Peeper's Patterns-Goodbye Lie Diaries

Fernandina on Amelia Island, Florida
Late 1800s

Grandmother Peeper writes:  From these here photographs Jane Marie helped put on this blog a hers, you can easy see what I dun. This is how it happened. I was asittin' on the front veranda at Dunnigan Manor.  That's where I live.  So, I saw some leaves blow across the drive and recalled a thing me and my ma dun when I was a wee child.  I dumped my knittin' from the pine needle basket I wove when Marie was a babe, got myself down them steps some how, what with my bad feet hurtin' somethin' fierce this day, gathered all kind a different leaves and began my project ta make a table scarf.
    I found a bit of muslin material I had left from cuttin' a test pattern fur Breelin's garden print dress last season.  I drawed me a rectangle ta fit the table, long-ways, cut it out, hemmed the edges and then headed out ta  Clover's workbench in the barn in the back.  I brushed away the sawdust ta make it nice and clean.  Then I laid out them leaves in  as pretty a pattern as you ever seen.  Very careful like, I laid the material over top, so as not to disturb the pattern with them leaves amovin'.  After that, I took a hammer and pounded the juice outa them leaves.  The leaf juice is what stains

Peeper

the muslin, like grass stains the children get on them sailor suits they wear.
   Go on now and make yourself a leaf pattern table cloth or use it fur a quilt backin'.   It's very great fun fur adults and little ones.  Just be atakin' care that nobody hits their finger with the hammer.

   P.S.  Even though this is a stained pattern,  it is best ta iron the leaf marks so they don't fade much when ya get ta laundering your beautiful creation.
     

For Info and Purchase of The Goodbye Lie historical series on Amelia Island, Florida, click this link!

Festive Flamingos

I think of myself as a rebel. Not just any rebel, but a responsible rebel. By that, I mean I am happily different.  Not so different that they call the round-up squad from the local loony bin, but just enough that I have been known to deliver to folks a chuckle, chortle and, perhaps, the occasional guffaw.
    Yet, sometimes, I strive for something deeper than hilarity because I want to be well rounded. Okay, admittedly, perhaps I am more an oval than a perfect circle.  Whatev.  Keeping in mind, taste is in the mouth as surely as it is in the eye, you decide if my attempt at sprucing up our resident flamingos is a success.  My plastic bird buddies have stood sentry at our mailbox for many years.  With such dedicated service and their fake feather striations of color fading, I figured a few cans of half-empty spray paint from the garage sale down the block was certainly worth my $2 cash investment.  Plus, that investment is tax deductible since I'm sharing their photos on this blog.  Here at Gracious Jane Marie, you now have proof that we are fiscally responsible. Additionally, we forever advance not only the rich romance and mystery that is the Goodbye Lie series of historical novels I write, but we imbue your senses with art. What a deal!   

Goodbye Lie Diaries-Aunt Noreen VS Mrs. Ickles

Fernandina on Amelia Island, Florida 
Late 1800s   
Amelia Island's Velvet Undertow is part of The Victorian Goodbye Lie Series
Aunt Noreen writes:

Dear Readers of Jane Marie's stories,
This is your favorite and very well-known Aunt Noreen, once again coming to you by the magic of what Jane Marie Malcolm calls electronics.  Today, I thought I might mention a little something about my dearest acquaintance, Mrs. Ickles.  You have occasionally seen her name in Jane Marie's Goodbye Lie trilogy, although not nearly as often as you have mine. We both live in Fernandina, the seaside city on Amelia Island and are very proud Fernandiners (pronounced Fern-an-deen-rs). Mrs. Ickles and I participate in many of the same activities, including the Orchid Society and St. Michael's Linger-Longer small prayer group, where we study scripture.

In the interest of getting to know the personalities of the people in the books better, I thought it would be useful to tell you something about Mrs. Ickles.  I'm writing this now, before she makes her own entry in these Diaries and distorts matters. So, there we were, in small group.  This time it was in Mrs. Ickles' home. We had each finished a serving of her somewhat soggy lemon pound cake and melted lemon ice cream. Mrs. Ickles isn't known for her baking or cooking, as am I. It was her turn to recite the required memorized scripture aloud.  She was unable!  She could only recall one line out of three!  Shame, I say.  Being her friend, I thought it best to point out why she had become so unconcerned with regard to her Bible verses.  "If you didn't spend so many hours setting such a beautiful table, you would have time to memorize your verses." I thought this was grand advice, given in a kindly manner.  Complimenting her table removed any sting she might have felt at my observation of her lack of effort on doing what she should.  I expected praise from the others gathered. To my utter surprise, no one said anything.  In fact, they all rose, thanked Mrs. Ickles for being a lovely hostess and left, rudely leaving me behind to help clean up the tea cups and plates. Mrs. Ickles was quiet, too, I'm sure contemplating how she could remedy her short comings.  She is blessed to have someone like me, who cares enough to instruct her as to what is right and proper.

Spicy Roast Beef and Goodbye Lie Trilogy Excerpt

Spicy Roast Beef

Do you know which female
character from The Goodbye Lie series is the subject of the excerpt below? If only she had tried the recipe which follows for Spicy Roast Beef at her dinner party...


 The Goodbye Lie Series Excerpt:


     Grammy's gift was a quart of her meat flavoring. "It's our family secret, _____. Here's the recipe. Memorize it, then burn it. Promise?"
     "Yes, ma'am. I promise."

     Peeper was not to be out done, "I saved the best fer last. It's a bottle a my very own special furniture polish."

     "The way Peep experiments out back in the little house," Michael explained to Trip, "it's no small miracle she hasn't blown us all up. Isn't that the stuff you make from turpentine, alcohol, and ether, Peep?"

     "Yup, but you forget the balsam fir and linseed oil, Michael. That's how come I'm the chemist and you're the architect." 

     The laughter had been strained and everyone had been uncomfortable. The cozy glow from the candles helped hide the chipped dishes and patched linens that came furnished with the house, and no adult noticed or, at least, mentioned the shortcomings of her table. Leave it to her brother to have asked, "How come you use all these cracked plates, ____, when you have a whole hope chest full of brand new dishes and stuff?" Everyone else had been too polite to inquire.

     She'd quickly answered, "I'll bring my chest over as soon as my cooking warrants the beauty of the china." The ladies had made a sincere attempt to reassure her that the meal was delicious. She would have believed them, too, had she not tasted her own food. The salad was gritty with sand, the deviled eggs were runny from the honey and too salty, the butter beans in the stew were hard, and the chocolate frosting was so thin, the cake showed through. ____ saw her mother throw several sharp looks at Jack Patrick each time he'd tried a new course and then opened his mouth to comment. She imagined the lecture the poor boy must have received about how to behave at his sister's house right before they'd left Dunnigan Manor...

******

Jane Marie writes:
My church friend, Kris Mandrick, brought this wonderful "stringy" beef roast to a pot luck.  I loved it.  I mean loved it!  She was sweet enough to let me share it with you.  It's made in the slow cooker with ingredients you probably have on hand.  It makes some rich gravy, is moist, is good for Sunday dinner or sandwiches and freezes well, if there are any leftovers.  Thank you, Kris. -JMM

Spicy Roast Beef

You'll need:

2-3 pound beef roast 
Lightly salt (optional) and pepper all sides.
Sprinkle with minced/powdered garlic or garlic pepper.  Put in crock.

Mix in separate bowl: 

1/4 cup soy sauce (I used lite.)

2 Tbl balsamic vinegar

2 Tbl A1 Sauce or Worcestershire sauce (I used Worcestershire.)

2 tsp yellow mustard, liquid or dry (I used liquid.)

Make several shallow slits in top of roast and pour mixture over roast. Let cook in crock 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high.

 

P.S.  This recipe will also be listed in the Recipes link at the top of this page. 

Tips from Mom

flowers from Laura Brown-thank you!

Happy Mother's Day!

I learned so much from my mother, Marie. A home economics (home science) teacher, she had the social graces of Emily Post, the advice of Ann Landers, the culinary talents of Betty Crocker and the overall family devotion of Donna Reed, Carol Brady and Stella Dallas, combined. 

I got to thinking about those everyday lessons from Mom and these random tips popped into my mind:

Always close kitchen drawers when you are cooking or baking to avoid having to clean out any falling crumbs.

Turn the top sheet hem back over the blanket when making the bed to keep the blanket clean longer, since you change the sheets more often than you do the blanket. 

When you finish using the oven on those cool or colder days of the year, leave the oven door open a few inches to release the expiring heat into the room.

To prevent stretching out the tops of your socks, tie each pair of socks into a simple knot rather than stuffing one inside the other. 

Ever have a cake come out of the oven and be high in the middle? To help keep a baked cake flat, push the raw batter toward the sides, leaving a shallow hollow in the center, then bake.

If your sheets have a printed side and a plainer side, in the summer, when it's hot, lay the printed side up so the pattern shows when you've no need for a blanket.  In the winter, face the printed side of the top sheet down and cover it with your blanket.  Then, when you turn back the covers, the pretty pattern will be seen. 

Sure you can buy pre-made cinnamon and sugar to sprinkle on toast, but you have no control of the amount of sugar.  Save an empty shaker bottle and make your own, lessening the sugar or adding more, for that matter!

Store household extension cords in toilet or paper towel tubes.

Save shelf space by hanging your toilet paper. Find an old paint can lid, punch two holes in that lid with a nail, thread an eight foot cord/heavy string through and tie it securely against the lid.  Take an old fashioned clothespin and tie it to the other end of the cord.  String your rolls of toilet paper over the closespin and hang your contraption  on a nail inside the linen closet!  (We still use one of these at the family home and it brings a smile every time I see or even think of it.)

There you have some of Mom's common sense teachings.  I know you have more from your mother and some of your own.  Send them along to graciousjanemarie@yahoo.com and we'll add them to our list of helpful hints.

P.S. Readers often ask me if the characters in my novels are copied from real people I know.  The answer is no.  However, I will say that my dear mother was the inspiration for Miss Ella, the matriarch of the Dunnigan family of Fernandina on Amelia Island, Florida in the late 1800s...

Tagline Origin

Folks often ask me how I came up with my Goodbye Lie tagline “where Little House on the Prairie meets Gone With The Wind …” Actually, I didn’t.  A man walking past my table during a book signing, on Centre Street in our historic district on Amelia Island, Florida, said this to me. My head was down as I was writing an inscription so I never saw his face, but I did catch him offering me a thumbs up as he walked away.  He disappeared into the crowd, never to be seen by me.  So, sir, if ever we connect again, and I recognize your voice, for I’ll never forget it, I want to thank you and shake your hand.  Having my novels compared to such American classics by such wonderful authors is the highest compliment I can receive.

Mine, Yours and Ours-GBL Diaries-Aunt Noreen

We are all so busy.  As I was writing the EZ BBQ Chicken recipe post of March 28, 2015 (http://graciousjanemarie.blogspot.com/search?q=bbq), I asked myself the question, are we busier now than characters Miss Ella or Peeper or Breelan in their time in the late 1800s in my Goodbye Lie series? Before I could think in depth about that, a nagging came over me and then I realized it was coming from Aunt Noreen, by way of her Goodbye Lie Diary entry. Please see below:

Late 1880s
Fernandina on Amelia Island
Florida
                                           
 Aunt Noreen writes:  Good day to all

Aunt Noreen

around the world who read Jane Marie's Goodbye Lie Diaries, which include special entries by me.  I have hesitated to bring up this point before now, always trying to keep harmony within the family. This is often difficult as the Dunnigans can be a grumbling lot. You know this if you read any of Jane Marie's novels in her Goodbye Lie trilogy.  It is I who, daily, must fend off attacks from Peeper and too many others to name. There are those whose sole desire is to crush my intelligent and overly generous spirit and who want to keep me from speaking, lest I stir controversy. Be it the size of the biscuits or the length of the flower stem, sometimes, said controversy must be stirred.  It is these seemingly unimportant matters that keep America strong. 
     Now I come to the heart of this entry.   I believe it is time Jane Marie stops seeking all the glory as sole creator of The Goodbye Lie  stories.  For without me, especially me, the center, the focus, the cornerstone of her stories, they would be little more than passionately dramatic mysteries peppered with family angst, treachery and lies.  If I do not tell you how my personality exudes strength, thereby fascination, you may not bother to read the books and, oh, what a mighty loss you would own. Therefore, since I am practically featured on every page,  Jane Marie should no longer take complete credit for writing by always referring to the books as "my" novels and "my" tales.  Rather, she should say "our" stories. 

Present time
Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island Florida

Jane Marie writes: As you have read, I am getting a lot of pressure through these Goodbye Lie Diaries to credit the characters, and rightfully so, who whisper their stories in my ear. My soul absorbs their thoughts and deeds and misdeeds, so much so, that I am able to tell you of them, in depth. Slowly their actions bubble up to my typing fingertips and I can share with one and all by way of the written word.  So yes, Aunt Noreen.  The stories are not mine alone. How grateful I am you all are generally very generous about revealing so many private details. From the youngest to the oldest of characters, thank you for sharing so much. From here on out, I will refer to The Goodbye Lie books as mine, yours and ours, the ours being those readers who join us in adventure, action and love.

Aunt Noreen responds:  Are you inferring that I am one of your OLD characters, Jane Marie?

Jane Marie explains:  As you can see, the voices I hear in my head, the characters challenging and caring, loving and fighting, laughing and arguing, might drive a less sane person crazy.

"But not me."  "Who said that?" "Said what?" "Crazy." "Who is crazy?"  "Are you calling me crazy?"  "Who wants to know?" "Which of you is accusing me?"  "What are you talking about?" "Who is that talking?"  "Hush up."  "Don't tell me to-"  "Now ladies."  "I won't stand for any disrespect."  "Where is he?"  "Where is who?"  "He was supposed to be here."  "Give the man a moment to breathe." "When he comes home, you can... 

The paragraph above is just five seconds in the life of the brain in my head.  And you wonder why I have so many Lucy moments?   

Easy Anniversary Idea - Goodbye Lie Diaries by Peeper and Aunt Noreen

Present day:
Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Florida

Jane Marie writes: 
I don't know where or when I first saw this, but I do know it was many years ago.  I thought it was cute and easy and sweet,  being a living thing, like love, so I finally gave one to Bruce for our last anniversary.  Just go to any store that has cactus plants and purchase one. Make a sign which says I'm Stuck on You and tape it on the flower pot for an inexpensive yet meaningful gift!  I offer a big thank you to the person who came up with the idea.
  ************************************************ 
1880s
Fernandina on Amelia Island, Florida

Peeper

Grandmother Peeper writes:
That is a perty plant ya give there, Jane Marie. I know somebody ta give one a them pokie things to, 'ceptin' my sign would say I'm Stuck With Ya since she's Michael's sister and livin' next door. Short a her aeatin' her own food and dyin', she'll be with us a long lifetime  Ya know it's that old Aunt Noreen I'm atalkin' about. 

 ****************************************************

1880s
Fernandina on Amelia Island, Florida

Aunt Noreen writes:
Jane Marie, I have read some of the unflattering things you let Peeper write about me and, quite

Aunt Noreen

frankly, it is not right.  Yes, I know you said if I write, you will add it to this column of yours. I think it less than seemly that I must constantly defend myself against the insults spewed directly at me from Peeper.  With each day's passing, I believe she is falling deeper and deeper into insanity.  As for the cactus comment directed at me, well, with her nasty personality, I just may begin addressing her as Prickly Peeper.  She will not like that any.  Oh, yes.  That is a fine idea.  Perhaps I might get the entire town to call her that.  My, my but vengeance tastes sweet as half a cherry pie with a triple dollop of sweet whipped cream.  It's a lovely day. 

***

Peeper and Aunt Noreen are favorite featured characters in Amelia Island's Goodbye Lie series, set on Amelia Island, Florida in the 1880s.    

PURCHASE series e-Books and paperbacks HERE.

 

 P.S. from Jane Marie to Peeper and Aunt Noreen: 
      Ladies, although you both are behaving less than that name implies, I am beyond tempted to limit your posts to recipes and gardening if you can't be sweet.  Consider this fair warning...

Happy 4th!

God, the author of all rights and liberties - American Legion Chaplain Handbook, Service to God and Country

 

Built in 1895 and on the National Register of Historic Places,

 this is the front porch of Bailey House

 in Fernandina Beach, on Amelia Island, FL.  It is listed for sale at $1,700,000, is 8,675 sq. ft,  and has 11 bedrooms and 12.5 baths, 

a single family home!

For fun, see more photos of this true beauty, by clicking on 

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/28-S-7th-St-Fernandina-Beach-FL-32034/81822161_zpid/

 

Trailer for Amelia Island's Mark of a Man

Here is the trailer/video for Amelia Island's Mark of a Man.  Turn up the sound and click on the lower right  corner, to the right of YouTube, to enlarge the screen.  Then click the arrow in the center of the video to start. To watch again, click on the arrow circle on the lower left of the video. Enjoy!

Click on the link below for more about Amelia Island's Mark of a Man and the other titles in Amelia Island's Goodbye Lie series. Available in e-book and paperback at book sources everywhere. Amelia Island's Mark of a Man

Gracious Decorating Ideas

If you love the beauty of antiques, as I do, little touches will add color and bring the pretty past into your home.  In this case, I have framed floral wrapping paper and centered sheet music from 191l on top. Covered with glass for protection, I chose this particular image because it is romantic and delicate and simply lovely.  I had the frame, the wrapping paper and sheet music from my husband's grandmother's gramophone, so it cost me nothing to assemble.  Any sheet music, old or contemporary will work, of course.  It's all about what you like since it will be hanging in your home.