Personal Glimpses

From Midwest Lakes to Ocean Views by Pam Crooks

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At this stage in my life, spending time with my children and grandchildren takes far more precedence than most anything else I can think of. Especially in this day and age when a quick text message suffices over a phone call and even a physical visit. Everyone is busy, and if not for pictures snapped on smart phones and sent sailing onto MY smart phone via cell towers (which is a really simplistic way to explain it but you get the idea), I might not see much of my children and grandchildren at all.

I actually blame those cell towers for that. My life was much simpler without those darned cell phones everyone is so obsessed with–and I suspect yours was, too.

Thus, in my quest to spend more time with my family, we have turned toward taking nice family vacations together. The whole bunch. All twenty of us. Every year. It’s my husband’s and my treat, and it’s great incentive to get 100% attendance. These family vacations have been some of my most special memories ever.

Okoboji

One of the earliest vacations we took with the kids was Okoboji. Located in northwest Iowa’s Great Lakes region and only three hours away from us, Okoboji has long been a family friendly favorite around here. Lake Okoboji is a big, beautiful lake, and nearby Fillenwarth Beach offers their “Million Dollar Home Cruise” and “Booze Cruise” with special drinks for kids and adults alike, including platters of crackers and cheese to snack on. Of course, there’s biking, hiking, and even an amusement park in nearby Arnold’s Park. Something for everyone.

Honey Creek Resort

Honey Creek Resort is a southern Iowa lake retreat on Rathbun Lake, offering lodge rooms, cottages, outdoor recreation, golf, trails, and family-friendly amenities in a state-park setting, again only a few hours away. We rented cottages and had our own cul-de-sac for bike riding, cooking out, and game-playing. I do know they have been having some financial troubles, and if so, I’m hopeful they get those worked out soon, if they haven’t already. We loved going there over several summers.

Ponca State Park

For our more rustic vacation, we drove up north to Ponca State Park and rented cottages all tucked into the bluffs above the Missouri River. We enjoyed great river views, hiking, biking, kids activities, and so on. Again, only a few hours away from us and kid-friendly.

Bahamas Cruise

Last year, my husband and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary with our biggest vacation yet – a cruise to the Bahamas. Oh, my goodness. It didn’t get any better than that, especially since no one in the family had been on a cruise before. Seeing their wide-eyed amazement at how BIG the ship was, all the food they could eat, the shows, the pools…

It was so wonderful, we went again. In fact, we only got home a couple of days ago, and since I’m still on a cruise euphoria, I was inspired to write this blog and share our vacations with all of you!

Now that this year’s vacation is over, I’d love to hear about your vacation favorites. (I need ideas for next year, and the year after that . . .)

Modern Conveniences and a Give Away

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My house. I loved it.

I lived off the grid for twenty-two years. We only lived two miles from power lines, also two miles off a main road, but the power company wanted $500,000 to take a power line to our house. We chose not to do that, so we created our power with a generator, first propane with a wind backup, and then diesel. I learned a lot of basic mechanics over the years because the one rule of generators is that they will fail, and usually at a very inconvenient time. Ask me why I flinch when the lights flicker. My fridge was propane and a whopping 7.7 cubic feet. It too failed every now and again, so I am now quite adept at fixing propane fridges.

Now that I have “regular” power, I have it easy. At my old house, I had to schedule laundry, ironing, showers, TV watching, hair drying, cooking with the electric oven, and using the microwave around the times that the generator was running–from whenever we got up to 10:00 in the morning, then from 4:00 in the afternoon to bedtime.  I could not use a crockpot. I did not charge my phone at night. Oh–I also had one of the first cell phones because the telephone company took eleven years to run a line to us. It was so big that it was mounted on the wall, and if you took it somewhere you had a special carrying bag like a brief case to hold it. All calls, incoming and outgoing, were 60 cents a minute. If a telemarketer called you, it cost you.

I did love the “simple” life and it was a great way to raise kids.  That said, it’s so nice to take a shower without tuning on the power. To cook when I want, sew when I want, make a phone call that doesn’t cost 60 cents a minute (that did change to a more reasonable price as cell phones became more common).

Would I go back? Let’s say this–I could go back. It’s a tougher life, and expensive, but doable, and there are some definite advantages. It’s really peaceful and at that time, before phones and battery powered laptops, you looked to other things to fill your time. And even though it was a challenging life in some ways, it was nothing compared to how rural people lived in the first part of the last century. Now those were tough people.

My question to you today, for a $10 Amazon gift certificate, is an offshoot from my topic.  Let’s say you have a cooking stove that needs no electricity, an ice box, and (wonder of wonders) indoor plumbing. No communication or entertainment devices. What modern convenience would you like to add to the mix?  For me, it would be electric lights.

A Look at Today’s Western TV Shows

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If you’re anything like me, you grew up watching TV westerns. As a family, we’d sit down together every Sunday evening to catch the latest episode of Bonanza. My brother’s favorite shows were F Troop and The Wild, Wild West ­— which, while not exactly accurate portrayals of life in the old west, were highly entertaining. For me, I loved the afternoon reruns of Big Valley and High Chaparral (which was filmed in my home state of Arizona). And Grandpa, he never missed Gunsmoke if he could help it.

It seemed for a long while, westerns disappeared from television, or at least became few and far between. Yes, there were some notable excellent offerings, like the Lonesome Dove miniseries, Justified, Hell on Wheels, and Longmire. But viewing trends change, and most western TV shows didn’t last long or gain huge fan bases like the classics. Until recently, that is.

Whether you like him and his show or not, Taylor Sheridan has had a tremendous impact on popularizing modern western shows — be they set in historical times or present day. His cornerstone show Yellowstone has launched numerous spinoffs, such as 1883, 1923, Marshals, as well as the upcoming Dutton Ranch, 6666, and 1944. Not to mention his western-ish shows like The Madison and Landman.

It doesn’t stop there. As a romance writer and reader, I really enjoyed the Netflix series Ransom Canyon, which I’m happy to say is returning for season two. If I’m in the mood for something grittier, I watch Dark Winds, which takes place in the 1970s, is also set him my home state of Arizona, and blends Navajo culture, crime fighting, and mild supernatural elements. Along those lines are American Primeval and The Abandons. While well written and boasting incredible casts, these shows can be hard to watch at times because of the level of violence. If you’re looking for something gentler and more family-oriented, there’s always the very long-running and popular Heartland. Full disclosure, this is a Canadian series and not set in the American west. Still, it’s enjoyable to watch.

What about you? Are you a fan of current Western TV shows and which one is your favorite? Is there one you like that I’ve missed? Or do you prefer the classics?

Whichever the case, I’m glad to see Western TV shows making a comeback even if not all of them are my cup of tea.

Iconic Arizona Landmark’s Civil War Connection

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A few weekends ago, I was traveling from Phoenix to Tucson – something I do perhaps once a year. There’s a prominent landmark called Picacho Peak that, despite having lived in Arizona most of my life, I pay little attention to other than to note that I’m about two-thirds of the way through my trip. This time, however, perhaps because I was driving alone, I started thinking a little about this historic site and decided to research it a bit when I got home.

Most of us in these parts know that Picacho Peak is where the only battle between the North and the South took place in Arizona during the civil war. Seems the then western territory mostly stayed out of the conflict until February of 1862 when Captain Sherod Hunter and a troupe of rangers rode into Tucson, officially creating the Confederate Territory of Arizona. They effectively wreaked havoc on the Union forces with their hit and run style of attack, destroying the Union Army’s food and hay supplies and capturing their men.

After two months of skirmishes and raids, the warring sides met at Picacho Peak on April 15th for their infamous battle, which lasted all of ninety minutes. Despite being greatly outnumbered, the Confederates triumphed. Their victory didn’t last long, however. The Union eventually took control of the region, ending the Confederates’ hope for a southwestern pathway to the Westcoast.

Now, every year in (usually) March, the battle at Picacho Peak is reenacted in the state park by living history enthusiasts who wear authentically reproduced uniforms and clothing and use replica weapons­—no real bullets are used. Tours and informational talks are given, along with camps, and battle demonstrations that are set up to entertain and educate the hundreds of people who arrive and to thrill to the sound of rifles exploding and canons firing (again, not real). I’ve never been, but my son attended some years ago with my mother-in-law and his cousins and had a great time.

If you’re not a history buff, that’s no reason to miss stopping at Picacho Peak. There are great hiking trails for the fit and adventurous and the Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch for fun seekers looking for something different. Yes, you can feed the ostriches. No, you can ride them. And, yes, you can purchase ostrich eggs to eat. To be honest, I’d have to think long and hard on that before making a purchase.

Maybe I should convince hubby, and the two of us could check it out next year. Sounds like a great day trip.

 

Pot or Kettle?

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I was in my forties before I knew that people didn’t call  pots and pans “kettles”.  Embarrassingly, I was writing a book with a cook as a hero and my editor gently pointed out to me that kettles are used for tea. Sometimes they’re used for things like rendering fat during the butchering process or making soap. They are not used in everyday cooking. That was news to me because I grew up cooking in kettles.

One of my favorites was the mush kettle, which was a one quart aluminum “pot” (as some people call it) with a handle. We cooked oatmeal, cream of wheat and Malto-Meal in the mush kettle. It was all mush. According to my husband, it’s actually hot cereal. Right.

The mush kettle wasn’t the only specialized kettle we had. There was also the rice kettle and the stew kettle, both stainless steal and the perfect size for the stated purposes. Sometimes we used the stew kettle for other things, such as soaking beans, but it was always the stew kettle. Oddly we didn’t have cast iron kettles, even though we had cast iron everything. Cast iron kettles are, of course, called Dutch ovens.

Speaking of cast iron, we had a lot of perfectly seasoned frying pans. (Occasionally called skillets in my house, but not often.) We had enough of them that I think I took four when I moved out and no one seemed to notice. Yes, we used soap in our frying pans, but only after meat was cooked in them. If there was no meat, it was a wipe-clean situation. If we washed them in water, we put them on the stove to dry, hopefully remembering to stay nearby so as not to wonder about that nasty hot metal odor permeating house a few minutes later. If the pan was not red hot, there’d be a quick application of Crisco on a rag if mom or dad were in charge, and no Crisco if my brother or I were in charge . I still have my pans. They’re still perfectly seasoned and I use soap.  I haven’t turned one red hot by forgetting it in the drying process in a long time, and have finally reached the level of maturity where I do wipe them with Crisco after washing.

Long story short, I occasionally use soap in my 100-year old cast iron and I still cook in kettles. Do you?

Welcome Guest Linda Ford!

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I love historicals. There is a wider breadth of dramatic events to choose from. For instance, what in our present world compares to the scope of adventure in a wagon trek westward, the challenges of living in a sod shanty, or the sheer grit of surviving endless dust storms or  a vicious snowstorm?

I got a taste of real pioneer life as a child. My father did road maintenance work in remote areas. My parents—brave souls—gathered up us children and took us along. We lived in a VERY primitive bunkhouse. There were absolutely no modern conveniences (you have to remember this was about 200 years ago. lol) We experienced firsthand some of the tasks our pioneer forefathers did.

Of course, not everyone agrees. I had one reader write me and briskly inform me that there was nothing romantic about the  ‘good old days’. The hard work was numbing; the hardships devastating. Life simply wasn’t pleasant.

I have great admiration for these people, their hardy spirits and their absolute stubborn joy because it always hits me when I read their stories that few of them were bitter or complaining. They simply faced and accepted the challenges of their situation, striving to make things better and in the midst of it all, clinging to a sure faith. As many of these people say in their stories, God was their strength and their shield. In Him they found forbearance and hope. I’m convinced their lives have much to teach us.

In my new series—Stagecoach To Golden Valley—I strive to portray their grit and faith. In preparing to write my previous series, Montana Cowboys, I had done research on gold mining. I had visited Libby, Montana which experienced a gold rush in the 1860s. While in Libby, I poked through the museum, took pictures of cabins and equipment, browsed the local history section of the library, traipsed through the woods, and sat to admire the waterfalls. BTW, I am in love with waterfalls and have used them often in the new series.

The only thing I needed to complete my research was to learn about stagecoaches. I gleaned some interesting facts. The wagons were pulled by three matching pairs of horses. The interior was often crowded with three benches—one facing forward, one facing to the back and one in the middle. Each bench could hold three passengers—with barely room to breathe. A stagecoach traveled about 5 mph. The team of horses had to be changed every 12-15 miles so there were way stations at those points. The overnight stations were often referred to as Home Stations. Food, drink and a place to bed down were provided but not necessarily with much comfort accompanying them.

Riding a stagecoach lacked any hope of relaxation. The coach swayed and jerked and bounced. Elbows jabbed into ribs. Passengers were tossed against each other. Then there were the dangers associated with travel over rugged terrain—landslides, washed out roads, steep and narrow embankments. There was always the risk of robbers.

There are other reasons for making the treacherous journey across the mountains besides the hope of finding gold. Some travelers wanted escape. Some wanted shelter. Others wanted to start over or find missing family. Some even arrived under mysterious circumstances.

FROM THIS DAY

A past too dark to forgive…a love too powerful to deny.

Addie Stone has devoted her life to helping her adoptive parents care for the less fortunate. She and her mother are journeying to Golden Valley to continue this work and help the preacher. She lives a plain life believing it will protect her from criminals—and pain.

Nash Burns, a handsome young rancher, has strong ideals—hard work and honest gain. The last thing he wants is to be like his father.

The pair are stranded along with the other stagecoach passengers when heavy rains wash out the road. They are soon drawn to each other, finding similar goals and ideals. When the secrets of their past are revealed, they wonder if they can possibly forgive each other.

Will they find their way to forgiveness, healing and a love that satisfies the yearnings of their hearts?

The tropes of this book are:

  • stranded
  • guilty secrets
  • family saga
  • second chance

Which of these are your favorites? Or is your favorite something else? I’ll give away one ebook copy of From This Day so leave a comment.

50 Wonderful Years

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Hello everyone, Winnie Griggs here. Today’s post is going to be a little different—more introspective than usual.

You see, November has always been a special month in our household. It’s the month when autumn finally settles in for good, when I start thinking about what I’m grateful for, the Christmas countdown, and cinnamon-spiced everything. But more personally, it’s the month that holds two of our children’s birthdays—both of which seem to land near Thanksgiving, and every so often, right on it. Those overlapping celebrations have made for some memorable holidays over the years, full of cake beside pumpkin pie and laughter that carried long after the dishes were done. There are plenty of extended-family birthdays, too—November has always been a big month for births in our family!

And not just birthdays. My parents were married in November, and my husband and I celebrate our wedding anniversary this month as well. This year, though, November feels a little different—richer somehow. My husband and I will be celebrating our fiftieth wedding anniversary—the so-called golden anniversary—and it truly does feel golden.

Half a century of shared adventures, ordinary days, and everything in between. When we married, we were young and full of dreams, sure we could take on anything life sent our way. Looking back now, I realize that while the dreams and adventures were wonderful, the real gift came in the everyday faithfulness—the simple rhythm of two people choosing each other over and over again.

 

Our children have planned a big family fish fry to mark the occasion. Nothing fancy—just our crew gathered outdoors, catching up and swapping stories while the little ones run wild and free. It feels exactly right for us: casual, family-focused, and full of laughter. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate five decades together than surrounded by the family and love that grew from those early years.

Maybe that’s why I’ve been thinking of my parents a lot lately. Their wedding anniversary also fell in November—seventy-four years ago. Both of them are gone now, but the memories linger. I can still picture the big celebrations we held for their 35th and 50th anniversaries—dress-up events full of family, friends, and music. They had so many people who loved them—a real tribute to the kind of folks they were. And now, all these years later, I see the same kind of joy echoing through our own family gatherings.

As I look back, I’m struck by how gratitude has a way of deepening over time. When we’re young, we’re thankful for the big moments—new jobs, new homes, new beginnings. But as the years pass, gratitude becomes quieter, steadier. It settles into the small things: a familiar hand reaching for yours, a child’s quick hug, a sunset shared in comfortable silence. And somewhere along the way, that gratitude transforms into a sense of fulfillment and blessing.

Fulfillment in knowing you’ve loved and been loved. Blessings in the memories built, the lessons learned, the laughter that lingers even after the moment has passed

 

I suppose that’s why this milestone feels less like a finish line and more like a sweet blessing. Fifty years together isn’t about perfection—it’s about persistence, forgiveness, laughter, and faith. And it’s about recognizing that the good things in life are rarely flashy. They’re built quietly, day by day, in the heart of a home filled with love.

So this November, amid birthday candles, Thanksgiving pies, and a family fish fry, my heart is full. Love and gratitude brought us here. A sense of fulfillment and an abiding faith keep us grounded.

And as a nod to the upcoming Thanksgiving Day celebration, what’s one person, moment, or memory you’re most grateful for this year? Leave a comment on this and/or on my post and you’ll be entered in a drawing for your choice of a signed copy of any of my books.

 

Buckboard Wagon Seat Ideas and Giveaway

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Last month I started a home redecorating/downsizing project that turned out to be much more work than I anticipated. Yeah, go figure, right? We switched four rooms around, which wound up giving us a much more functional TV den and an extra sleeping nook for when company visits over the holidays. I also found a place for those many things of my late mother’s I can’t seem to part with. While I have lots of small stuff left to do, like hanging pictures and finding a place for knick-knacks, I’m approaching the finish line. Whew!

One of the biggest tasks I took on was reorganizing and clearing out the closets. What a chore! I tell you, I don’t want to do that again for a long, long time. I wound up making two trips to the local Goodwill Donation Drop-Off and scheduled one special bulk trash pickup.

I decided to also use this opportunity to freshen up some of my décor. Nothing like giving your rooms a new look to lift your spirits. Along those lines, we decided to reupholster the couch and get an old table my husband inherited from his grandfather refinished. Problem is, I have this one antique buckboard wagon seat I’m not sure what to do with. It had been sitting in an unused corner of what is now the sleeping nook, so I need to give it a new purpose. To that end, I got online looking for inspiration. I think some of the ideas I came across are really cute. The questions now are 1) is what I want doable, and 2) how to accomplish it?

As you can imagine, the most popular idea is a bench. Of these three ideas, the one with cushions appeals to me the most. I think some colorful pillows would be cute. But where to put the bench?

This one where the wagon seat is turned into a painting is very cool. However, I have no artistic talent, and I don’t know anyone who does and could take on a project like this.

These last two are probably my favorites. I’m thinking of combing the two of them: putting the wagon outside my front door and staging it with an outdoor plant, a birdhouse, a weathervane, and other country decorative items. I think that might be very charming and original.

What about you? What would you do with my buckboard wagon seat if you were me? Drop a comment below, and I’ll enter you in a random drawing for a giveaway that includes two of my backlist books and some author bling, including a cowboy coffee cup and Starbucks gift card. Even if you don’t have an idea about my buckboard wagon seat, just say hi, and I’ll enter your name.

 

P.S. Don’t forget to check out the P&P Facebook Reader Group at:  Petticoats & Pistols FB Readers Group

 

Miner Jeannie

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Once upon a time I was a miner. Not for long, but long enough. I worked pretty deep, on the 6700 and 6900 levels of the Star Mine in Burke, Idaho. The level numbers indicate how far below the surface we were, so 6700 means that we were 6700 feet under the surface.

I drove a muck train with my partner Billy. We would drive the train back into the drift (commonly called a tunnel, but a tunnel has an entry and exit point while a drift just “drifts” back into the rock with no exit), stop under a chute containing rock that the miners working far above us had mined, open the chute, load the cars and then drive back to the station, which is the main area of each underground level. There we would dump the cars, each of which contain about a ton of ore, into a bigger chute, which collected ore during the day that would be carried to the surface in muck skips on the graveyard shift.

This is a motorman on the job. Imagine me in that yellow coat.

When we hauled ore (trammed muck) one of us drove the motor or engine, and the other rode on the back of the last car. A train usually had four.  Each day we got a list of which chutes to pull and how many loads to haul from each by the shift boss and that was our work for the day. If we got done early, we were supposed to “maintain” the ditches next to the tracks, as in shovel them out. We usually tried not to get done too quickly. On the other hand, sometimes we didn’t get done at all because the train would jump the tracks and we would spend a lot of time jacking that darn thing back on, which was no easy feat when the motor weighed 5 tons and Billy and I combined weighed close to 250 lbs. We learned a lot of on-the-job physics.

So how did we communicate in the dark? With lights and clangs. The lights were most important. When you wear a light on your head all day, there are etiquette rules, such as never look directly at someone and blind them. You always directed the light to the side of the person’s face. The light was used for signals. To have someone move away from you, you nodded your head up and down, meaning go back. When you wanted someone to come your way, you circled your light. When you wanted someone to stop you shook your head back and forth. If you wanted them to stop fast, you shook your head really fast. Many was the time when I was helping my dad hook up the horse trailer and forgetting I was not in the mine, I would shake my head when I wanted him to stop. Head shaking never worked the same as it did underground.

My dad, my grandpa and me on the motor in 1963.

And then there is the clangs, which were handier when positioning the cars under the chutes. When the guy riding the back car had the position they wanted, they would hit the edge of the car one time. If the motorman didn’t manage to stop in the right place, more signals would follow. Three clangs meant move forward. Two clangs meant move back. One meant stop. Clangs were quicker than lights for signals.

I enjoyed my time underground, but I was raised in mining. To answer the question that I get a lot, no I never minded being that deep in the earth. I much prefer it to being high in the air. Oh, but I hate heights.

 

American Indian Jewelry & Other Fashions Plus Giveaway

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Howdy!

Hope you are having a terrific summer!  Did any of you go on vacation this last August?  If so, where did you go?  And most of all, did you have fun?

Well, to start off September, I thought I’d tell you a bit about the American Indian style of jewelry, Plains style specifically.  All tribes were different, and this included hair styles, jewelry, moccasins, clothing and many other things that, if one knew how, could identify the tribe.

But let’s go a little deeper into Jewelry, what was used and how it was worn.  To the left here is a young man who can be identified by his style of hair, as well as his clothing and jewelry.  He is Blackfeet, I believe, and probably the picture was taken in the 1850’s or 1860’s.  His hair with his bangs cut and pulled straight up could be either Blackfeet or Crow.  But the style of his rifle case and the capote (his “blanket coat”) he is wearing looks very Blackfeet.  He wouldn’t be part of a southern tribe because there would be no need for the capote in the south.

It looks to me as if he is wearing ermine fur as earrings — the fur of the ermine was white in the winter and the fur could be used for jewelry or could ornament anything, including headdresses.  He is also wearing the bow clips with large beads attached and they are hung from each side of his face.  His necklace is beaded with the beads (most likely the color blue) used as a choker and a looping necklace of white and various colored beads.  It also looks to me as if the necklace has another loop to it, barely seen because of the capote he is wearing.

His moccasins look to be made from a substantial material, probably buckskin, which might identify him again, as Blackfeet.  His friend is dressed in the classic kind of outfit worn by traders during this time period.

The gentleman to the right is definitely Blackfeet, and is Chief Old Person, circa the late 1890’s or early 1900’s.  He is an ancestor of Chief Earl Old Person, who was chief of the tribe for very many years…and also who was very beloved by his tribe.  In this picture, his headdress identifies him at once as Blackfeet because the top part of the headdress stands almost straight up, which was the style of the Blackfeet headdress.  He wears many ermine furs, which hang down from his headdress.  He is also wearing what looks like a brass armband and has a tomahawk in his hand.  Note, also his white clothing, which is usually made from a buffalo hide and tanned until it is soft and white.

Glass beads were a trade item and were used to make earrings, necklaces and decorations on clothing, including dresses, leggings, moccasins, robes, bags, cradle boards and adorned many other things.  Bead work could be identified by tribe and by color schemes.  Before there were glass beads (imported from Europe), porcupine quills were used (soaked in the mouth until they were soft) and then used to ornament much of their clothing.and other items.  Men and women might wear shells as necklaces and earrings.  Men might wear horns, antlers, claws…a grizzly’s claws worn around the neck denoted a man of distinction.  Chokers could be made from otter skin and beads and another items highly valued.

 

Here to the left are a couple of Blackfeet girls.  Interestingly, these girls are not wearing as much jewelry as the men.  Could it be that the Blackfeet men wore more jewelry in attempt to attract a woman?  In the world of eagles, hawks and many other birds, the male of the species is often more colorful than the female, partly as a way of protecting the female as Nature has planned, but also, most likely to attract a lovely female’s attention.

Did you know that female prairie chickens sat in a circle around males in the middle who were dancing and strutting, showing off their stuff?

But, in this picture to the right, what we see is the traditional American Indian style braids, with a part in the middle.  The shells that are ornamenting the dress on the girl on our right appears to be elk teeth.  Notice they are both wearing a belt and at this time period (perhaps the late 1890’s), they are both wearing trade-cloth dresses and what looks to be wide leather belts.  In the background is a beautifully painted tepee.  Men painted these tepees, by the way.

Well, I hope you have enjoyed this quick look into traditional style of jewelry and clothes and the beautiful bead work and ornamentation.

And now for the give-away: I will be giving away a pair of American Indian hoop earrings to one of the bloggers today.  They are beautifully beaded with orange, yellow, green, blue, red and white seed beads.  There are three hoops that make up the earrings and the size of each earring is about 2 inches wide and long.  They are for pierced ears only.

Please see our Guidelines for giveaways.  All you have to do to enter into the drawing is leave a post here on the blog.

Am hoping you enjoyed this quick look at the beauty of the American Indian jewelry and clothing.

On sale right now are two of my stories:

She Steals My Breath

Currently on sale for $.99.

And


The Adventures Of Good Eagle and Miss Starling

by Genny Cothern — my pen name for this new Young Adult Series.

Currently on sale for $.99

 

 

 

Have a super day and Do Well!

 

 

 

Petticoats & Pistols