July 28, 2012

Goodbye Lie Diaries - Another Peeperism

1880s
Fernandina on Amelia Island, Florida

Grandmother Peeper
Grandmother Peeper, player in Amelia Island's GOODBYE LIE Triology writes:

If'n you are one a them folks who's so pig headed, ya won't change your ways fer nothin' or ya always dun somethin' one way and, by wingle, you won't never do it no other way, well, my friend, you are what I call a rut-stucker.  Yes, sir. Yes, ma'am. You are stuck in a rut. Ain't nothing' ta be proud of. Don't be like that Aunt Noreen.  Why Noreena is such a rut-stucker, she still wears that same smelly perfume which I'm aguessin' she must make herself out in the barn cause it smells like...like what she finds in the barn. How poor Clabe ever got close enough ta her ta produce two children is beyond my knowin'. That man must have a stopped up smeller, is all I kin think. So Noreena is a rut-stucker fer certain!  And who ever wants ta be like her is crazy. So just don't be.

July 21, 2012

St. Mary's GA part 2

I continue a brief summary of things we did on a trip across the Florida border into St. Mary's, Georgia. (See blog dated July 8, 2012 and read about our Gone With The Wind room at the Goodbread Inn where we stayed.)

Most of what we visited was on Osborne Street, the main drag of historic St. Mary's. We toured Orange Hall, a massive (9,500 square feet) three story Greek Revival  mansion with Doric columns. See sign below. There are four rooms on the main floor (a front parlor for the ladies, a second front parlor for the gents, a study and a dining room). The second/top floor was originally four bedrooms with the family gathering in the wide hall at the far end of the stairs. The basement was comprised of the servants quarters, a wine cellar and the kitchen. Knowledgeable docents tell tales of the place which is furnished with period antiques.  The entrance fee is $3 per person. No photos were allowed to be taken inside or I'd have some here to show.

sign in front of Orange Hall

Orange Hall

When we travel, we try to find an old church to attend.  Built in 1808, this treasure was non-denominational and named St. Marys Church.  Horace S. Pratt, a Presbyterian minister arrived into 1821. With 29 people, he formed a congregation and in 1828, the Georgia Legislature officially pronounced it the First Presbyterian Church of St. Marys.  The ground floor was a public school.  We heard a story that pirates managed to somehow get a horse up into the bell tower. The animal was none too happy with his reins tied to the bell, so his every movement rang that bell. The town folk came running to the church to see why the bell was ringing while the pirates robbed their homes and shops and ships! By the way, the family of Horace's first wife built Orange Hall, which is right across the street from the church!

Presbyterian Church circa 1808

inside Presbyterian Church

We took a Doodle Bug (long golf cart) tour, $5 a person, around town.  We saw this arched tree below.  Pretty cool.
fallen tree rooted on both ends in front of house, making natural arch

The Cottage Shop is a pretty place on Osbourne Street, an easy walk from the Goodbread House in which we stayed. Filled with charming antiques and gifts, including my Goodbye Lie series novels (shameless plug). You'll be graciously welcomed by Felicia MacDonald. 

Felicia MacDonald
The Cottage Shop
2015 Osborne Road # A
Saint Marys, GA31558-9164
912 882-9171



July 18, 2012

Origin of...

I was reading some literature about Boston and it mentioned room and board. We all know that refers to a place to sleep and food to eat, but what was  interesting is the board part.  In the early days, a family and/or guests would sit on benches along either side of a long wide board used for a dining table. That explains the origin of board. I also found that the father would sit in a chair at the head of the table.  Thus we have the title chair man of the board!

July 15, 2012

Making the Mark- Atlantic Telegraph Cable

Yes, dear readers, I'm still researching and double checking my facts for the upcoming Amelia Island's Mark of a Man, book #3 in my Amelia Island's Goodbye Lie trilogy.  When will I make an end??? Hopefully sooner than later.  What I found interesting today was that the first transatlantic telegraph cable was completed 1866 and it is sometimes called the Victorian Internet!

Being unschooled in this matter, I wonder how many spools of cable one ship could hold?  How many supply ships would have to feed the main ship laying the cable?  How was the weather? How deep did it have to go to rest on the ocean's floor? ( 2 miles deep) How long was cable across the Atlantic? ( some 2000 miles long.)  How much research was done to find the best path across the ocean? You can find some of these answers at http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-transatlantic-telegraph-cable-completed and http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F20E11F638551B7493C4A91783D85F4C8584F9. This is only some of the info out there just waiting to be read.

It is fascinating questions like this that take me from my mission, which is to complete the final edit of Mark of a Man.  Please believe me when I say I woke on my story every day because I love doing it!  And, most of all, please be patient.  Thank you!

July 12, 2012

Nait It!

I have two 3 inch nails in the wall where I hang clipboards.  The nails are just through the sheetrock and not into studs, so in short order, they get pushed almost flush into the wall when I hit them with the clipboard.  So how to I keep the nails from getting pushed all the way into the wall? I wrapped a rubber band around the center of each nail.  Now only an inch and a half goes into the wall, leaving another inch and a half sticking out and awaiting the clipboard.  While it might not be pretty, it sure is practical.  I'm so proud!





PS -  Clover, Dunnigan family friend and hired hand, uses this same trick in Amelia Island's MARK OF A MAN in 1898. And here I thought I was the only clever one. I did some research and found that rubber bands were patented in 1845 in England. Since this novel takes place in 1898, it could happen...
 

Clover


 

July 8, 2012

St. Mary's, GA

We've lived near St. Mary's, Georgia for many years and until recently, we never spent any longer than an afternoon there. Since it's so close to Amelia Island, Florida, less than an hour north over the state line, we decided to go to a bed and breakfast.  I searched the internet and we found The Goodbread House http://www.goodbreadhouse.com/mainstreet.html, circa 1870.

The Goodbread Inn circa 1870 and decorated for July 4th
 I chose this particular inn because each of the rooms has a different movie theme.  From The Rhett & Scarlett Suite, The Guinevere & Lancelot Suite, The Gabriel & Evangeline Suite to The Gable & Lombard Suite, The Lucy & Ricky Suite and Bogie & Bacall, you can guess which I chose.  Since I'm a Windie (Gone With The Wind fan),  we stayed with Scarlett and Rhett.  The room was lovely and spacious and covered with red (scarlet) roses, magnolias and framed pictures of the Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh and music boxes, books, a doll, figurines, etc. The walls were red in the bedroom and the wallpaper in the bath was a soft green and white floral print, reminiscent of Scarlett's green sprig dress in the opening scene of the movie.  Our walk in shower was curtained with burgundy drapes.  The topper to the decor was a bowl of peaches- Georgia peach/Scarlett- get it?  Very cute!

enter here

 the world of Gone With The Wind


Georgia peaches
A breakfast of fresh pancakes, whipped cream, stewed peaches and a fanned strawberry made for pretty presentation at the antique table the next morning.

note the tea cup table lamp

If  ever you are in the area, stop by for a look-see or overnight stay.  The inn keeper will make you feel most welcolm (my particular spelling of this word for it rhymes with my name Malcolm).

July 4, 2012

Goodbye Lie Diaries- July 4th

1880s +
Fernaninda

Aunt Noreen
Aunt Noreen writes: I am exhausted. What with letting my husband, Clabe, drag me all the way downtown to watch the watermellon spitting conest, hear the children's kazoo concert and listen to the Fernandina Comminity Band, it's been a long day.  They tried to get me to participate in the cake walk but by that time, I was drenched yet glowing, always glowing, dear diary, from the heat and how shall I say this? My posterior was tender due to having sat so long on the wooden bench.  I write this entry submerged in the cool of my bathwater. With dread, I am expected to ride to the beach tonight, to the Strathmore Hotel, and watch the fireworks shot over the ocean.  While I do not need anymore of this silly celebration, I will attend and I will also remind the family what a good sport I am despite my aching body.  What I must endure for the sake of harmony is...is...well, it's nearly unendurable. And I pray that old hag of a do-do bird, Peeper, will be watching the fireworks from the Dunnigan front porch.  If she's there, the last of this day will be all the worse because she will bombard me with sarcastic and crass comments. I hope she stubs her big toe and is laid up for a week.  That will keep her off of me for a time, too short a time, but as this stage in our daily confrontation, any moment apart from Peeper is a time of pleasure for me.  Now where is my favorite peacock feathered fan?  That will my blue, my dress is white and my ruby ring will complete my tri-color patriotic outfit.   Perhaps I will add a red rose to my white lace picture hat. As I look out the window, I don't see where Miss Ella's buggy is back yet from town. I'm sure she won't mind if I send Clabe over to snip a few of her roses.


Aunt Noreen is a featured player in Amelia Island's Trilogy, The Goodbye Lie series set in the 1880s +. She lives next door to the Dunnigan family and is the archenemy of Grandmother Peeper and self-appointed judge, jury and denunciator  of the Dunnigan siblings, Breelan, Carolena, Jack Patrick aka Pat and Marie. Queen of the gossips, Aunt Noreen is disliked by most of the Fernandina town folk. She, however, is unaware of this and deludes herself into thinking she's as well respected and beloved as her brother, Michael Dunnigan, architect, shipwright and owner of Aqua Verdi Passenger Line.

***
1880s +
Fernandina

Peeper
Peeper writesI'm atakin' a little respite here in the parlor until everybody else gets back from the 4th a July fun downtown and at the docks. I come home with Clover a bit early since it's so dang hot out. What a grand day it's been.  Acourse, Noreena was along. Why does she have ta drag her sorry self everywhere I go? Whist I love ahearin the band and the kiddies sing and play, she's agrousin' about this and that and there ain't no let up, short a stuffin' a rag in her big mouth. Maybe she won't be agoin'  ta the beach tanight fer the fireworks. Ifn'  she's there, I been athinkin' a things ta zap her with, like her face is so round, the boys could use it fer a beach ball.  And her singin' is so awful, the Navy could hire her to open her trap and pierce the eardrums a the enemy so they couldn't be ahearin' their orders ta fire at us. Now that's a good one.  She'll be ahatin' that.  Just the way I like it.  She's as useless as wings on a rock.

Peeper is a featured player in Amelia Island's Trilogy, The Goodbye Lie series set in the 1880s +. The adopted grandmother to the Dunnigan family, Peeper is known for her elixir-fixers and loved for her kindly ways by all except Aunt Noreen, or Noreena, as Peeper calls her. Aunt Noreen and Peeper share a mutual dislike of each other, bordering on un-Christian, but not quite, or so they think.

NOTE TO READERS: Players such as Aunt Noreen and Peeper are able only to view Jane Marie's diary entries and their own, so readers and other players in the stories are, in this case, safe from Aunt Noreen's wrath and Peeper's retaliation.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY
AMERICA!

July 1, 2012

Year of Living Graciously - July

Rearrange a bookcase, adding pretty and/or unusual objects you have and turning books this way and that to make it look completely different!