We Were Lucky

Last Sunday, we watched the news for info about Tropical Storm Isaac.  We didn't know which side of Florida the winds would carry it.  We are blessed yet again.  Northeast Florida is spared.  Now  Issac has turned hurricane and we worry for our seashore compatriots in Louisiana and parts west on the Gulf Coast. We wait to hear they are all safe.  As with everything, prayers is the best comfort.

As we watched and waited for Isaac-

Red Flag warning flies over our Main Beach - "No Swimming"

The birds face into the wind as they wait, too.

Our portion of the Atlantic Ocean stirred.

 

 

God bless the Gulf Coast.

Goodbye Lie Diaries - Breelan

2012
Fernandina Beach, Florida

Jane Marie writes:  I saw on Facebook that it's National Brothers Week. If you have a brother, like I do, then you are truly blessed. What a great idea to tell the world you love your brother, but more importantly to tell your brother!  Love you tons, Bobby. We're proud to claim you as an honorable man and sailor who is the patriarch of our Harkins family.

Bob aka Bobby Harkins

***

1880s

Fernandina, Florida

 

Breelan Dunnigan writes:  National Brothers Week sounds wonderful to me. I have a baby brother. He is my one and only brother and his name is Jack Patrick Dunnigan.  He is grown now and likes us to call him Pat, so we mostly do.  Having no one to compare him with, he is a good brother, I think.  Yes, he's a scrapper and is often in trouble, but he also always fesses up, even if he isn't the culprit. Why he took the blame for me when I ate the last fried chicken leg Peeper was saving for herself.  Had it been Aunt Noreen's chicken leg, she would have been all over him. Not Peeper. She loves Pat so much, it was like he had done her a favor.  She thanked him "fer akeepin' her from gettin' a belly ache from the grease of it." I think Pat just might surprise everyone and do great things some day. We can always hope so, anyway. 



 

Jack Patrick aka Pat Dunnigan

                                                              
(Breelan and Pat Dunnigan and Peeper are players in the historical Amelia Island Goodbye Lie Trilogy set in 1880s Florida. - www.GraciousJaneMarie.com )

Four Freedoms

When we can, we like to take the road less traveled (http://www.netpoets.com/poems/life/0406007.htm), as the poem goes. And so we visited Madison, Florida, only 90 miles west of Jacksonville.  We found their town square and I snapped some pics of this wonderful statue of four angels back to back, each representing our four freedoms. It was dedicated to World War II B-17 pilot, Colin P. Kelly, shot down just after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. In 1941, President F. D. Roosevelt talked about these four freedoms in his annual State of the Union address to the nation. This sculpture is a wonderful way to depict them.
  

Freedom of Speech

 

Freedom from Fear

Freedom from Want

Freedom of Worship



Spanish American War Medals!

My friend, Bill Conger, and I were talking about the Spanish American War of 1898 because my next novel, Mark of a Man, is set in the same year. He casually mentioned his grandfather, Edwin Holter, had served in that war AND Bill had his medals! The first medal pictured below can be seen on the cover of Mark of a Man in the last photo of this blog. What a treat to even touch such treasures, let alone photograph them. Thank you, Bill! 

United Spanish War Veteran's medal

At the top are a sword, rifle, cannon and anchor which represent the different branches of service. There are 13 stars and stripes on the ribbon.  USA, Philippine Islands, Cuba and Porto Rico are along the edges of the cross. (Puerto Rico was spelled Porto in 1898.)    On the back in the center is the word UNITED and initials of each direction are on the edges of the cross.                Spanish Campaign Army Service medal A sheathed bayonet is on the front and it says "For Service in the Spanish War."  This was given to military who served at least 90 days but never saw battlefield action.

The back has the Great Seal of the United States with a horizonal bar for engraving if desired.

Military Order of the Serpent medal

Founded in 1904, the Military Order of the Serpent was an honor society for

Spanish War veterans.

Cover of Mark of a Man
with actual Spanish American War medal

Thank you to http://www.spanamwar.com/medals.htm and http://www.ssawv.org/NationalSon_Vol_3_No_3.pdf where I found out all about the medals.

A Visiting Neighbor, But Who?

This is either O.D., for Out Door kitty, or ODETTE, the female version. 

They are our two new friends and we can't tell them apart.

 They've adopted us!

No Space Unfilled

Our family motto is No Space Unfilled. 

 Looks like our kitty, Button, abides by the same motto. 

August- Year of Living Graciously

August - Go to a flea market and find a treasure!