who refuses to unveil her face derail his dreams?
Caroline by Becca Whitham
1886 – Ray Cooper escaped reservation life by pursuing a degree from Harvard, but it hasn’t granted him the respect he craves in Washington, DC. Caroline Forrester longs to be more than a society hostess for her father. As the two fight against the Dawes Act, they also fight their growing attraction.
Penelope by Kimberley Woodhouse
1910 – Penelope Cooper, an ambitious writer, is commissioned by her publisher—and future husband—to present tales of the American West. She returns to her family’s ranch in Wyoming along with photographer, Jason Miller, to interview the women of her family. But will rediscovering her past make Penelope reconsider her future?
Below you will find three statements, two are true, one is not.
Guess which is the lie in the comments to be entered in the drawings.
Winners and answers will be announced on Sunday 12/03.
I’m one of eight children. The only author
My most recent release is book #75
I got my first book published the same year my youngest daughter went to Kindergarten
(POST 1 of 3 for Wednesday)
Hope’s Angel is a sweet romance about accepting others who are different and showing compassion.
When a horrendous accident leaves Jericho Cane disfigured, he retreats to the dark refuge of his childhood home. People label him a monster, a phantom and jeer. Only while the town sleeps can he find courage to venture out and seek solace in midnight rides.
But who is making mysterious repairs to broken items, leaving food on doorsteps and wooden angels on children’s graves?
Newly arrived, Irish doctor Kathleen O’Shea, has no fear of Jericho Cane. Armed with determination, she offers hope for him to live again. Still, can he thrive walking in daylight amongst the ones who call him a monster? If she fails, the darkness will consume him for good.
A holiday read that will touch your heart and remind you that Christmas is a time of acceptance, kindness, and for healing wounds.
Kindle Unlimited or buy for $2.99
I’m giving away a $15 Amazon Gift Card!
Below you will find three statements, two are true, one is not.
Guess which is the lie in the comments to be entered in the drawings.
Winners and answers will be announced on Sunday 12/03.
I published my first book when I was 52 years old
I studied abroad for a year out of high school.
My sister is also a published writer and we had a sister who painted pictures.
