Welcome everyone to a little bit different of a blog post today! It’s a mite chilly, what with the snowcrete that has no signs of thawing, and the shockingly high electricity bill, so it’s got me pining for the days of the past, though I don’t know if they were really all that warm in the winter.
Since I write mostly historical, I’m a stickler for my research. I love to learn new things, and I bet you do too. Today I decided to share a few interesting phrases with you!
These were all common words or phrases in language in the 1800s, like our modern day slang. I really don’t know how in the world they came up with these. That would make for an interesting story.
Ready to learn a few new words? Maybe you can work them into a conversation this week!
Pudding Foot – This was the “cowboy talk” for a horse with big feet
Dinah – This was one of the names miners and loggers used for dynamite.
Loma – A Southwestern term used for a rise or a low hill. It was borrowed from the Spanish, and was often used to name places.
Long Sweetening – Molasses! How about that? I’d have never guessed! Molasses had other names too, sich as blackstrap, larrup, lick, long lick, and long-tailed sugar. And, sugar itself? It was called short sweetening.
Grama – Any species of the Boutelou grass that was common in the West. Early explorers and pioneers were surprised that it was as nutritious when tried and brown as it was fresh and green in spring and summer.
Corral Dust – Cowboy talk for a yarn, or a tall tale
Cart Wheel – A big coin, like a silver dollar
Book Count – A bit different than I’d have guessed! This means the number of cows the tally book says are on there.
Tedra – Adapted from the Spanish word heidra, which means ivy, yedra means poison ivy or poison oak.
Bridal Chamber – Among miners, the far end of a narrow tunnel where work is being moved forward
Owl Hoot – An outlaw
Mail-Order Cowboy – A tenderfoot decked out fancy-like in what he hopes is cowboy gear. This was also called mail-order catalog on foot.
Goosey – A man or a horse that’s jumpy
Doctor – This was the logger’s name for their camp cook
Weren’t those some fun words? Now that the learning for the day is done, how about a giveaway? I think an eBook of my Mail-Order Teacher would be a fun one!
Here’s a little look at what that one’s about.
He thought he was heading to a teaching job, not that of a husband. Now what?
Samuel Donner, an experienced schoolteacher with a steely gaze and a firm grip on his principles, arrives in the dusty town of Cottonwood Falls answering their call for help. He’s determined to bring order to chaos and transform the unruly children into well-educated citizens. His first target: the blatant disregard for attendance.
Abigail Lees, a single mother of three, struggles to keep her head above water. When Samuel visits, warning that her eldest son, Thomas, needs to attend school more often, she’s surprised. Unbeknownst to her, Thomas has taken on the responsibility of providing for the family, sacrificing his education in the process.
Torn between his duty to the town and his growing affection for Abigail, and the fact another woman insists he’s her mail-order husband, Samuel finds himself in a difficult position. He wants to help Thomas and Abigail, but adhering to his promise to the school board, and fending off unwanted advances, proves increasingly challenging.
Then Thomas is accused of a serious crime, and Samuel must reach a decision. Will he stand by the boy, even if it means jeopardizing his reputation and potentially betraying the trust of the community? And can his love for Abigail survive the storm of doubt and suspicion that threatens to engulf them all?
If you’d like to learn more, or read this book, you can find it here.
To be entered to win your own ebook copy, just tell me which of the phrases above you thought was the craziest! I’ll choose one commenter randomly to win the ebook!
Saturday in July is the Day of the Cowboy. If I’d known, July 25th would’ve found me in my recliner watching cowboy movies. Then I would’ve sat on the patio with a cool drink and listened to cowboy songs.
The songs that spoke to me as I compiled my list were 
dealing with the problems facing our young people something in my Pinterest feed caught my eye: 
Inspired by The Cowboy Code, I searched Pinterest and found other western advice. Maybe because cowboys work with cows and steers—animals known for requiring patience—but what I found has encouraged that very trait in me. I’ve always been a “Lord, give me patience right now” gal. I’ve been quick to honk at drivers who don’t move the minute the light turned green. I’ve fumed at someone taking too long leaving a parking space. But now, I try to be the driver I want on the road with me. When someone allows me to pull out in heavy traffic, I give them the “thanks pardner” wave to acknowledge their kindness, and more importantly, I try to be the person who makes room for others. 
Click here
My western mystery, The Reckoning, was recently released by The Wild Rose Press. It’s set in 1868 and follows Ike McAlister, a Union soldier who returns from the Civil War to his hometown of Lawrence, Kansas to find that his parents have been killed by Quantrill’s raiders. He sets out on a single-minded hunt to find the murderers; a search that takes him to the high plains of Colorado. My sequel, The Renewal, set in South Park, Colorado, 1872, was released in March 2108, also by The Wild Rose Press.
ignored. You weren’t a victim. You played the hand you were dealt.
Take a look at number four—Do what has to be done. Life is oftentimes messy. Our days are filled with ups and downs, and we make choices all the time. This is about choosing to get done what has to be done, then getting on with life.
