Bulletproof George

Bulletproof George

George Washington was a young Lieutenant during the French and Indian war. At one point, his regiment fought a two hour battle with the Indians in a field in Pennsylvania. They were wearing the British red coats at that time and the soldiers lined up shoulder to shoulder with their muskets, and began marching toward the Indians in the typical battle form of the day. All the officers, including Lt. Washington, were on horseback. The Indians began shooting and aimed for the officers first.

When Washington's horse was shot beneath him, he got on another horse and continued the fight. The second horse was shot beneath him as well. Still, he remained. The ground all around was covered with dead soldiers and all the other officers were killed. Washington stood alone, his red coat daring them to shoot him.

Finally the Indian Chief commanded his warriors to stop firing. “This one is under special protection of the Great Spirit.” He said.

One Warrior said, “I had seventeen clear shots at this man… and I could not bring him to the ground. This man was not born to be killed by a bullet.”

When the fighting was over, Washington looked down at his coat. There were four holes in the cloth. He pulled it off and examined the skin underneath the bullet holes. There was not a single scratch on his skin.

In 1775, fifteen years later, Washington was chosen to be the Commander in Chief of the Continental Army. It didn’t seem right to accept a salary from an army that barely could feed its soldiers, so he declined their generous offer of pay. Before his commission began, he went to the field where he'd fought with the Indians.


The Chief who he’d fought against, came to pay his respects. He said, “I am a chief and ruler over my tribes. My influence extends to the waters of the great lakes and to the far Blue Mountains. I have traveled a long and weary path that I might see the young warrior of the great battle. It was on the day when the white man's blood mixed with the streams of our forest that I first beheld this chief. I called to my young men and said, ‘mark yon tall and daring warrior? He is not of the red-coat tribe--he hath an Indian's wisdom, and his warriors fight as we do—he himself is alone and exposed. Quick, let your aim be certain, and he dies.’ Our rifles were leveled, rifles which, but for you, knew not how to miss. Twas all in vain. A power mightier far than we, shielded you. Seeing you were under the special guardianship of the Great Spirit, we immediately ceased to fire at you. I am old and soon shall be gathered to the great council fire of my fathers in the land of shades, but ere I go, there is something bids me speak in the voice of prophecy. Listen! The Great Spirit protects that man.” He pointed toward Washington, “and guides his destinies--he will become the chief of nations, and a people yet unborn will hail him as the founder of a mighty empire. I am come to pay homage to the man who is the particular favorite of Heaven, and who can never die in battle.”


George Washington stood a head taller than most men and was a formidable figure in his uniform and epaulettes. His demeanor and stature gave him an instant air of authority, though he was a humble man.

If you'd like to learn more about the father of our country, I recommend reading 1776, by David McCullough.

Foundation of a Nation

Last night I attended a Lincoln Day Dinner at the governor's mansion. The event was centered around stories in the play I wrote entitled Foundation of a Nation. As you can imagine, it was a gala that I'll remember for a long time with food, stories, music, the ROTC color guard, and lots of socializing. I'm honored to have the recognition of my work and for the appreciation that people have shown. As I've mentioned before, they are stories that used to be in school text books, but aren't any longer. This is the good stuff.

If educators want to light a fire under students and ignite their interest in History, these stories would do the trick. I'll be passing them on to my children so they know them, and posting them here so you can read them as well.

Information Overload

We all want to stay on the cutting edge of our business, but have you noticed that there is so much information out there it becomes overwhelming? Whose information should we pay attention to? How do we maximize our time? I don't know about you, but I don't have time to read fifteen articles a day. Besides writing, I have a busy life to take care of and just want to cut to the chase.

Check out today's article on A-List Blog Marketing entitled: Overwhelmed with Blog Marketing Input? 7 Places to Prioritize Your Output
http://alistblogmarketing.com/

South Church

Reverend Thomas Prince. Portrait by Joseph Badger.

During the French and Indian war, England was at war with France. The French sent a fleet of 40 ships to destroy New England. The American colonists had no army or navy to protect themselves. In the face of eminent danger, Reverend Thomas Prince of the Old South Meeting House in Boston, called for a day of prayer and fasting.

The morning was one of perfect peace and calm. No wind ruffled the waters of the bay and not a cloud was in the sky. Reverend Prince prayed even more fervently than was his custom. He appealed to the Almighty for deliverance from the danger that threatened. Suddenly, a gust of wind so strong it rattled the windows in their casings, hit the church. Everyone looked around and Reverend Prince continued his supplications, asking God to cause the wind to confound the purposes of the enemy.

The wind rose to such a tempest that it destroyed the French fleet and saved New England from total destruction.

I can only imagine the prayers of thanksgiving and the rejoicing that must have taken place after that miraculous event.

Reverend Prince was so revered that the town of Princeton was named after him.

This story is just one of many of the events that took place in America's early years. So many of these historical accounts punctuate the fact that the colonists relied on God for protection and to help them in their quest for a new country where there was freedom for all and they could all worship as they pleased. Their belief that all things are possible with God helped them through many difficult situations.

Laying the Foundation

Monday night I had my first television interview for a new local cable show called Women to Women. The host interviews women who are making a difference to our area. As I sat watching the woman being interviewed before me, I felt like I didn't have that much to offer.

I was a ball of nerves and some of the questions took me off guard. The interviewer had never met me and her questions went in a direction I hadn't anticipated. I have yet to see the tape, so of course, I'm worried about those alleged ten extra pounds and that I might look like a babbling idiot.

I'm flattered to be included among women who are doing amazing things. My contribution is an historic play written to show the miraculous things that happened during our country's beginnings. There are some beautiful stories that I will post here. They used to be taught in public schools, but aren't any more. These are stories that will give you goose bumps and bring tears to your eyes. They show what the foundation of our nation is and how far we've gone in the past 250 years.

In our state, American History is taught in the 5th grade. There are two versions of the play. One has some of the best stories, miracles, and uplifting music. The other version is for public school and has some of the good stuff removed because of the references to God. It's a crying shame these stories can't be told and acted out in public schools.

As a parent, I believe these must be taught by parents and not forgotten. They are our deepest roots as Americans.

ACV - A Miracle

The past two weeks have been miserable. My husband generously shared a super nasty winter crud with me. I won't go into all the gross details, but by yesterday I had no voice, my teeth hurt, and my eyes were bulging out and watering too much to read or watch TV.

I'm not one to run to the doctor unless it's really something, so I went online and read about apple cider vinegar and honey. I know, I'm probably the only one who didn't know about this miracle cure, and actually my son and his fiancee told me to heat 2 Tbs. of apple cider vinegar with one Tbs. of honey and drink it. I tried it once and got nauseous from all that honey and the taste was, well, like vinegar. After reading about it online, I decided to give it another try. This time I put it in a cup of hot water. Within a few minutes, the pressure in my head had lessened. I drank 3 cups of it yesterday and today I'm remarkably better.

I'm thrilled to feel almost human again. It is said to work much better if you drink it when you first notice you're getting sick. I'm about 14 days too late, but it's still working. Yay!

What's New?

It's been hectic through Christmas and New Year's. You all know what I mean: cooking, decorating, cleaning, family, celebrating, and lots of extra things to do. As soon as it is over, life feels so vacant. But my husband and I came down with one of those winter cruds that lasts about ten days. Now we are almost over it, things feel like they will go back to normal. Blogging hasn't been in the forefront of my mind, but hopefully things will pick up now that my brain is starting to function again.

I have lots of new plans for the new year. There are two books I want to finish and one that needs fine tuning. I'm determined to get into Pinterest. It will save space on my computer and give me ideas to refer back to for book characters, locations, decorating ideas, and lots more.

The list is long and I have a hundred daily interruptions that take precedence over what I want to be doing. Still I trudge onward and upward with the dream. What's new with you?

The Daily Grind

Wouldn't it be wonderful if our days could be spent leisurely writing at our own pace, stopping to take a walk to think about the next scene, steadily covering the ground of a new book and, for sure, a best seller?

This week I'm shortening a 45 minute play to 20 minutes and adding a new act. I have a deadline and the ideas aren't coming yet - frustrating.

Wish me luck and I hope your week is a productive one.

A New Year

Each new year feels like a clean slate; a chance to begin again with the best of intentions and a fresh calendar.

This year, I'm not making any resolutions. Resolutions seem like big insurmountable tasks, so I'm going to take a step toward my goals each day. I have plenty of projects to work on and each day will have it's own goals and accomplishments.

Happy New Year. I hope it's a good one for all of us.

Happy New Year

Holiday Break

Christmas came and went. Tomorrow morning we have company coming for New Years. I love having guests come to stay. Since I'm not on a deadline at the moment, I plan on enjoying the New Year's festivities and then working on a play production I'll be directing in February. Modifications must be written to fit a time frame and there are requested additions to write.

This will be my first play to direct, and I'm looking forward to it. I'll have a few butterflies, but I'm sure things will go OK once we get started.

Still Writing

I've been in a funk lately. There, I said it.

Life has been a frenzy and my plate is overflowing. I still find time to write here and there between everything else that is going on. Hopefully things will slow down after New Year's, but that's not usually how my life pattern goes. Life is an adventure.

Writer's Space

As writers, we spend a fair amount of time in our own minds, lost in thought while the world whizzes by.

I've been a decorator my whole life and I'm always dreaming of the perfect writing space. Most of the time I sit on the bed propped up with pillows and write on a laptop, but I long for a space of my own. Many of you probably write on the traveling laptop, and there are a lot of good stories coming out of mobile spaces.

This office appeals to me because it has good light, is neatly arranged and can accomodate books, computer, printer, files, and anything else you need to have on hand. If you're a woman writer, it would be great to have near the kitchen and laundry room - where most of us spend our time. It's a good thing we can multi-task. It feels good to throw in a load of laundry and forget it while you write a few paragraphs. For many of us that is the only way we can get our chores done and still find time to write.

I hope you have the perfect space to write.

Anastasia

I confess that the only writing I've done in the past week is a children's book I wrote to go along with a doll I made for a little girl who likes fairies.

Anastasia

My name is Anastasia. I'm a wood nymph. I live in the thick woods near the Black Sea.

The nights get very cold here so my mother wove a blanket of wild boar hair, and filled my mattress with rabbit fur so I stay warm all winter.

In the spring when it rains, a Buttercup is my umbrella.

Every morning when I go outside to play, the butterflies are waiting. They are my friends. We play tag and hide-and-seek in the forest.

My favorite color is green. It reminds me of emeralds and the deep woods of home.

When I get thirsty, I drink dew drops and flower nectar.

I play outside all day. When the sun begins to set, I hurry home for supper.

Tonight Mama made mushrooms and honey raisin cake. After a day of playing outside, I'm starving! I eat two helpings of mushrooms and a big piece of cake before I'm full.

Now it's time for bed. Good Night.

***

I hope she has as much fun with the doll as I had making her. She is embelleshed to the hilt with beads, leaves, gauzy fabric, and jewels. The butterfly was supposed to be made from something called Angelica. It's apparently fibers that stick together when ironed.

I couldn't find it locally, so I put on my thinking cap and ended up using the plastic mesh that came on the Thanksgiving turkey. This justifies the craft drawer filled with all sorts of shiny packaging, candy foil, bits from cards, ribbons, etc. They always find a place in some sort of craft project.

I Did Not Forget

It's been a while since I posted.

I'm working on three different books now, though sporadically, it seems. Two of them are collaborations and it's fun, though sometimes our schedules are at odds with each other, so it takes longer to do than if I were working alone.

I was asked to direct a play at the governor's mansion. This is in the early stages and probably won't get off the ground until after Christmas, but it's nice to look forward to something new to do. I've never done anything like that, but then I've never written a play until recently and it has been fun and I've met many people I wouldn't have met if I didn't write it.

I, I, I. I just reread what I wrote and there are too many of them, but how can I tell you what's going on without using that word?

I marvel at people who seem to have it all together. Their houses are neat and clean, they have amazing careers, and always seem calm and collected. I am running in circles half the time. The house gets messed up way too often and I feel like I need three clones to do it all.

Such is my life, but I'm grateful for all of it. Without a little excitement, pressure, and stress, it would probably be boring.

Holidaze

From Thanksgiving through New Year's Day, we have twice as much to do as we usually have - especially if you are a woman.

This weekend one of our sons was here for Thanksgiving. I had cooked for days, cleaned house, and made everyone's favorite dishes. I marveled that the males of the house, dog included, waited on me to bring them something to drink, eat, and of course, bring football snacks. When the meal was over, they had no thought of all those dishes that needed washing or anything else other than their football enjoyment and full stomachs.

I'm not complaining (really) - it's just a fact of life in most households.

As a writer, I wonder how I'll find time to squeeze in a little creativity in the next six weeks. My list includes job hunting, house cleaning, shopping for gifts and mailing them since everyone else lives far away, cooking, making a few of the gifts, and running around like a chicken with its head cut off, all while trying to get enough rest and stay well enough to handle it all. Holidays are stressful. My husband was laid off his job and things are stressful anyway. Why isn't Hollywood calling to make a movie from my book? I've been to the movies lately and they could use some fresh new material.

Well, now that I've gotten that off my chest, back to the grist mill to grind out a few more chores before I run some errands.

I always remind women to take care of themselves. If you don't, you can't do all that is expected of you. Take that bubble bath tonight. Read a good book, or savor that bon-bon. You deserve it.

NaNoWriMo Accomplished!

On November first when I began writing a 50,000 word novel in thirty days, it seemed like an insurmountable task.

I religiously wrote each day. It took a couple of hours to write at least 2,000 words per day.

At the end, I verified the word count with NaNoWriMo and they sent this colorful certificate to commemorate the accomplishment of writing a first draft in thirty days. It actually took me twenty three days, but I was in a rush because of Thanksgiving and knew I would spend a lot of time in the kitchen for that.

I actually think this novel has some legs and I'm looking forward to polishing it up a bit.

Trying To Do It All

I knew this would happen: Just before Thanksgiving my to-do lists explode into much more than a list. They become a notebook filled with pages of things to do, things to clean, stuff to bake, all in an effort to make sure everyone has the perfect holiday experience. I'm not quite as bad off as that woman on the Target commercials, but I understand how she feels.

On top of that, I'm doing the NaNoWriMo project. I've worked hard to stay ahead of the word count, but my book really wants to end and it's at 49,000 words. I need another 1,000 to qualify.

Today will be filled with pie baking, entertaining company, pre-washing vegetables, and all sorts of normal daily activities, plus my car is sitting in the driveway with a flat tire, and I have a dinner engagement elsewhere. (For my male readers, that means at least an hour spent getting presentable before I can leave the house: showering, fixing hair and makeup, finding something dressier to wear than my normal jeans or sweat pants and t-shirts, etc.).

Holidays are hectic in the best of times. Might I suggest they move NaNoWriMo to a non-major holiday month?

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

A Day Off For Good Reason

Around midnight, a fire started high up in the hills of our city. As of now, two thousand acres of land have burned taking some beautiful homes with them. We are all on alert in case we need to evacuate. I have a list of things to grab in that case, including my laptop and flash drive - a writer can't lose her work.

Keeping one ear on the news isn't conducive to writing, so until the wind dies down and the fires are under control, I'm staying busy doing other things.

How is Your Writing Going?

If you are participating in NaNoWriMo, you are spending a fair amount of time at the keyboard. My husband hooked me up with a huge ergonomic keyboard that does way more than I have figured out how to do. It includes a fancy mouse that keeps your hand from going numb.

I've been happily writing away and staying on track with my word count. The ideas are flowing and I believe this may be an event I want to repeat every year. I always free-write the first draft and find the ideas and phrasing in my first draft are sometimes better than if I had taken more time and labored over it for weeks. Here's hoping for a good outcome for everyone participating.