Cheryl Pierson

HOW LONG WILL WE BE REMEMBERED?– AND A GIVEAWAY!–by CHERYL PIERSON

by

I learned a new word thanks to a dear friend of mine, Sharon Cunningham. She posted on Facebook about the word, “saeculum”—which was one that I’d never heard of. I didn’t even know there was an actual word for this “event” or “circumstance.”

Saeculum means the period of time from when an event occurred until all people who had an actual memory of the event have died. The example she used was World War I. The saeculum for that war is over.

It can also be applied to people. (Something else I never thought about.) A person’s saeculum doesn’t end until all people who have a clear memory of knowing that person are gone. So even though a person has died, their saeculum will live for another two or three generations!

Isn’t this amazing? And comforting, somehow. Yes, eventually our saeculum will be over, but what amazes me, and comforts me at the same time, is knowing there is a word—an actual TERM—for the idea of this memory of an event or person.

When you think about it, knowing that someone has created a word to define this period of time is important, because it defines it and gives it meaning—not just some nebulous “I remember Mama” type idea that is passed down. It means, I DO REMEMBER MAMA. I remember how Mama used to sing, I remember how Mama used to cook, how her palm felt on my forehead in the night when she came to check on me. I remember “that” look when she was upset with me, and I remember how she cried when she learned her dad, my grandfather, had died.

 

Valentine’s Day 1965, Mom, my sister Karen, me, and my oldest sister, Annette
Nov. 1960–my sisters, Karen and Annette cutting up in the living room
Sept. 1966–my mom and dad together
 Dec. 1965–my mom wearing the hula skirt my sister Annette brought me from Hawaii for Christmas
April 1960–my grandmother (mom’s mother), a not-quite-3-year-old me, and my sister Annette
January 1960–Mom’s 38th birthday

I remember Mama the way I knew her. And when we talk to other members of the family who knew and remembered her, we learn many other facets about her personality and things about her as a person we would never have known otherwise. It’s this way with every person we know!

But let’s take it one step further: I remember family. My own, of course—two sisters, Mama and Daddy. But what about extended family? Sometimes we tend to just “move on” in our lives and not dwell on memories of long ago because somehow, they don’t seem important to us. But now that there is a word that defines us in relationship to those memories, doesn’t it seem a little more important that we remember those long-ago times? Soon, there will be no one to remember, and the saeculum for our entire family will be gone.

A group of my cousins at a family reunion

Oddly enough, I remember what I thought as a child at family get-togethers—the excitement of seeing my cousins, of taking a trip to visit everyone, of staying up late and having a bit more freedom since I had grandparents at both ends of the small town where both sides of my family had many members living—and I felt special because of that. I was the only one of my cousins who had THAT! So we always had somewhere to walk to when they were with me—to one pair of grandparents’ house or the other.

As an adult, I think back on those simpler times and wonder what else was going on in the “adult world”—sisters, brothers, in-laws all gathering with their children and meal preparation for so many people—my mother was the oldest of eleven children!

My mother, El Wanda Stallings Moss, and my aunt (my dad’s sister) JoAnne Moss Jackson

Two unforgettable women!

Everyone tried to come home to Bryan County during Christmas and/or Thanksgiving. Such an exciting time, but for the adults…tiring and maybe stressful? If so, I don’t remember ever seeing that side of anyone.

 

My mom and dad as newlyweds in 1944–El Wanda Stallings Moss and Frederic Marion Moss–around 22 years old

So, maybe that’s why I think writing is so important. My mom always said she wanted to write down her life story, but “life” kept getting in the way and it never happened. When she ended up with Alzheimer’s, the time for writing down anything was over. Though the written word doesn’t add to a person’s saeculum, it does at least two things for those left behind: It helps preserve the stories and memories the deceased person has talked about before they passed, and it gives future generations a glimpse into their ancestors’ lives, thoughts, beliefs, and dreams.

This is my great-grandmother, “Mammy” (Emma Christi Anna Ligon Stallings)–my mother’s dad’s mother. I never knew her, but I felt like I did from the stories Mom told me about her. She was born not long after the Civil War ended, and regaled my mother with stories of her growing up years. I wish I had listened better when Mom tried to tell me about her!

We die, and eventually are forgotten by the world. Events happen that were, at the time,  life-changing, world- altering, such as wars, rampant disease, and tragedies of other kinds. These, though horrific at the time, will eventually be relegated to the tomes of the historical past…and forgotten…by many. There is nothing to stop it. All saeculums will be over for individual people and for events. And they will all become history.

What we can leave behind for others is our pictures, the written word of who we are and what we believe, and if we have a particular talent or craft, pieces of that—carvings, quilts, beautiful artwork or writings, creations of so many kinds.

A painting my mom did many years ago of an old barn in a snowstorm. Sorry it’s so small! Couldn’t make it bigger without making it blurry.

Our saeculum is fragile, and fleeting. So for 2025, my one and only resolution is to try to keep some kind of journal for my children, or for anyone who might be interested in the future. I want to write about my childhood, just the regular every-day things we did, the heat of the Oklahoma summer nights, the fireflies that lit up those nights until we knew we had to go home or get in trouble! The way the house creaked, and how the attic fan sounded like a freight train as it brought in that blessed cooler air during those same hot summer nights. So many memories of “nothing special”—just the business of living.  I want to write about the way life was then—because it will never be that way again, for better or worse.

My best friend, Jane Carroll, and me, on a fall day in the sandbox. I was about 8, and Jane was a year older. We moved in just down the street from one another during the same week of 1963! Jane is gone now, but I still love her and miss her.

Will anyone give a hoot? Maybe not. But I will know I’ve done what I could do if anyone DOES care. I’m not sure Laura Ingalls Wilder thought anyone would care about her stories—but look at what a glimpse into the past they have provided for so many generations! I’m no Laura Ingalls Wilder. My journals won’t begin to make the impression on the world that hers did. But you never know who might read them and think, “I wish I had known her!” (Even after my saeculum is over!)

Me, at age three.

Do you have anything you would like to leave to future generations to remember you by? This fascinates me!

Today, I’m giving away a PRINT OR DIGITAL COPY of NOELLE’S CHRISTMAS WISH–book 5 of the Petticoats & Pistols Christmas Stocking Sweethearts series to one lucky commenter! Thanks to each and every one of you for being a part of PETTICOATS & PISTOLS!

 

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE NOELLE’S CHRISTMAS WISH

Click here to view the entire series on Amazon

 

Order your copy of LOVE UNDER FIRE today!

 

A MARSHAL FOR CALLIE–KINDLE LINK: https://tinyurl.com/yn85vnkk

A MARSHAL FOR CALLIE–PAPERBACK LINK: https://tinyurl.com/mryt2fwf

 

Thanks for stopping by today! Be sure to leave your contact info along with your comment in case you win!

CHERYL’S AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE:  https://tinyurl.com/2k7xeddt

CHERYL’S WINNERS!

by

Thank you all for stopping by today and sharing your Christmas memories with us all! So often, I feel like we are all family here at Petticoats & Pistols, and I love hearing about your lives and memories as well as sharing my own.

I chose two winners today for digital copies of one of my backlist books, including Noelle’s Christmas Wish! My winners are…..

CAROL M. and CARRIE MCCAULEY

CONGRATULATIONS! Please contact me at fabkat_edit@yahoo.com and let me know the title of the book or novella you’d like, plus the e-mail you’d like it sent to. 

Thanks again for stopping by and sharing Christmas memories today!

SILVER MAGIC–A CHRISTMAS STORY BY CHERYL PIERSON–AND A GIVEAWAY!

by

 

Several years ago, I had just sold my first short story to Adams Media’s Rocking Chair Reader series. I was on Cloud 9! A few months later, I sold this story, SILVER MAGIC, to them. It would appear in their first Christmas collection, Classic Christmas: True Stories of Holiday Cheer and Goodwill. I want to share it with you here. This story is true, and is one of the most poignant tales I could ever tell about my grandfather–he died when I was eleven. I never saw this side of him, and I don’t think very many people did–that’s what makes this Christmas story so special.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SILVER MAGIC by Cheryl Pierson

Did you know that there is a proper way to hang tinsel on the Christmas tree?

Growing up in the small town of Seminole, Oklahoma, I was made aware of this from my earliest memories of Christmas. Being the youngest in our family, there was never a shortage of people always wanting to show me the right way to do—well, practically everything! When it came to hanging the metallic strands on the Christmas tree, my mother made it a holiday art form.

“The cardboard holder should be barely bent,” she said, “forming a kind of hook for the tinsel.”   No more than three strands of the silver magic should be pulled from this hook at one time. And, we were cautioned, the strands should be draped over the boughs of the tree gently, so as to avoid damage to the fragile greenery.

Once the icicles had been carefully added to the already-lit-and-decorated tree, we would complete our “pine princess” with a can of spray snow. Never would we have considered hanging the icicles in blobs, as my mother called them, or tossing them haphazardly to land where they would on the upper, unreachable branches. Hanging them on the higher branches was my father’s job, since he was the tallest person I knew—as tall as Superman, for sure. He, too, could do anything—even put the serenely blinking golden star with the blonde angel on the very highest limb—without a ladder!

 

Once Christmas was over, I learned that there was also a right way to save the icicles before setting the tree out to the roadside for the garbage man. The cardboard holders were never thrown out. We kept them each year, tucked away with the rest of the re-useable Christmas decorations. Their shiny treasure lay untangled and protected within the corrugated Bekins Moving and Storage boxes that my mother had renamed “CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS” in bold letters with a black magic marker.

 

(JACK SORENSON–ARTIST)

At the end of the Christmas season, I would help my sisters undress the tree and get it ready for its lonely curbside vigil. We would remove the glass balls, the plastic bells, and the homemade keepsake decorations we’d made in school. These were all gently placed in small boxes. The icicles came next, a chore we all detested.

We removed the silver tinsel and meticulously hung it back around the little cardboard hook. Those icicles were much heavier then, being made of real metal and not synthetic plastic. They were easier to handle and, if you were careful, didn’t snarl or tangle. It was a long, slow process—one that my young, impatient hands and mind dreaded.

For many years, I couldn’t understand why everyone—even my friends’ parents—insisted on saving the tinsel from year to year. Then one night, in late December, while Mom and I gazed at the Christmas tree, I learned why.

As she began to tell the story of her first Christmas tree, her eyes looked back through time. She was a child in southeastern Oklahoma, during the dustbowl days of the Depression. She and her siblings had gotten the idea that they needed a Christmas tree. The trekked into the nearby woods, cut down an evergreen, and dragged it home. While my grandfather made a wooden stand for it, the rest of the family popped and strung corn for garland. The smaller children made decorations from paper and glue.

“What about a star?” one of the younger boys had asked.

My grandfather thought for a moment, then said, “I’ve got an old battery out there in the shed. I’ll cut one from that.”

The kids were tickled just to have the tree, but a star, too! It was almost too good to be true.

Grandfather went outside. He disappeared around the side of the old tool shed and didn’t return for a long time. Grandmother glanced out the window a few times, wondering what was taking so long, but the children were occupied with stringing the popcorn and making paper chains. They were so excited that they hardly noticed when he came back inside.

Grandmother turned to him as he shut the door against the wintry blast of air. “What took you so long?” she asked. “I was beginning to get worried.”

Grandfather smiled apologetically, and held up the star he’d fashioned.   “It took me awhile. I wanted it to be just right.” He slowly held up his other hand, and Grandmother clapped her hands over her mouth in wonder. Thin strands of silver magic cascaded in a shimmering waterfall from his loosely clenched fist. “It’s a kind of a gift, you know. For the kids.”

“I found some foil in the battery,” he explained. “It just didn’t seem right, not to have icicles.”

In our modern world of disposable commodities, can any of us imagine being so poor that we would recycle an old battery for the metal and foil, in order to hand-cut a shiny star and tinsel for our children’s Christmas tree?

A metal star and cut-foil tinsel—bits of Christmas joy, silver magic wrapped in a father’s love for his family.

This anthology is only available used now, but it’s well worth purchasing from Amazon and reading so many heartwarming Christmas stories from yesteryear! Hope you all have a wonderful, wonderful Christmas and a fantastic 2025!

 

Do you have a favorite Christmas memory, or a story that has been handed down through your family about something that happened during the holidays? My parents told a lot of stories about their childhoods, but this story was the one that really stood out for me. I’d love to hear about a favorite family story or one of your dearest Christmas memories! I’m giving away one of my Kindle books to two lucky commenters–YOUR CHOICE! 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

 Christmas horses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE NOELLE’S CHRISTMAS WISH

Click here to view the entire CHRISTMAS STOCKING SWEETHEARTS series on Amazon

CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL BOOKS BY CHERYL PIERSON

 

THE WISH BOOK CHRISTMAS LIST AND A NEW CHRISTMAS NOVEL! by Cheryl Pierson

by

Hi everyone! Well, believe it or not, there is not much time until the holidays are here, and this year, with Thanksgiving being later in November, Christmas will be not even a full month later! So today, I wanted to write about holiday surprises, and for some of us, those wonderful “Wish Books” from Penney’s and Sears, and even those Christmas lists we were so excited to make and have ready for Santa.

Of course, this was looooonnnng before the computerized age came along, and long after my parents were children. My parents were raised in the Dustbowl/Depression days of Oklahoma, both of them born not even a quarter century (both born in 1922) after Oklahoma became the 46th state (1907). Both of them were the eldest in their large families, and very little money, there was no need for them to make a Christmas list of any kind. Mom told me that she and her little sisters got a new doll at Christmas, and that was QUITE a luxury. Dad never talked about his Christmases, and I wish I had asked more questions, because he loved our Christmas time celebrations when I was growing up. He was always handy with the Super 8 camera and the blinding light bar on Christmas morning when we all stumbled out of bed, but it didn’t dampen our spirits at all as we hurried for the tree!  (I can still hear my mom saying, “Wait, Fred, I have to put on some lipstick!”) 

Remember those yellow legal tablets? THAT was what I made my Christmas list on! Pages and pages and pages of what I wanted, after those Saturday morning cartoon ads started, and of course, when the Christmas catalogs from Sears and Penney’s arrived. By that time, my sisters were older and I pretty much got the “Wish Books” to myself, since they were off at college and soon married. I wore those pages out, and wrote down detailed instructions on my lists of what page the item was on, what color I wanted, and so on. I remember Mom saying cautiously, “Well, Cheryl, now you know old Santa can’t bring ALL of this. So mark which ones you really like best so he’ll know…” 

Were you ever extremely surprised over a gift, either pleasantly or NOT so pleasantly? One year, I asked for a Suzy Smart. She was a BIG doll–and she had her very own desk she sat in, AND a chalkboard easel, since she was SMART and in school! When I saw her sitting in her desk with the easel close beside the Chistmas tree on Christmas morning, I was so surprised. I think because my mom always like to buy me baby dolls and so on, and that was a departure for her, but I really did love that doll. 

When I got older, (this was in the 70’s) I wanted a leather “fringe” jacket. I knew which one I wanted. I took my mom into the store when we were shopping at the mall in Oklahoma City, and I showed her. BUT…on Christmas morning, she had found one that she thought was a better value for the money, more “dressy” (which was not the way I wanted to wear it!) and a finer grade of suede rather than split cowhide. It was hard to hide my disappointment, and I don’t think I did a very good job, being my 13-year-old self. But I did wear it, and it did last. It just taught me a valuable lesson that I used with my own kids. The heart wants what the heart wants! 

 

 

This is one of my favorite Christmas paintings of all time! It’s by Jack Sorenson, and it’s called The Homecoming. According to him, the father had to be gone the week before Christmas but he promised his daughter he’d be home for Christmas, and here he is! Complete with a new doll for his little girl’s Christmas surprise!  I’m sure his homecoming was what brought that joyful smile to her face, but the new doll will be the “icing on the cake” for her. 

I have a new novel coming on November 30! NOELLE’S CHRISTMAS WISH is Book #5 in our Petticoats & Pistols series, CHRISTMAS STOCKING SWEETHEARTS!

This was a VERY fun story to work on, and I know you are all going to love this entire series! My story is about Noelle Cutler, a woman who has to start her life all over with an aunt she barely knows, and Kellan Montgomery, a Texas Ranger who isn’t sure what life holds for him, either. But we all know MAGIC happens at Christmas, right?

You can pre-order it NOW at this link: https://tinyurl.com/3et8d29p

OR, you can do me a huge favor and jump over to BOOKFUNNEL (here’s the link!)  https://bookhip.com/PRVJANM  and grab one of 25 FREE COPIES I’m giving away in exchange for a review! This offer will end on Sunday, November 24, and is limited to the first 25 readers, first come, first served, so jump over NOW and snap one up. A pretty darn good deal for the price of a review, right? Ho ho ho! 

The launch date is Dec. 3rd,  and I’ll be back that day to post here with more information!

For now, here’s a blurb! (Noelle has a good chance at getting HER Christmas wish–something she’s wanted a long time!)

When her life is turned upside down by her aunt’s death, beautiful Noelle Cutler must leave Texas for Indian Territory, to live in her family-owned cattle ranch dynasty with a relative she barely knows. Noelle’s Christmas wish as she boards the stagecoach is something she’s yearned for the past several years. Now, with an uncertain world unfolding for her, would it be so much to wish for her very own true love this Christmas?

Texas Ranger Kellan Montgomery has a few wishes of his own. Traveling home to Indian Territory, he dreads what awaits him. An unplanned dinner with Noelle the night before they become fellow passengers aboard the northbound train leaves him imagining a different kind of future—one that’s completely opposite from the solitary life of a lawman.

But their newfound romance may come to a deadly end as two ruthless outlaws board the train—men Kellan put in prison. As Kellan and Noelle masquerade as a newlywed couple, their plan goes awry as the train is taken over by a gang of renegades. Danger explodes in a life-or-death situation, and their perilous deception becomes the catalyst for the flames of love to ignite in their desperate bid for survival.

But love is the only thing on Noelle’s Christmas wish list—and she is determined to make this dream come true for the future she envisions. Now that love has finally come, it’s up to her to make her own longing a reality. Can the magic of Christmas bring a miracle to two lonely people in these most unlikely circumstances?

What was your best Christmas surprise? Someone coming home unexpectedly? A newborn on Christmas? A special gift you’d longed for and didn’t think you’d get? Or giving a gift to someone who didn’t expect it? 

Did you have a memorable “worst” Christmas gift or experience? 

For a complete list of all my work, click here:  CHERYL’S AMAZON PAGE

AN EASY, WONDERFUL HOLIDAY RECIPE! (Only three ingredients!)

by

 

It’s getting to be that time of the year! You know, where we love to eat desserts that we would not normally eat? But we want something simple and wonderful? I wanted to share this now before things got “holiday hectic” because I think this might be something everyone can use.

I think I’ve found something so perfect here–I haven’t made it yet, and I’m hoping the video will play like it should, but just in case it doesn’t, I’m going to write out the simple instructions, because this looks like the yummiest thing to happen in a long time. And it’s just so easy! (I will be making these before Halloween, I’m sure!)

You make this in a crock pot (my favorite kind of dessert or cooking of any kind!)

 

You’ll need:
1 jar of Planter’s (or any other brand) dry roasted peanuts (about 16 oz.)
1 package of Nestle’s semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 package of white chocolate chips
I jar of peanut butter (this looks to be about a 16 oz. jar)–melt this in the microwave to make it pourable
Chocolate sprinkles (optional)

Also, if you would rather use all milk chocolate or dark chocolate chips, you can, or all white chocolate chips, she says that’s fine too. I personally will probably make it just as she shows the first time, because I’m a scaredy cat when it comes to cooking new things. LOL

In your crock pot, pour in the peanuts first, then the two bags of chocolate chips, then the melted peanut butter on top of it all. Set your crock pot on high, and check after one hour. If needed, continue to let it melt–she says it will take two hours, but then on the video, most of it was melted in one hour. It depends on the crockpot.

Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with parchment paper–and I’d say you might need TWO baking sheets for this!

Once it’s all melted, stir it up well, and take an ice cream scoop, scooping it out and transferring it, one scoop at a time, onto the baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

If you want sprinkles, put those on at this point, and put the baking sheet in the freezer for about an hour–then check and be sure they are frozen hard after one hour. Take them out and EAT THEM. Here’s the video!

 

 

COWBOY DREAMS–THE TRUE ADVENTURES OF THE ABERNATHY BROTHERS! by Cheryl Pierson

by

Hi everyone! I’m re-running a blog of mine that has recently gotten some interest on our reader page since I posted a picture of Bud and Temple Abernathy on their special-made Indian motorcycle at the ages of thirteen and nine years old! These boys had quite an adventurous childhood, so let’s start at the very beginning, with their FIRST independent trip, from Oklahoma to New Mexico–at the ages of nine and five!

In the summer of 1909, two young brothers under the age of ten set out to make their own “cowboy dreams” come true.  They rode across two states on horseback.  Alone.Temple_&_Bud_in_Manhattan--1910page81-2[1]

It’s a story that sounds too unbelievable to be true, but it is.

Oklahoma had been a state not quite two years when these young long riders undertook the adventure of a lifetime.  The brothers, Bud (Louis), and Temple Abernathy rode from their Tillman County ranch in the southwest corner of the state to Santa Fe, New Mexico.  Bud was nine years old, and Temple was five.

They were the sons of a U.S. Marshal, Jack Abernathy, who had the particular talent of catching wolves and coyotes alive, earning him the nickname “Catch ’Em Alive Jack.”

Jack Abernathy

Odd as it seems to us today, Jack Abernathy had unwavering faith in his two young sons’ survival skills.  Their mother had died the year before, and, as young boys will, they had developed a wanderlust listening to their father’s stories.

Jack agreed to let them undertake the journey, Bud riding Sam Bass (Jack’s own Arabian that he used chase wolves down with) and Temple riding Geronimo, a half-Shetland pony.  There were four rules the boys had to agree to:  Never to ride more than fifty miles a day unless seeking food or shelter; never to cross a creek unless they could see the bottom of it or have a guide with them; never to carry more than five dollars at a time; and no riding on Sunday. Temple_and_Bud_in_Amarillo2[1]

The jaunt into New Mexico to visit their father’s friend, governor George Curry, took them six weeks.  Along the way, they were escorted by a band of outlaws for many miles to ensure their safe passage.  The boys didn’t realize they were outlaws until later, when the men wrote to Abernathy telling him they didn’t respect him because he was a marshal.  But, in the letter, they wrote they “liked what those boys were made of.”

One year later, they set out on the trip that made them famous.  At ten and six, the boys rode from their Cross Roads Ranch in Frederick, Oklahoma, to New York City to meet their friend, former president Theodore Roosevelt, on his return from an African safari.  They set out on April 5, 1910, riding for two months.

Along the way, they were greeted in every major city, being feted at dinners and amusement parks, given automobile rides, and even an aeroplane ride by Wilbur Wright in Dayton, Ohio.

Their trip to New York City went as planned, but they had to buy a new horse to replace Geronimo.  While they were there, he had gotten loose in a field of clover and nearly foundered, and had to be shipped home by train.

They traveled on to Washington, D.C., and met with President Taft and other politicians.

It was on this trip that the brothers decided they needed an automobile of their own.  They had fallen in love with the new mode of transportation, and they convinced their father to buy a Brush runabout.  After practicing for a few hours in New York, they headed for Oklahoma—Bud drove, and Temple was the mechanic.

Pierson blog 1

They arrived safe and sound back in Oklahoma in only 23 days.

But their adventures weren’t over.  The next year, they were challenged to ride from New York City to San Francisco.  If they could make it in 60 days, they would win $10,000.  Due to some bad weather along the 3,619-mile-long trip, they missed the deadline by only two days.  Still, they broke a record—and that record of 62 days still stands, over one hundred years later.

The boys’ last cross country trip was made in 1913 driving a custom designed, two-seat motorcycle from their Cross Roads Ranch to New York City.  They returned to Oklahoma by train.

As adults, Temple became an oilman, and Bud became a lawyer.  There is a statue that commemorates the youngest long riders ever in their hometown of Frederick, Oklahoma, on the lawn of the Tillman County Courthouse.

StatueBoys[1]

CHERYL’S AMAZON LINK: https://tinyurl.com/5tmjz4s8

SCHOOL DAYS–THEN AND NOW–by Cheryl Pierson

by

I have always loved going to school. Even now, when I walk into WalMart or Target and the school supplies are displayed (in JULY!) I have to stop and look at them. My husband laughs at me, but I just keep on picking up post-it notes and pencils, thinking “I will need these at some point…”

Growing up in the 60’s, our school supply lists were not long at all in elementary school. A “Big Chief” tablet, one of those HUGE pencils, paste in a jar (with a brush built into the lid!), a box of crayons, and a pair of “school scissors” and a wooden ruler. That was it. By the time my kids started school in the 90’s—all that had changed. After shopping for school supplies for only two children, I wondered how families with several kids could afford for them to even go to school—and that wasn’t counting back-to-school clothing.

 

 

 

ONE ROOM SCHOOLHOUSE IN BLANCHARD, OK, 1910

BLOG ONE ROOM SCHOOLHOUSE IN BLANCHARD-1910

My mom spoke of her school days just shortly after Indian Territory became the state of Oklahoma. That happened in 1907. She was born in 1922, and started school when she was only 5. She attended a one-room school house in Albany, a very small southeastern Oklahoma town. With the Depression on the way, and the Dust Bowl days looming, she spoke of the poverty of everyone she knew. She was the eldest of eleven children. Food was scarce. School supplies were almost nonexistent. I imagine that was why she took such pleasure in buying Big Chief tablets and crayons for me.

 

 

SEQUOYAH ORPHANS TRAINING SCHOOL, 1920 (near Tahlequah, OK, Cherokee Capital)

BLOG-SEQUOYAH ORPHANS TRAINING SCHOOL (Tahlequah) 1920

Education is so important. Thinking back, I’ve included it in many of the stories I’ve written, and I always love to see it included in the stories I read, as well. I’m working on a story right now that includes a school teacher who is being forced to leave her home, her job and everything familiar to her! I just hate it for her, because she loves her students. (Don’t worry, it will all work out in the end!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Young boys pose during recess. This picture was taken at Newcastle, Oklahoma, in 1914.

BLOG-Boys at school in Newcastle-1914

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is interesting. It’s the exam that students had to pass in order to graduate from 8th grade. This one came from Salina, Kansas, and is dated 1895. Students could take the exam in 7th grade and if they didn’t pass, could have another chance in 8th grade to re-take it. I don’t think I could pass this even now! Take a look!

EXAMINATION GRADUATION QUESTIONS OF SALINA COUNTY, KANSAS April 13, 1895 J.W. Armstrong, County Superintendent.

Examinations at Salina, New Cambria, Gypsum City, Assaria, Falun, Bavaria, and District No. 74 (in Glendale Twp.)

Reading and Penmanship. – The Examination will be oral, and the Penmanship of Applicants will be graded from the manuscripts

Grammar (Time, one hour)

  1. Give nine rules for the use of Capital Letters.
  2.  Name the Parts of Speech and define those that have no modifications.
  3.  Define Verse, Stanza and Paragraph.
  4.  What are the Principal Parts of a verb? Give Principal Parts of do, lie, lay and run.
  5.  Define Case, Illustrate each Case.
  6.  What is Punctuation? Give rules for principal marks of Punctuation.
  7. Write a composition of about 150 words and show therein that you understand the practical use of the rules of grammar.

Arithmetic (Time, 1.25 hours)

  1. Name and define the Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic.
  2.  A wagon box is 2 ft. deep, 10 feet long, and 3 ft. wide. How many bushels of wheat will it hold?
  3.  If a load of wheat weighs 3942 lbs., what is it worth at 50 cts. per bu, deducting 1050 lbs. for tare?
  4.  District No. 33 has a valuation of $35,000. What is the necessary levy to carry on a school seven months at $50 per month, and have $104 for incidentals?
  5.  Find cost of 6720 lbs. coal at $6.00 per ton.
  6.  Find the interest of $512.60 for 8 months and 18 days at 7 percent.
  7.  What is the cost of 40 boards 12 inches wide and 16 ft. long at $.20 per inch?
  8.  Find bank discount on $300 for 90 days (no grace) at 10 percent.
  9.  What is the cost of a square farm at $15 per acre, the distance around which is 640 rods?
  10.  Write a Bank Check, a Promissory Note, and a Receipt.

U.S. History (Time, 45 minutes)

  1. Give the epochs into which U.S. History is divided.
  2.  Give an account of the discovery of America by Columbus.
  3.  Relate the causes and results of the Revolutionary War.
  4.  Show the territorial growth of the United States.
  5.  Tell what you can of the history of Kansas.
  6.  Describe three of the most prominent battles of the Rebellion.
  7.  Who were the following: Morse, Whitney, Fulton, Bell, Lincoln, Penn, and Howe?
  8.  Name events connected with the following dates: 1607, 1620, 1800, 1849, and 1865?

Orthography (Time, one hour)

  1. What is meant by the following: Alphabet, phonetic orthography, etymology, syllabication?
  2.  What are elementary sounds? How classified?
  3.  What are the following, and give examples of each: Trigraph, subvocals, diphthong, cognate letters, linguals?
  4.  Give four substitutes for caret ‘u’.
  5.  Give two rules for spelling words with final ‘e’. Name two exceptions under each rule.
  6.  Give two uses of silent letters in spelling. Illustrate each.
  7.  Define the following prefixes and use in connection with a word: Bi, dis, mis, pre, semi, post, non, inter, mono, super.
  8.  Mark diacritically and divide into syllables the following, and name the sign that indicates the sound: Card, ball, mercy, sir, odd, cell, rise, blood, fare, last.
  9.  Use the following correctly in sentences, Cite, site, sight, fane, fain, feign, vane, vain, vein, raze, raise, rays.
  10.  Write 10 words frequently mispronounced and indicate pronunciation by use of diacritical marks and by syllabication.

Geography (Time, one hour)

  1. What is climate? Upon what does climate depend?
  2.  How do you account for the extremes of climate in Kansas?
  3.  Of what use are rivers? Of what use is the ocean?
  4.  Describe the mountains of N.A.
  5.  Name and describe the following: Monrovia, Odessa, Denver, Manitoba, Hecla, Yukon, St. Helena, Juan Fernandez, Aspinwall and Orinoco.
  6.  Name and locate the principal trade centers of the U.S.
  7.  Name all the republics of Europe and give capital of each.
  8.  Why is the Atlantic Coast colder than the Pacific in the same latitude?
  9.  Describe the process by which the water of the ocean returns to the sources of rivers.
  10.  Describe the movements of the earth. Give inclination of the earth.

Health (Time, 45 minutes)

  1. Where are the saliva, gastric juice, and bile secreted? What is the use of each in digestion?
  2.  How does nutrition reach the circulation?
  3.  What is the function of the liver? Of the kidneys?
  4.  How would you stop the flow of blood from an artery in the case of laceration?
  5.  Give some general directions that you think would be beneficial to preserve the human body in a state of health.

Incidentally, during these times, school only lasted 7 months, from October 1 to April 1. This allowed time for planting, farming, and harvest.

What about your “school days” memories? Were you a student who looked forward to school, or hated it? Do you have a favorite story of those by-gone times to share?

MY FAVORITE THINGS–BIRTHDAYS!

by

Now, I know y’all must think I’m crazy, but I have to admit that I just LOVE birthdays, and they do count among my favorite things! Yes, even though I just had one on the 28th of July and I’m now sixty-seven years old, that’s not a bad thing!

I always think about those wonderful birthday parties I had growing up—my mom made the most fabulous chocolate cakes and icing, all from scratch, and of course there was ice cream and punch. We decorated with balloons and streamers, and put on our very best dresses and little anklets and Mary Janes to party in. I’m second from the left, and this was my 8th birthday.

We played Pin the Tail on the Donkey and dropped clothespins in a bottle while standing on a little stool to see how many each one of us could get in the bottle. Winner got a prize! Now, prizes didn’t have to be something fantastic. Back then, everyone was happy with getting a Little Golden Book, or a color book and small box of crayons, or something simple like that.

 

The party usually lasted from 2-5. Sometimes 2-4 if our parents weren’t feeling particularly stoic that year. But we filled those hours with a LOT of fun and wonderful things to eat. Lots of laughter and good times and great memories.

Of course, as I got older, the parties got more involved. One year I had a costume party—that’s me in the hula skirt.

 

We started having slumber parties (the bane of a parents’ existence!) and usually managed to stay awake most of the night. I’m sure our parents did, too.

This is my 12th birthday. I was surrounded by friends as we celebrated, ate, and just had a wonderful time.

You know, I remember my mom making her special chocolate cake in the jelly-roll pan and the fabulous icing that went on it and rolled up in the center, and seemed like it was an inch deep on the outside. She made the three of us girls, my sisters and me, a good birthday cake on into adulthood when our birthdays rolled around for as long as she was able. That was one of the best gifts of all.

My older sister, Karen, always sends me something on my birthday, as I do for her birthday in February. There’s just something special about remembering the day the people who mean so much to us came into the world.

This year, I got together with my kids and husband and we had dinner at a nice restaurant together. Such a great gift of time together, and of course, no having to cook and clean it up!

I know a lot of people don’t want to think about their birthdays, or admit their age, or realize that they are getting older. But I’ve always been proud to be whatever age I was, because I’d “made it” that far. As a kid, I wanted to be older all the time. Now, I think sometimes it would be nice to be younger, but then I come to my senses. I would not want to travel that road again–there are new things to look forward to and celebrate with every year of birthdays!

Did you have a favorite birthday? What were some of the things you did to celebrate?

FAVORITE WESTERN MOVIES PART 2 by Cheryl Pierson

by

Hi everyone! I’m back to talk about MORE western movies–faves, and not-so-faves. This is Part 2 of this blog series, so if you missed Part 1 last month, here’s the link! https://petticoatsandpistols.com/2024/06/17/favorite-western-movies-part-1-by-cheryl-pierson/

Last month, we talked about The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Purgatory, The Magnificent Seven, and El Dorado–all favorites! And…the not-so-favorite, which was The Searchers.

But gosh, there’s a lot more ground to cover! I know a lot of you mentioned Tombstone, with Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Michael Biehn, and Sam Elliot. What’s not to love, in this re-telling of one of the most famous gunfights that ever happened—the OK Corral.

 

Kurt Russell is just simply wonderful as Wyatt Earp, and he and Val Kilmer have spectacular chemistry together in this movie. I don’t think there’s ever been a better Doc Holliday than Val Kilmer’s portrayal. The casting was wonderful in this movie, and though it’s a story we are already familiar with, the actors involved bring it to life in a fresh, exciting way that has stood the test of time. One of my favorites, and when I’m scrolling on TV, I cannot ever pass it up. This is one of my favorite scenes.

Another favorite, though much different than most westerns, is Cowboys and Aliens. Now, some may disagree with this one, and at first, I wasn’t so sure about it, but by the end of the movie, I was loving it. Even my husband, a die-hard western fan, enjoyed this one and recorded it to watch it again. (Color me SHOCKED!) Cowboys and Aliens boasts and all-star cast including Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Adam Beach, and Olivia Wilde.

Because they do it so much better than I do, here’s the Google synopsis of the film:

Bearing a mysterious metal shackle on his wrist, an amnesiac gunslinger (Daniel Craig) wanders into a frontier town called Absolution. He quickly finds that strangers are unwelcome, and no one does anything without the approval of tyrannical Col. Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford). But when Absolution faces a threat from beyond Earth, the stranger finds that he is its only hope of salvation. He unites townspeople, outlaws and Apache warriors against the alien forces in an epic battle for survival.

There is so much more to this movie, though—the development of the interpersonal relationships is one theme that, of course, can’t be allowed enough space in the synopsis to go into, but this is really worthy of watching, and in our house, watching more than once.

One of my favorites for many years is the original True Grit with John Wayne, Kim Darby, Dennis Hopper, and Glen Campbell. The original movie stays very true to the book by Charles Portis—and in my opinion, that book was a real masterpiece. I will say the same for the movie, even though Glen Campbell was not the best actor that ever graced the screen. But the other characters, and the scenery, as well as the close detail to the actual book, overcame Campbell’s (at times) wooden acting abilities.

True Grit is the story of Mattie Ross, a young teenage girl, who shoulders the responsibility of going after her father’s killer and seeing him brought in to face what he’s done. She is definitely no-nonsense and determined to see justice done.

After hired hand Tom Chaney (Jeff Corey) murders the father of 14-year-old Mattie Ross (Kim Darby), she seeks vengeance and hires U.S. Marshal “Rooster” Cogburn (John Wayne), a man of “true grit,” to track Chaney into Indian territory. As the two begin their pursuit, a Texas Ranger, La Boeuf (Glen Campbell), joins the manhunt in hopes of capturing Chaney for the murder of a Texas senator and collecting a substantial reward. The three clash on their quest of bringing to justice the same man.

Version 1.0.0

 

 

My not-so-favorite candidate this week is Once Upon a Time in the West. I know, I know. It was very artsy and very well-received and highly acclaimed. But…it just went on and on and on forever. I honestly tried to watch this about three times and never could make it completely through in one sitting. It bored me to tears, and just seemed to go on forever. Stars include Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson, Jason Robards and Claudia Cardinale.

 

 

 

What’s your favorite “outside the box” western? I mentioned Cowboys & Aliens this week, and last week I talked about Purgatory. I love these kinds of stories. Anyone else got one to talk about? If not—just talk about one of your favorite westerns. And remember it doesn’t have to be famous, just one YOU liked.

CHERYL’S AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE:  https://tinyurl.com/2k7xeddt

FAVORITE WESTERN MOVIES–PART 1 by Cheryl Pierson

by

I know we have a lot of western movie lovers here—heck, we love just about ALL THINGS western, don’t we? Today, I thought I’d talk a little bit about some western movies that are wonderful (for all kinds of different reasons) and one that, though it was highly acclaimed, is not among my favorites. (Please, hold the rotten tomatoes, and be kind!)

No one is ever going to agree with everyone about what makes a movie “great” or more meaningful, because viewers look for different concepts when they sit down and watch a movie. Some values, and “points to ponder”, are more meaningful to some than to others. There is no right or wrong here, just a fun discussion, so y’all chime in and don’t be shy!

I really don’t have a particular order for these except my favorite, and I’ll start with that one. I would definitely have to say my favorite is The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, starring John Wayne, James Stewart, Vera Miles, Woody Strode (as Pompey) and Lee Marvin—who was absolutely perfect for the Liberty Valance character.

I realize that not everyone has seen all these movies, so will try not to give any spoilers. It’s very rare that I enjoy a movie more than the book it was taken from, but The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is one of those for me. It was taken from a short story by Dorothy M. Johnson. Although the actors who were slotted in the key roles were much more “mature” than they were in Johnson’s story, I can’t help but think of those portrayals as more realistic—probably because John Wayne’s Tom Doniphon and James Stewart’s Ransom Stoddard were embedded in my mind long before I ever read the short story.

An idealistic lawyer, Ranse Stoddard (Stewart) comes west to bring some law to a place that has none. Tom Doniphon (Wayne) generally pokes fun at him and the naïve way he handles himself. Stoddard changes Doniphon’s opinion as he shows the courage and backbone he’s brought with him to accompany his law books.

Gene Pitney sings The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance–one of my all-time favorite songs! 

 

At first, Doniphon faces down the ruthless Liberty Valance (Marvin) to protect Stoddard, but Stoddard learns how to use a gun and in the end, goes out on the street to face Liberty Valance in a fight he’s sure to lose. As the Gene Pitney song goes: “When the final showdown came at last/A law book was no good.” But…who really shot Liberty Valance? This is a movie you will not want to miss.

Another favorite is Purgatory—the story of outlaws who have died going to a place where they must be good for the length of their “sentence” if they ever hope to make it to heaven. So…what happens when some ruthless outlaws who are NOT dead find the town of Purgatory? Is there any way the inhabitants can defend themselves without voiding the time they’ve spent there trying to do good?

The final showdown between both groups will have you on the edge of your seat. Now, bear with me. This sounds hokey, in a way, but it’s really a very interesting movie with a premise that I would not have thought of in a million years. Stars include Sam Shepard, Eric Roberts, Randy Quaid, Donnie Wahlberg as Billy the Kid (a few years before Blue Bloods) and musician/songwriter J.D. Souther, one of my favorite singer/songwriters, and one of my favorite characters in this movie as Jesse James. I hope if you haven’t seen this one, you’ll give it a chance—it is very entertaining and different.

 

 

Another classic, The Magnificent Seven—starring heavy hitters such as Yul Brynner, Robert Vaughan, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, and James Coburn—also makes my list of best westerns.

 

A group of mercenaries band together to protect a small Mexican village from a marauding outfit of outlaws who will stop at nothing to take over. But…there are only seven of them and they must stand against what looks to be unbeatable odds.

 

Although it’s somewhat predictable, it’s one you won’t want to miss. Realistic, but avoids a lot of gore, and it’s well worth watching if for no other reason than the beautiful score by Elmer Bernstein. (Well, and who DOESN’T want to watch Yul Brynner in anything he’s in!)

 

 

 

This is a great trailer for The Magnificient Seven–take a look!

John Wayne has made a LOT of western movies, but one of my favorites is El Dorado—probably because I really enjoy seeing Robert Mitchum in just about anything. This flick also includes James Caan in one of his very early appearances on the silver screen.

In a nutshell, Cole Thornton (Wayne) is a hired gun who comes to the aid of an old friend, J.P. Harrah (Mitchum), a sheriff who has become a laughingstock because of his drinking. A wealthy cattle baron is determined to steal water from another ranching family, the MacDonalds, and hires his own gunfighter, Nelse McLeod, (Christopher George), an old nemesis of Thornton’s.

Is there any way that Thornton and Harrah can protect the McDonalds? It’s been common knowledge for years that Thornton and McLeod are evenly matched in their shooting abilities, and Thornton has a bullet lodged near his spine that sometimes affects his ability to draw and shoot—a secret he must hide if he has any hope of surviving and saving the MacDonalds.

As for western movies that didn’t make it to my “favorites” list, probably my number one pick for this week would be, surprisingly, a John Wayne movie that he often said was his own personal favorite—The Searchers. Many readers will disagree with me on this, I know.

Ethan Edwards (Wayne) returns to his brother’s home after an eight-year absence. In a nutshell, his brother’s daughters, Debbie (Natalie Wood) and Lucy, are abducted by Comanches. The Comanches have killed almost everyone else in the family and burned down the house.

Edwards goes in search of the girls, finding Lucy murdered. When, five years later, he and Martin Pawley (Debbie’s adopted brother) find Debbie, she refuses to leave with them. Edwards tells Debbie he’d rather see her dead than living as a Comanche and tries to kill her! Martin saves the day, and in the chaos, Edwards is wounded by a Comanche.

There’s a lot more to this before the end of the movie, but I don’t want to give away the last part of it. The main reason I don’t enjoy this one is because of Edwards’ obsession with finding Debbie, even to the point of wanting to kill her because she’s chosen to stay with the Comanche.

Also, it just seems like this entire movie goes on and on and on…That being said, there’s no denying that I’m definitely in the minority. The Searchers won many awards and is filmed beautifully, and it’s hard to say anything bad about any movie John Ford directed. It’s a masterpiece, but it’s not my cup of tea, mainly because I was so disappointed in Edwards.  

We’ll do more on this next month! I have really enjoyed revisiting these movies and I always see something I never saw before when I watch them. Hmmm…maybe I better give The Searchers another chance…

What’s your least favorite western movie and why?