Happy Halloween!

BOO-TIFUL Abby!

 

 

Goodbye Lie Diaries - Jane Marie & Peeper

Fernandina on Amelia Island
Present Day

Jane Marie writes:  I recently heard a name and was reminded of a childhood neighbor. Let's call him Jakie.  He was a year younger than I and would cock his head to the right and squint when he was in the sun.  While that was all understandable, the thing I remember most about him was that he ate worms. I'm serious.  I think he did it to amuse little girls.  I was one of them. I have been accused by a sibling of enjoying a nibble or two of worm myself.  Said sibling was, is and forever will be WRONG.  Jakie ate them, not me!  You'd think I would remember such a revolting thing, wouldn't you?

As the years advanced, our daughter, Barbra, told us her first grade boyfriend, Randy Snort, liked to lick rocks.  If this is a generational thing, and we continue to be fascinated by such oddities, I wonder if granddaughter Ava's first boyfriend will chew his own toenails. It could happen.

*************                                                                                          
Fernandina on Amelia Island
1880s

Grandmother Peeper writes: That ain't nothin'.  I once knowed a fella we called Lucky Lucas who shined his boots with his own ear wax.  That's disgustin' but his shoes always looked most handsome.                                                                                 
                                                                             
                                                                      Grandmother Peeper

Through the magic of modern electronics, The Goodbye Lie Diaries feature comments on every day happenings between author Jane Marie Malcolm and the characters from her historical novels.  

                                                                                                                                   Grandmother Peeper

Joke for Kids

What kind of doggie does a vampire have?

Answer: a bloodhound, of course!

Nineteen Shades of Day

Amelia Island, Florida

 

 

 

 

 

Boots on the Ground

The second annual Boots on the  Ground event was held today here in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Florida. As a tribute to our fallen military men and women, over 1,800 boots lined both sides of Atlantic Avenue from the beach running a good mile and a half west to 8th Street.  Volunteers began setting the boots out at 4 am this morning, evenly spacing them with military precision. I heard from one of the veterans how a storefront owner offered an empty showroom where all the incoming boots were stored and staging began. Many of the boots came in without shoelaces, some brand new, some mildly used.  So besides lacing, each had a red solo cup inside to catch any rain and to support the individual flag that floated above it. Attached to each boot was a badge bearing the photograph of a military hero, his name, hometown and battle where he or she had fallen. Sadly, mothers had to make  7,000 badges and all those extras were displayed hanging from ropes behind the boots.  Many families sought out their particular hero and discovered the boots and badges were set out/organized by year, beginning with September 11, 2001. 
 

boots as far as the eye can see

note a few motorcycle riders on the upper left of the photo

 

  

boots and badges on both sides of the street

 

I learned the first year was just the motorcycle run.  This year, there was a 5K/10K run/walk and kids' fun run, a silent auction, patriotically decorated motorcycle parade, geocaching, weapons display, postcards for families of the fallen and sale of American Legion brick pavers, Bruce and I did this,  plus more. They expect next year's Boots on the Ground event to be even bigger.

It was a solemn occasion yet one filled with pride as we talked and listened to the families tell about the sons and daughters.  As one mother explained to me, "When somebody thanks me for my son's service, it means the world to me, that he's not forgotten. As they thank me, I thank them right back."

For more information, please follow this link: http://mothersofamf.com/boots-on-the-ground-america-remembers/.

Sweetest Day Cometh

Sweetest Day is fast approaching.  This year it is on Saturday,  October 19th, always the third Saturday in the tenth month.
  

Celebrate Sweetest Day

By Jane Marie

 

The Roaring 20s were not all rolled stockings, bobbed hair, rouged knees and Charleston kicks. There was also kindness.  Herbert Birch Kingston, a candy salesman from Cleveland, Ohio, took time to share his wares with orphans, shut-ins and unfortunate souls, thereby, beginning Sweetest Day.

At first, it was celebrated primarily in the northern states, along the Great Lakes, due, in part, to the participation of Theda Bara, a silent film actress of that era.   It is said she passed out candy to those attending her movies.  Today, the custom of Sweetest Day is spreading as people move and take the tradition with them.  If your friend, relative or lover has never heard of this delightful holiday, enlighten them.  Give a candy bar, homemade cookies or other goody, though the remembrance doesn't have to be high in calories.  (Although who can resist chocolate.)  Here are some alternatives:

• Give lipstick flavored kisses to your love.
• Watch a romantic comedy.
• Make a list of your sweetie's favorite sweeties, including foods, drinks, candy, movies, books, CDs, activities.  Take a weekend and try to eat/do/participate in as many as you can.
• Play cards or a game.  The winner gets a cupcake!   Play poker with M&M's®.
• Give a romance novel from one friend to another, married or single.   She will love it.  He may hide away and read it with a flashlight, but he just might learn a thing or two about romance!
• Give a new nightie or boxer shorts, potted plant or flowers, 8"x10" glossy, whatever conveys the appropriate affection.
• Give a gift certificate for a manicure, pedicure, spa treatment or makeover.
• Give a gift certificate for his, her, their favorite hobby supplies.
• Go to the movies or theater, preferably choosing light-hearted entertainment, nothing heavy.   Remember, the purpose of Sweetest Day is to lift the spirits by showing love and caring.   No depression allowed!
• Go on a picnic or prepare a meal together.
• Get a new bell or handlebar streamers for your bikes, and ride through the neighborhood showing them off and wishing everyone a Happy Sweetest Day!
• For fun, eat your meal or special dessert in the living room on the floor or a card table or in the bedroom.
• Put clean sheets on the bed and spritz with scented linen spray or perfume.
• Hand write a love letter or note of friendship.
• Make a homemade card and snail mail it in time for the holiday or deliver it in person, if possible.
• Give a Secret Pebble™.   Because they are hand painted, no two are ever alike.   The secret in the pebble is whatever you share with the recipient.
• Offer to watch the kids so parents can spend some alone time.
• Help the children draw their hand prints.   Cut them out.  Staple a hand on each end of a 3 foot by 8 inch length of paper.   Have the kids write, "Here's a hug for you!" and draw on the paper hands.  They can give these to someone special.
• Gather special photos, home movies, and/or favorite songs and spend happy hours remembering - with a special dessert during intermission - wonderful memories.  Perfect for couples and families.

Whatever you decide to do for those who mean so much to you, let it begin a tradition. Telling someone you love him or her is not just for Valentine's Day or even Sweetest Day.   Tell them every day, every chance you get!

(Reprinted from our website, www.GraciousJaneMarie.com, at http://www.greenlightwrite.com/sweetestday.html.)

Goodbye Lie Favorite - Apple Butter

a Goodbye Lie favorite Recipes: Apple Butter Home: greenlightwrite.com featuring GraciousJaneMarie.com - Roses, Recipes, Romance

Breakfast Recipes   Fruit Recipes I was raised to love apple butter, and I still do. Miss Ella, matriarch of the Dunnigan family in my historical novel, The Goodbye Lie, pacifies her husband Michael's empty stomach with a slice of hot cornbread spread with her homemade apple butter.      Enjoy,      Jane Marie

Apple Butter You'll need: 4 cups unsweetened applesauce (made from cored apples that have been slowly cooked to reduce them to pulp or purchased applesauce) 1 cup sugar 2 teaspoons cinnamon Nutmeg to taste (use sparingly) Cloves to taste (use sparingly) Combine the ingredients and bring them to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.   Spice to taste. Serve on warm cornbread, muffins or bread. Makes five cups.     Reprinted from http://www.greenlightwrite.com/applebutter.htm, part of our 700 plus page website, also available  at www.GraciousJaneMarie.com.

Behind the Scenes

After a constructive talk with my always honest brother, Bob, I have spent several hours trying to improve the look of this blog. From making the too light print and links darker, to removing too many hyphens and keeping the headings in the different blocks in the right column consistent, I have spent the last couple hours, working on these issues.  While I had no difficulty changing the background and making it fun Fall colors a few weeks back, I am having little luck saving any of my changes. I have signed out and signed back in again.  I have repeated the process with which I've had success in the past. Not today.  So, my dear friends, if a link is not as bright or the font not large enough to easily read, I'm sorry. Stick with me as I continue to remedy these issues.  So long as we can keep in touch with Breelan and Peeper and the rest of everybody's favorite characters in our Goodbye Lie series and I tell on myself with my Lucy moments, we're good.  Just remember, there's is only one being who is perfect and I ain't Him.  :-)

Great Christmas Idea

Speaking of Christmas---I recently emailed  our annual randomly chosen Christmas List to everyone in the family who is  employed and out of school and is old enough to purchase one gift for another member.   Every adult has something to open  and no one has to worry about breaking the bank with buying individual gifts for all. Anything on sale works, but a reasonable limit is set and, ignoring inflation, we always keep the limit the same.  I’d tell you what our limit is but then you would discover either how cheap or extravagant we are. Besides, I like to add mystery to your lives. 
 
So here is the great Christmas idea. I was talking to Christine Clark, a very nice new acquaintance, and she told me what her family does in December.  They, too, draw names and every Christmas Eve, they exchange a pair of brand new and freshly laundered (to remove the sizing) pajamas and a book!   They dress in their jammies and eat fondue and do  wholesome all-American family activities.  (We always have Grampy read The Night Before Christmas to the children.  Very sweet.  This, of course, goes along with the book theme).
 
No matter what you do for your Christmas, if you don’t already have a single gift exchange with a limit, please consider it. Just think, no after Christmas credit card bills to pay!
 
PS  All bets are off when it comes to the little ones and presents, of course!

Things that Clog My Mind = Score

I was reading The Gettysburg Address the other day, you know I love history, and suddenly I took particular note of the word score.  I thought of its meaning here, 20 years, of course, and then a scroll of definitions unrolled inside my brain.  I don’t know why this word came to represent so many different things but check these out:

 

To score- mark or cut as to score the meat or score the glass before you break it for a clean edge

Score points in a game

Keep score of those points

Score or grade a paper

To score a musical number- write down the notes

A score- the orchestrations of a musical

He scored, as in kissed a girl

“Score!” when you win or succeed and do a high-five because of it

On that score or for that reason

Score drugs

Even the score

 

I haven’t consulted a dictionary so there may be more, but no wonder English is a confusing language to learn.  Hey, wait a minute. Perhaps it’s not so difficult.  Since I just covered twelve meanings with one word, it would reason that we have 12% less words to learn after all. Did I do that math right?  (I do words. Numbers, not so much...)

Year of Living Graciously - October

Life is good when you put a little effort into it. -Nancy Kamp