Farewell

Yay! No More Political Ads!

by
Light blue background with fireworks and party poppers. Text "No More Political Ads. Petticoats & Pistols"

It’s election day in the USA, and I, for one, am glad. Why? Well, let me start by saying that I consider it pretty amazing I can vote, and I do love my country. However, they aren’t the reasons I’m glad the election will be over. Nope, I’m thrilled because, as of tonight, I won’t have to sit through another political ad for a long, long time.

The ads started earlier than usual this year and ramped up each week. It hasn’t been uncommon to see the same advertisement repeated five, ten (one hundred?) times in an hour. Okay, maybe one hundred is stretching it a bit, but the commercials wear on you like water dripping on dry clay. Plus, there are only two or three ads for each candidate, so you can recite each one by heart after a few hours of watching television.

It’s been a lot. Too much.

If you haven’t gotten the message–I AM SO GLAD  I DON’T HAVE TO SEE POLITICAL ADS ANYMORE! No more commercials. No more stacks of political mailers to toss in the trash every day. I can resume throwing out the regular mailers–the roofing ones and credit-card offers! Yippee!

So, I’m sighing in relief. I’m wrapping up in my favorite cozy throw. And I’m basking in normal commercials. I’m even excited for the Christmas ones! We’ll see what company makes me cry first this year. A few years ago, a Dick’s Sporting Goods Christmas commercial had me sobbing. They really know how to tug on the heartstrings. This particular one, The Hoop, featured a dad and his little girl playing basketball, and it shows her growing up. With my own kids getting older, boy, it got to me. Here’s THE HOOP (linked) if you’d like to watch, and I’m embedding it below.

 


So, yes, lots to look forward to starting tomorrow. I can enjoy my morning coffee and watch Good Morning Football  in peace. Last Friday I purchased three bags of Halloween candy at half-off (Twix, Reese’s, and KitKats–yummy!)–I might have one of each to celebrate. I have a new jigsaw puzzle waiting for me. Four novels are stacked haphazardly on the end table. Have I started recording Hallmark Movies? You betcha!

I am ready to relax and enjoy the rest of the year! Who’s with me?

*Please NO political comments–we’re all getting through the day as best we can!! Any political comments will be removed.*

Do you, like me, get sappy at the Christmas commercials?

Have the best day!

 

Saying Farewell is Hard, But Not Final

by

Time flies. I can’t believe that it was 2017 when I became a filly with Petticoats and Pistols. Since my first post all of you have shared poignant memories and family stories with me. You’ve made me laugh and taught me more than a thing or two. You’ve offered encouragement, ideas, and friendship. Getting to know each of you has blessed and enriched my life. I hope I have given some of that in return.

But life changes. My heroes have never been traditional cowboys, but my newest heroes in the five-book series I’ve contracted to write for the Tule Publishing Group will be Texas soldiers. These men served together in Afghanistan where a suicide bomber brought a building down on them. Correspondence with a resident will draw each of them to the small east Texas town of Service in search of a fresh start. While I’m excited about this new venture, the change means I no longer fit as well with Petticoats and Pistols cowboy theme.

I have loved spending time with all of you and with the wonderful fillies in the corral. I can’t say how much I’ll miss chatting with you every month. I hope those of you who’ve enjoyed my books will continue to follow me, and don’t be surprised if I stop by as a guest in the future.

So instead of saying goodbye, I’ll say talk to you in a while. Take care and may God bring you as many blessings as you’ve given me.

Julie

In Honor of Steve Reevis — Give-Away and 99 cent books

by

Howdy!

About 3-4 weeks ago, I learned that a good friend of mine, Steve Reevis had passed away.  He passed on in December of 2017.  Unfortunately, for me, I was unaware of this because when I moved away from LA, his family and mine lost contract.  Steve was a Native American Actor, and he appeared in many films.  Probably my favorite film of his was “The Last of the Dogmen,” where Steve played the major Native American role.  I will leave a list of many of his films at the end of this blog.

Steve was only 55 years old when he passed, much too young to leave this world.  In 1999, Steve helped me and my husband and a few other friends to set up a literacy project on the Blackfeet reservation.  This was the first time I had met Steve.  He was a very handsome young man, he was quiet, yet when he did speak, we listened, for he was also a wise young man.  Steve never asked for anything in return for the help he gave us, his main concern being to help his people.

In truth, I was shocked when I learned of his passing, and so I thought that today, I would hostess a give-away in the style of the Blackfeet in Montana.  (I am adopted Blackfeet.)

I’ll be giving away many books today, so do leave a message so that you can enter into the give-away.  I’ll also be giving away a pair of Blackfeet made earrings.  Now, let me show you some pictures of a fundraiser that we did with Steve and his beautiful wife, Macile, in a Walmart in 1999.  All of my Blackfoot Warrior series (three books total) will also be on sale for a week for 99 cents in honor of Steve. (See  below for the links to those books.)

The picture to the left here is of Steve when he was speaking at the fundraiser.  This event also included many romance authors from the Orange County Romance Writers Association.  At the event, we had a local drum group, who also donated all of their time and their musical art for the literacy project.

Off to the right here is a picture of Steve in a conversation with Maria Ferrara, who helped to fund raise for the project and was instrumental in getting the project off the ground.  Without her help, there would have been no project.

As you can see here, Steve is listening intently to Maria, and this is one of my favorite pictures from that time.

To the left here are several people connected to the project.  From left to right are:  Mark Reed; Maria Ferrara; Jeff Butler; Harold Dusty Bull; Kinder Hunt; Steve Reevis; Macile Reevis; George Randall; Toni Running Fisher; Saginaw Grant; Yours truly.

 

And again, to the left is Harold Dusty Bull, who was In Charge of the Project.  In the background to the left is Steve and on the right is Mark Reed, from the Iroquois/Mohawk tribe, I believe.

Both Harold and Steve grew up on the Blackfeet Reservation in Browning, Montana.

 

 

 

To the left here is Steve dancing.  Steve was a grass dancer.  

And, to the right is a couples dance.  Here is Steve and Macile; behind them are Harold Dusty Bull and the founder and head of the H.E.L.P. project (Hollywood Education and Literacy Project), Kinder Hunt.  Pulling up the rear in the picture is Saginaw Grant and Toni Running Fisher.

Also, there was Blackfeet style Indian bread and tacos — made by Toni Running Fisher.

 

 

 

To the right here is another view of Steve and Macile dancing the Couples Dance, with Saginaw Grant and Toni Running Fisher not too far behind them.

Here also is a view of some of the men who gave in the drum who gave us the music so the dancers could dance.  To the left is another picture of Steve dancing.

To the left here is Steve speaking, and in his hand he holds an eagle feather fan.

To the right is Steve’s beautiful wife, Macile.  Macile, by the way, has her own clothing line of Native American clothing.

 

To the left here is a picture snapped of us when we were visiting the L. Ron Hubbard Author Services Center in Hollywood, CA.  From left to right are:

Paul Bailey (my husband); Harold Dusty Bull; Steve Reevis; Macile Reevis and her daughter; me; Toni Running Fisher and her husband Kevin.  By the way, the dress I’m wearing in this picture is one of Macile Reevis’ creations.

 

And lastly, here we all are:  the authors, the Drum, Steve and Macile (off to the left).

The event was very successful and the HELP literacy project was also a success on the Reservation, and was up and running there for many years.

I will miss my friend, Steve Reevis.  Somehow, I thought he would always be here, alive and well, and I wish that I hadn’t lost touch with his family when my own family moved East.  Steve once said to me in a passing conversation, “Why do you think all those warriors in the past would risk their lives?”  I didn’t know and said so.  Steve then said, “Because they knew they would live again.”

Somewhere, in some other time and place, perhaps, I feel that Steve is still with us, and is, even now, the cause of someone else’s joy and happiness.  Good-bye, Steve.  You are missed.  But I know that wherever you are, those who are with you, love you.

All of the Blackfoot Warrior Series books are on sale for .99 in honor of Steve.  Those books are:

GRAY HAWK’S WOMAN — https://tinyurl.com/qtl7hsu

WHITE EAGLE’S TOUCH — https://tinyurl.com/vbanq3m

NIGHT THUNDER’S BRIDE — https://tinyurl.com/twdjtx4

These are list of some of Steve’s Films, as well as some photos from those films:

 

  • CREDITS
  • Film Appearances
  • Indian, Twins, Universal, 1988
  • Indian child, Grim Prairie Tales (also known as Hellbent),Academy Entertainment, 1990
  • First Sioux and first warrior, Dances with Wolves, Orion, 1990
  • Indian in desert, The Doors, TriStar, 1991
  • Chato, Geronimo: An American Legend, Columbia, 1993
  • Two Bears, Posse, Gramercy, 1993
  • Yellow Wolf, Last of the Dogmen, Savoy Pictures, 1995
  • Sioux Chief Whistler, Wild Bill, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1995
  • (As Steven Reevis) Shep Proudfoot, Fargo, Gramercy, 1996
  • Freddy, Follow Me Home, New Millenia, 1997
  • Sam Keno, The Outfitters, New Skivvies Films, 1999
  • Sim Lundy, Highway 395, Creative Light Worldwide, 2000

 

 

 

  • Film Work
  • Stunt performer, War Party, c. 1989.
  • Television Appearances
  • Movies
  • Crazy Horse, TNT, 1996
  • Mule, Horse Sense, The Disney Channel, 1999
  • Episodic
  • Sammy Wheeler, “Return of Jimmy Blackhorse,” JAG, NBC, 1996
  • “The Only Goode Indian,” Goode Behavior, 1997
  • Jake Stonecrow, “Mayday,” Walker, Texas Ranger, CBS, 1997
  • Sheriff Lamont Nez, “The Outrage,” Promised Land, CBS, 1997
  • John Wolf/Lone Wolf, “Way of the Warrior,” Walker, Texas Ranger, CBS, 1999
  • Also appeared in Unsolved Mysteries.
  • Other
  • Grey Eyes, Miracle in the Wilderness, 1992
  • Jack Buck, Wild Grizzly, 1999
  • RECORDINGS
  • Videos
  • Life, Love, and Earth (educational music video), Shenandoah Films,1999

 

 

 

Good-bye Grandfather George

by

Howdy!

It’s been two weeks and two days since Grandfather George — George Randall — passed away.  He was five weeks short of turning 99 years old.

I thought I’d dedicate this post to George and tell you a little about his adventurous life.

This picture off to the left was taken at our house in Los Angeles when George turned 90 years old.  The woman with him is George’s adopted daughter.

George is not a blood relative of ours,  But in the Native American Tradition of calling all of one’s elders Grandfather or Grandmother,  we addressed him as Grandfather.

Some time around 2000, George came to us looking for a place to live.  Although we didn’t have an extra room, we did have a fully stocked Motor Home.  Because he often told me that he did best as a loner, he was happy to claim the motor home as his own.  That began our fifteen or more years of enjoying George’s company.

George was American Indian from his father’s side of the family, I believe, and as a young man, he spent an adventurous life traveling across the country.  He used to tell me that he called this period of his life his “ho-bo” days.

But that life became boring to him, and he turned to mining in the desert of California.  Now, my husband and his brother had once been miners, and so George and my husband shared many stories with me of their mining days with me.

Off to the right here is a picture of George in 2015, at a family outing.  Looks like a cold day, doesn’t it?

George told me once that he was a loner, and although my husband and I often encouraged him to talk about himself, it was like trying to squeeze sap from the bark of a tree. 

He married and he loved his wife dearly, but there were no children from that marriage.  When she passed away, long before I knew George, George developed an interest in acting, and, since he lived in the LA area, that became the center of his life.

Off to the left here is another picture of George at the same family outing.

George loved acting, and it was his dream to help others learn the art and craft of acting.  There are many people today who enjoy film careers because of the classes that George gave at Celebrity Center, Church of Scientology, in Hollywood, CA.  He was proud of his accomplishments and the people that he helped to become actors and actresses.  I’ve tried to find a listing of all his films in his belongings, but so far, I have a very incomplete listing — and Googling it didn’t seem to help.  So let me tell you about some of the films and TV appearances that I know about.

 

Here is another family picture that includes George.  George was the old Indian man who fell over dead in the movie, “The Indian in the Cupboard.”  He also had a role in the movie, “Con-Air.”   Some of his TV appearances included roles in “Medicine Woman,” which was a popular show in the 1980’s and 1990’s.  What I’m hoping is that some of those actors who knew George’s acting career, might see this post and tell me a little about other roles that he enjoyed.

I first became friends with George in the late 1990’s, when my husband and I were working with some representatives of the Blackfeet on the Blackfeet Reservation to establish a literacy project.

George volunteered his time and efforts at helping with this project, and he made several trips to the Blackfeet reservation and was present at their Grand Opening.  His efforts and his willingness to help without asking for anything in return endeared him to mine and many others’ hearts.  And to this day, we will always be grateful for his help.

Here is a picture snapped at a book signing in 2010 in southern California.  There was a time when Grandfather George was taking many, many pictures.

When we moved to the East Coast, Grandfather George decided to come with us, since we all felt as though he had become part of the family.  Some things to know about George was that he was drug-free, had a good grip on his memory and loved to walk, although for about the last year, he no longer tried to negotiate any stairs.  He kept his mental capabilities in good order and really, up until the last month of his life, he was in good physical health.  As an aside, George told us once that he attributed his long life to the fact that he did not believe in doctors, and that he stayed away from them.  He was also drug-free.

The picture to the right here is probably the latest picture we have of George, taken when we all (including our dog) took a trip to Montana.

There will be a memorial service for George at Celebrity Center, Church of Scientology, in Hollywood, CA.  The exact time and day of the service is yet to be determined, but for any of you who live in the LA area, please feel free to contact the Church for more information on when that service will be.

In the words of L. Ron Hubbard, who was a good friend to George:

“Goodbye, our dear George,

Goodbye.

We’ll miss you, you know.

Let the body now

Draw away

To be consumed to ashes

And to dust

in earthly and in cleanly fire

To be no more, no more….

“Come friends,

George is all right

And he is gone.

We have our work

To do. And George has his.

He will be welcome there.

To Man!”

L. Ron Hubbard

 

 

So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen~Tanya Hanson

by

Okay, I know the good-bye is from The Sound of Music, one of my favorite movies, and definitely not a Western, but it so fits. It’s time to let all y’all know I’m riding off into the sunset.

I have decided to step back from the computer and help with family things. My mother-in-law and Hub’s younger sister are facing serious health problems, and I never know when I’m needed next.

But there’s family fun, too.

I child-care Her Royal Highness every Friday. Be still my heart.And I am a very loud cheerleader for my grandsons. My five-year old grand-angel is busy with T-ball.

My ten-year old grand-darling has flag football going on when he’s not helping me at the horse rescue.But this is so hard. I’ve had nine years in this wonderful corral. Oh, how giddy I was, getting invited to be a filly…You all saw my daughter’s wedding–now she has two little ones. You traveled with me on a city-slicker wagon train trip in Wyoming, and peeped at glowing aspen during a Colorado fall…watched me ride a horse on a Bandera TX ranch, and rode up and down a glacier with me in the Canadian Rockies, saw how Hawaii and its cowboys tie into the mainland West.

You’ve “visited” Parker Ranch on the Big Island with me, and suspected my crush on Doc Holliday…

I’ve had the great pleasure of meeting just about all of the fillies despite the miles between. And Charlene Sands (a founding filly who just left the corral last month) will always be my dearest friend, muse, mentor, and shining star. Kinda fitting, her and me heading down new trails together at just about the same time.

Here’s us shopping for our grandbabies at the last Romance Writers of America convention.
In closing, I must thank each and every one of you for your comments and support. I wish you all the greatest blessings our generous Lord can bestow. I’ll possibly be back as a guest in Winter 2018, touting a future Christmas story.

And today, I’m giving away three PDF copies of my latest, the HEARTS CROSSING RANCH anthology, containing all eight of the contemporary inspirational novellas about a Colorado ranching family and their city-slicker wagon trains. Oh, and of course their love stories and happy endings. The antho includes the never-before published finale, Cross Your Heart.

So don’t forget to leave a comment and check back tomorrow to see which three names get pulled from the Stetson. Please and thank you.

Vaya con Dios…see ya around the ranch!