Sarah Lamb

Practical, Culinary, and Medicinal Purposes of the Iris, Poppy, and Sage in the Victorian Era

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Isn’t it amazing how plants, including flowers, have so many purposes? Some we still use, others have gotten lost to history. Still, there’s something that really appeals to me about the idea of how close we once lived to nature, and looked to it to solve problems or help us. 

Three that caught my eye, because I have books of the same name, are the iris, the poppy, and sage. In the ninteenth century, you’d likely find each of these in a household garden. They were essential for medicines, manufacturing, and even international trade!

 

The iris is such a beautiful flower. It comes in so many colors! And while in the nineteenth century it was a beautiful decoration in the floral bouquet for many, it’s actually the underground rhizomes, also known as the orris root, that held the highest value commercially. 

When dried, this root could mimic the scent of violets. It was ground up to make Victorian hair powders, to used to scent clothes or keep linens smelling fresh. It also could be distilled into orris oil, which was used in expensive perfumes. 

What would you think if I told you that it was also a common ingredient in toothpastes? It was! But iris was also used internally, brewed into teas that could treat a cough or chest congestion. 

 

 

The poppy was one of the most medically influential plants of the 1800s, and later was used for pain management. In 1804, a German pharmacist learned how to isolate morphine from the opium poppy. In the mid 1800s, that became a really important tool on battlefields to help prevent dysentery, and treat amputation wound pain. 

But it wasn’t just the battlefield doctor who would give medicine from the poppy. When the opium from it was dissolved in alcohol, it made laudanum, which was sold over the counter and considered a sort of cure-all. Doctors would prescribe it for everything from a headache to sleeping poorly to “women’s issues.” There were even some meant to treat colic in infants! 

Aside from the medicinal purposes, the red poppy petals were sometimes used to make ink and to dye fabric. On YouTube, there are actually some videos of people dying fabric with poppy petals, and that’s honestly pretty neat to see. 

 

 

But what about sage? You might already use this herb in your baking. In Victorian gardens, sage had a duel role for both cooking and medicine. If someone had a sore throat, a cough, or a fever, the sage was brewed into a tea. For the woman of a “particular age” this tea also helped to manage symptoms of menopause, in particular hot flashes and night sweats. 

Something else I didn’t know about sage and learned was that while it was used to flavor foods, it was also used to preserve pork and sausage because sage has antimicrobial properties. 

But if you wanted another way to use sage, it was also used as a hair was for dandruff, and also to naturally darken graying hair. 

I admit, sage was so interesting to me, that I went online. Sure enough, there is still sage tea and it’s blended into some unique tea blends. I’m thinking I want to look that up and maybe keep some on hand for a sore throat or that day comes that I get a hot flash! 

These were just three plants, there are dozens and dozens more that had special abilities! But, why did I share about these three in particular? 

Because I have a gift for you. If you’ve never read it, my Garden Belle book Iris is FREE for you. And, if you’ve never read Poppy or Sage, those are on sale for a limited time in the US and UK for just .99. 

 

 

To get Iris: Just click right here!

To get Poppy: Just click right here! 

To get Sage: Just click right here! 

 

And since I’ve been talking about flowers today, and all of the many ways these three were used, what’s a flower or plant that you use in some way, other than to look at?

Everyone gets a free book today!

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Welcome to Deepwater. The town where hearts come to hide, heal, and hope. 

If you’d told me years ago, when I first wrote Trapped in Deepwater, that the little town in Missouri would grow to six standalone books, and eventually a series, I’d have laughed. I never thought it would happen. But each time I wrote a new book, Maggie at her cafe, Reverend Sullivan, Peter at the post office, and all of the others became real. But I noticed something too. Every single story in Deepwater, someone is in need of hope and healing. And, don’t we all need a little of that?

And then, after I wrote Away in Deepwater last year, for our Christmas Stocking Sweethearts series here at Petticoats and Pistols,  I realized that Deepwater was more than a little stopover. It was it’s own town and filled with its own stories and I needed to tell them. 

So, this series is different from Red Ridge. It’s a little gentler. There are still surprises and twists, and things that will make you smile, but it’s also the kind where I really hope Reverend Sullivan or Maggie or anyone else who pops up on the page says just the thing that you need to hear. 

The first book releases next week, and there will be ten total, though right now I just have three on preorder. The third book is being written right now, and I’m loving how it’s turning out!

To get you started on your visit to Deepwater, if you’ve never been there before, I’d love to give you a free book. It’s the prequel to the series, and the story that readers had been asking me to tell since they first met Maggie. I hope that you’ll enjoy it, and find yourself wanting to spend more time in this little town, like I do!

 

 

To get your book, just click right here! There’s no strings attached. Not a one. 

And, if you find you’d love to spend more time in that little town and meet the cornerstones of the community, tomorrow, visit the group or click right here, and get all six Deepwater standalone stories for just $4.99. 

Now, I’d love to hear from you! We all read so much! What are some of your favorite fictional towns to spend time in? I’m always loving recommendations to add to my own TBR!

 

 

Cowgirls in the Kitchen – Sarah Lamb

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Welcome to my kitchen! Some of you might know there are food allergies in our house. Just to name a few are eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, coconut, and every legume but soy. To further complicate things, as an adult I developed an avocado allergy. So, cooking in our house can get kind of…difficult. However, there’s a recipe that I discovered and I’ve been wanting to try, and I thought I’d share it with you, since it’s a cookie with a pretty unusual ingredient, and only five ingredients total, unless you want to add a topping, then it’s just two more.

Ready?

I’m here to introduce Italian Cinnamon Olive Oil Cookies!

This recipe comes from this website here, and so you can print out the recpie if you are interested in trying this yourself!

As I said, super simple ingredients.

  • 2 ¼ cups All-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup Regular olive oil
  • 2 / 3 cup Granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoon Mandarin zest or orange zest
  • 1 / 8 teaspoon Kosher salt

If you want a topping for the cookies, you’ll need:

  • 2 tablespoon Granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Ground cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Combine all of the dry ingredients, and make a little well in the center.

Add the zest and olive oil, and mix.

Let the dough rest for 10 minutes, then test it. If you can squeeze it together and it doesn’t fall apart, it’s ready. If it does, add 1-2 more tablespoons of olive oil and mix well.

Roll the dough into a ball, and, if desired, sprinkle your sugar and cinnamon on the top. It’s easiest to blend the two together before sprinkling.

Bake at 400 for about 10 minutes, or until the bottoms brown.

Cool 5 minutes on the sheet, then 10 minutes on a rack and sample.

Don’t forget the last step. If you don’t sample, how will you know if it’s good for whoever you are making it for? Always sample, my friends!

 

If you have a favorite type of cookie, I’d love to hear it. I really like oatmeal raisin or oatmeal chocolate chip or plain old sugar! Those are my favorites. What is yours?

A Christmas Wedding and the Start of Christmas in July

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I know it’s August right now, but I just had a book release, The Christmas Wedding, about a week ago, and it made me start wondering: Just why do we have so many Christmas in July things? There are new Christmas books, Christmas in July parties, and some stores even start pulling out the red, white, and green while the red, white, and blue is marked down!

July is not even halfway to Christmas! So, why? Sure, sometimes on a hot summer month you want to think cool, but it was a question that got me digging for an answer. Is it more than just an excuse to celebrate? 

Turns out, it is.

In France in 1892, is where it all started, but it was just a brief mention. The opera Werther has the line: “Vous chantez Noël en juillet… c’est s’y prendre à l’avance.” Google Translate told me that means it is getting ready or looking ahead early. 

 

 

However, as we Americans often do, we took something and changed it. In 1894, there was an English translation of that line by Elizabeth Beall Ginty. Her translation has the character say: “When you sing Christmas in July, you rush the season.” 

I’m going to pause right here, and beg to differ…for me personally, I’m not rushing anything, I’m extending it! After all, there’s a LOT to do around Christmas! And, if it’s anything in your house like mine, we all know who makes that happen…

But, back to the origin. There wasn’t anything more I could find until 1933, when an all girls summer camp in Brevard, North Carolina, started what we all know of as Christmas in July. Co-founder Fannie Holt requested the celebration as one of the events for the campers, and it was complete with carolers, a Christmas tree, and even a visit from Santa Claus. 

 

 

Not too long after, in 1940, the movie Christmas in July was released, and with a wider audience than a single girls’ camp, the phrase spread, and more events followed. During World War II, the United States Postal Service and the military branches worked with advertisers and the greeting card industry to promote early Christmas mailing campaigns to soldiers overseas, so that they’d get those cards in time. Churches and other groups collected and shipped gifts for the soldiers, and, the some soldiers themselves, to keep morale up, had their own Christmas in July celebrations. 

 

Copyright (c) Leslie Jones.
All rights reserved.

The war eventually ended, but the phrase stuck, and so did the idea of doing something Christmassy that month. Retailers also ran with the idea. Historically for them, July is a slower month, since there’s no major holiday between 4th of July and Labor Day. But, it was a good way to get people in their door to boost sales. 

Even with the commercial aspect nowadays, I really enjoyed learning about the historical beginning. 

Whether you celebrate Christmas in July in a small or big way, or not at all, I hope you found the origins of it interesting! I admit, I think it’s a bit of a stretch to say it started in the 1800s, France, when it was just a saying, but who am I to argue with history? 

Now…how about a giveaway?

 

If you’d like your chance to win a prize today, AND, potentially a prize from more than 25 authors, let me share how to do that. 

 

 

For the chance to win from one of the 25+ authors, just stop by by reader community! August 6-8 we are having a party, with so many games, and prizes every single day! 

So, for today’s blog post, just comment below if you have ever done anything for Christmas in July, and one winner will win their choice of any of my Red Ridge Chronicles ebooks. Just tell me which you’d like. 

 

 

 

Bingo Round-Up – Week 4!

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It’s not too late to play Bingo to celebrate Sarah Lamb’s

Whispers of Treason!

We’re rounding up our Bingo clues to make it even easier to play.

Choose your answers, submit your entry for each clue, and you’ll still have a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card!

But hurry!  Only one day left!

Winner will be announced Monday in the Reader Group.  

 

Submit Entry

Submit Entry

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Book #5 in the Petticoats and Patriots Series

Coming Tuesday

PREORDER ON AMAZON

Join us Tuesday in the Reader Group on Facebook as we play a new Bingo game to celebrate.

You could win a $10 Amazon Gift Card.

Don’t forget to check out our Series Page to see all the books, too!  

The Event that Could Have Ended Virginia’s Government, and Changed the Course of the Revolutionary War

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Banastre Tarleton by Joshua Reynolds

In May 1781, Virginia’s government was on the run. The state capital of Richmond had become incredibly dangerous due to ongoing British threats and raids along the James River. Believing the inland Piedmont region would be a safe haven beyond the enemy’s reach, the General Assembly voted to abandon Richmond, retreat west, and reconvene at Charlottesville on May 24. They had no idea Cornwallis would intercept a colonial dispatch revealing their new location and send his fast-moving cavalry straight after them.

At the time, Charlottesville was just a small and insignificant town. Governor Thomas Jefferson lived and worked from his estate, Monticello, which was a few miles outside of town. His term as governor had actually just ended two days prior on June 2, leaving the state temporarily without an active executive, but because he was still at Monticello managing the crisis, history still looks at him as the British army’s prime target.

At this particular moment in time, the General Assembly worked in the town of Charlottesville itself, convening in the Albemarle County Courthouse and frequenting the nearby Swan Tavern. Up at Monticello, Jefferson was hosting the Speakers of both the state Senate and the House of Delegates.

When Cornwallis learned that it would be possible to strike a devastating blow to Virginia’s government—and potentially change the course of the war—he sent one of the most feared individuals to strike: Banastre Tarleton, a 27-year-old superstar of the British forces.

Born in Liverpool to a wealthy merchant family, Banastre Tarleton went to Oxford and studied law, but he spent most of his time living wildly, gambling, and burning through his inheritance. His family eventually bought him an officer’s commission in the British Army, and he volunteered to go to America to put down the rebellion.

Tarleton was given command of the British Legion, a highly mobile combined force of cavalry and light infantry. They wore distinctive dark green uniforms instead of the traditional British red coats. Tarleton soon developed his patent style of striking without warning, marching through the night, and hunting down retreating enemies. In fact, his reputation preceded him in a terrifying way.

In May 1780 at the Battle of Waxhaws, Tarleton’s men caught up to a retreating force of Virginia continentals. When the Americans tried to surrender, Tarleton’s horse was shot. Thinking that their commander had been killed under a flag of truce, his soldiers went into a frenzy and killed over 100 Americans who were attempting to lay down their arms. From that day on, “Tarleton’s Quarter” meant killing surrendered soldiers.

When Tarleton was sent to Charlottesville, it was just by luck that his troops were spotted by a young man named Jack Jouett. Tarleton and his men thought they’d sneak up on the town completely unnoticed, but the 26-year-old militia captain had a different plan in mind.

An artist’s depiction of Jack Jouett’s ride through the Virginia night. Source: History.com

Jack Jouett, son of the owner of the Swan Tavern in Charlottesville, was at the Cuckoo Tavern in Louisa County when he spotted the distinctive green uniforms of Tarleton’s British Legion riding past in the moonlight. Suspecting Charlottesville was the target, he raced out, mounted his horse, and rode into the night to warn his town. The only problem was that Tarleton had a massive head start on the main highway, and Charlottesville was 40 miles away.

To arrive first, Jouett had to take an abandoned, heavily overgrown path through the Virginia Piedmont known as the “Three Chopt Road.” The path was treacherous, but he rode at a reckless gallop through the dark. The vines and thorns literally shredded his clothes and his body. He carried the physical scars from those branches on his face for the rest of his life.

Just before dawn, Jouett arrived. His first stop was Monticello, where he warned Jefferson, who managed to escape into the woods moments before the British cavalry arrived at his front door. Jouett then continued on his way down the mountain into the town of Charlottesville.

Thanks to his warning, the majority of Virginia’s leadership fled over the Blue Ridge Mountains to Staunton just in time. Those who escaped included Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Lee, Benjamin Harrison V, and General Edward Stevens.

However, there were some who didn’t get away in time. When Tarleton’s British Legion cavalry came rushing through the town, it was absolute chaos. Legislators were said to be leaping out of windows and running for their horses. Tarleton did manage to capture several assemblymen, including the legendary frontiersman Daniel Boone, who was serving as a local representative.

While so many know of Paul Revere’s 12-mile ride, it’s sobering to think that Jack Jouett rode 40 miles through dense, bloody overgrowth, saved the cradle of Virginia’s government, and is barely mentioned in standard history books. Who knows how many other incredible men and women played a huge role in history and were left out?

When I wrote Whispers of Treason, I wanted to be sure to weave real historical places and stories I heard as a little girl growing up in Charlottesville, Virginia. That time period and those places have always had a special place in my heart, and I hope that if you read Whispers of Treason, you’ll enjoy the historical facts I’ve included at the end of the book.

A traitor in the Continental Army. A raid that could end Virginia’s government. And one woman willing to risk everything for love.

Anna Randolph has always believed women are capable of more than society allows. The daughter of a prominent military supplier in Revolutionary Virginia, she manages her father’s correspondence and longs to contribute meaningfully to the cause of independence. When she meets Major James Coleman at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, she’s drawn to the self-made officer who sees her as an equal—but in the uncertain spring of 1781, with war raging through Virginia, falling in love feels like both a gift and a gamble.

Major James Coleman earned his rank through merit, not birth. A Scots-Irish officer from the Shenandoah Valley, he’s gathering intelligence for the Marquis de Lafayette while avoiding romantic entanglements—his dangerous work is no life for a family man. But Anna Randolph is unlike any woman he’s ever known: intelligent, passionate, and brave. For the first time, James allows himself to imagine a future beyond the war. Until a routine visit to the Albemarle Barracks uncovers a deadly conspiracy threatening both Jefferson and the cause itself.

When whispered treason reveals plans for a devastating raid on Charlottesville and James is left for dead by a jealous rival, Anna must become the courier he never meant to send into danger. Racing thirty miles through enemy territory to reach Lafayette’s camp, she carries intelligence that could save Jefferson and alter the course of the war. In a world where women are meant to wait and worry, Anna Randolph will ride into the heart of danger to prove that sometimes the most perilous mission requires not just courage, but love.

You can find my book right here, and preorder it so it’s delivered straight to your Kindle on July 7th!

Now, how about a little giveaway? One person will win a $5 Amazon gift card by simply telling me: Have you ever visited a historical site, and what is your favorite one?

How about a 1800s beverage recipe, perfect for hot days?

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I don’t know what the weather is like where you are, but we are finally, finally getting a few hot days mixed in with the cooler ones. Summer is enroute! And, so is the desire for something tasty to drink on those hot days. While we all know water is healthy and important, does anyone else feel like it sometimes sits so heavy in your stomach? Especially when you are outside?

Enter in, the perfect 1800s beverage. Haymaker’s Punch! Popularized in the 18th-century American Colonies as the drink of choice for workers in the field, it’s also called Switchel or ginger water or swizzy. It’s said that in the early days of Congress, there was an enormous bowl of this refreshing and cooling drink that they’d help themselves to liberally, though theirs was quite heavily laced with Jamaican rum.

So, just what is this drink? It’s one that’s easy to make, and was designed to keep a person hydrated while working in hot conditions, like in the fields. It was commonly made for laborers of all trades, or even at home. In fact, if you ever read the Little House on the Prairie books, you’ll remember that Ma made some ginger water while Pa was out working in the fields, and the girls took it to him.

It might be most known as Haymaker’s Punch, however, as it was commonly served during those hot summer days, when the hay was being cut in the fields. I know around here, they have at least two cuttings during the summer. I can’t imagine doing that by hand! The drink was sorely needed, I am sure.

 

1890 PG 90, Clifford M. Ott Collection, University of Idaho Library Special Collections and Archives, http://www.lib.uidaho.edu/special-collections/%5B/caption%5D

Want to try your own hand at it? It’s quite simple. Just mix the following ingredients:

1 gallon of water

1 to 1 1/2 cups of molasses or maple syrup

1/3 cup of apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon of freshly grated ginger

After all of the ingredients are mixed together, allow it to sit for 2-4 hours. We have the luxury of refrigeration, and this drink can be refrigerated while all of the flavors blossom.

When it’s ready, you’ll have a wonderful thirst quenching beverage, and you’ll also have filled your cup with a bit of history!

Speaking of history, I’d love to do a giveaway! This month, I’m giving one reader an ebook copy of Elizabeth, Shenandoah National Park Bride. This book is chock full of romance, suspense, danger, and history! Here’s a little more about it.

 

Elizabeth Lawrence is ready for her trip to Shenandoah National Park with its cascading waterfalls, fields of colorful wildflowers, and wooded hollows with trees that stretch to the sky. Sketchbook in hand, she expects to capture the park’s serene beauty, never imagining the hidden dangers that lurk within its depths—or the unexpected jolt her heart will experience.

Counting down his final weeks as a park ranger, Kyle Struggs expects to deal with the usual threats of the rugged terrain, not the whims of privileged visitors he’ll be serving as a private guide. Yet, as he gets to know the inquisitive Elizabeth, he realizes she’s nothing like he’d anticipated, and he quickly can’t imagine life without her.

But when a vengeful poacher kidnaps Elizabeth, their blossoming relationship is threatened. Now, Elizabeth must depend on her wits to buy time to survive, while Kyle searches the vast park to save her from the very dangers he swore to protect her against.

You can click here to learn more, and, if you’d like to enter to win an ebook copy, just answer my question: What’s your favorite drink on a hot summer day?

Victorian Flirtations and Silent Communication

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I’ll be the first to admit, I was never good at flirting. And, a few years ago when I ran across the way that entire conversations or flirtations could be done, silently, I laughed. Not because they aren’t clever. Oh, yes, they are. Though, if everyone knew what was being said, I guess it wasn’t completely discreet? I laughed because I would never be clever enough to remember all of these. With my luck (and clumsiness!) I’d be saying the very, very wrong things! Take a look at what I mean!

 

 

 

Aren’t these terribly clever? So much could be said! Now, while many people swear this existed, and it’s likely that it did in some fashion, others have claimed it was a marketing ploy or a myth, something that only a few did or pretended to do to be mysterious. Still…can you imagine the fun a couple might have had with this?

Fans and gloves served as more than a beautiful accessory for a woman or man. There was an incredible practical side as well.

Gloves acted as a barrier against germs in public spaces, and not only kept the hands clean, but for women, protected them from the sun, keeping them soft and pale, and proving that they were a woman of leisure, not one who had to work. However, wearing gloves as a woman was mandatory, as a women without them would be consisted inappropriately undressed! And, did you know that they were different gloves for different activities? One would not wear the same gloves to ride, to go church, or attend a party. 

For fans, they served multiple purposes as well. As electric fans and air conditioners didn’t exist, a fan was the only way to get a welcome breeze and to find a bit of relief on hot days. In a crowded place, they also helped provide air flow, to decrease unpleasant odors. A fan could protect the face from sunlight, protecting it, and a woman could hide behind it or be distracted by it in uncomfortable social situations.

I have also heard that there were secret languages created with hankies, others with parasols, and I think we are all familiar with flowers or herbs having meanings. I wonder what other things might have been used to create a secret language and communicate or flirt in silence.

Did you have a favorite way to communicate from those lists? Or one you might do by accident, just out of habit with that gesture? If so, drop it here and tell me! 

 

 

What kind of western hero are you?

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We’ve all got a favorite hero, be it the lawman or the outlaw, the cowboy, or the doctor, or something else. But ever wondered which you are most like? I’ve always loved a “Who are you” style quiz, so I thought you might like one too! There are four questions and four heroes!

Play along, and tell me which western hero you are.

 

Question 1: You ride into a new town. What’s your first move?

A) Head straight to the saloon and let the trouble come to you.

B) Find the sheriff and offer your skills.

C) Slip in quietly. 

D) Survey the land. You’re here to build something, not just pass through.

 

Question 2: When it comes to your past, you…

A) Don’t talk about it. Some stories are better left buried in the dust.

B) Carry it with you. Every scar made you who you are today.

C) Use it. You’ve learned lessons most folks will never know.

D) Let it go. The future’s what matters.

 

Question 3: Your idea of a perfect evening on the frontier is…

A) Alone under a sky full of stars, just you and your horse.

B) Around a fire with the people you’d do anything for.

C) Playing cards and reading everyone at the table.

D) Sitting on your porch, watching the sun go down over land you’ve worked.

 

Question 4: When love comes riding in, you…

A) Fight it, then fall completely and without warning.

B) Protect them first, then fall in love.

C) You’ve seen enough of the world to know something rare when you find it.

D) You want to build a life together, not just ride off into the sunset.

 

Now…add up your answers, and then scroll down to read about your hero type! 

 

Mostly A’s — The Lone Gunslinger

Mostly B’s — The Lawman

Mostly C’s — The Outlaw with a Code

Mostly D’s — The Homesteader

 

THE LONE GUNSLINGER You ride alone by choice, not circumstance, and you like it that way. Until someone comes along who sees right through that carefully constructed distance. You’ll resist falling hard, and then fall harder than anyone expected. The lonelier the hero, the sweeter the surrender.

THE LAWMAN You stand for something, and that’s rarer than gold out here. You’re the one people ride hard to find when everything goes sideways — steady, principled, and brave in the quiet way that matters most. Your love is the same: loyal, sure, and once given, never taken back. You don’t just protect the ones you love. You show up for them, every single day.

THE OUTLAW WITH A CODE  You’ve lived outside the law long enough to write your own rules — and yours are surprisingly honorable. You’re sharp, perceptive, and three steps ahead of everyone in the room. People underestimate you until they can’t anymore. When you love someone, you love them fiercely and loyally. The world made you complicated. The right person makes you whole.

THE HOMESTEADER You’re not here for the drama of a fast draw — you’re here for the long game. You want roots, a future, something real. There’s a quiet strength in that kind of vision that others find deeply appealing. You’re the hero who’s already imagining a life together before the first kiss, and that steadfast, hopeful love is exactly what the frontier — and a good romance — is made of.

What did you get? I was mostly C, the Outlaw! Drop your answer below, I’d love to hear it.

And, for playing along, one of you will win an ebook copy of either Mail-Order Gambler or Asher’s Secret, your choice!

Mail-Order Gambler: He lives life on a roll of the dice, betting on everything except love. Click here to read more

Asher’s Secret: The plan? Pretend he’s her betrothed and try not to fall in love. Click here to read more

 

Western Slang

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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?

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Petticoats & Pistols