Toss or Treasure It? plus Goodbye Lie Diaries - Miss Ella

     There are two kinds of folks. Those who look at the roses pictured above and say something like, "Why do you keep those old dead flowers?"  Then there are those, like me, who say something like, "I adore dried flowers.  Their muted shadow of what once was brilliant color can't dim the memories they hold."  What do you see?  Dead or dried flowers?  Trash or wonder at the beautiful sentiment they represent? - jmm

The Goodbye Lie Diaries - Miss Ella Dunnigan

   (*Miss Ella is the beloved matriarch of the Dunnigans in the historical romance/suspense Goodbye Lie series set on Amelia Island, Florida.  Wise, patient, kind and a wonderful cook, she leads her bunch, including her husband, Michael, toward and to the real treasures of life, family.) 

Buy e-books or paperbacks from The Goodbye Lie series here

 

*Miss Ella

Circa late 1800s

Fernandina on Amelia Island, Florida

Miss Ella writes:

     Dear Jane Marie,

        Being a rosarian, I agree when you say roses or any flower for that matter, in a dried state, evoke sweet memories.  There is many a book in which I have pressed my flowers. With the art of living occupying my time, I readily admit to a gentle thrill upon discovering a dried blossom between the pages of a beloved novel or book of verse. It is then I visit the memory the faded bloom evokes. Such a sweet blessing this is.

                                                           With regards of great warmth,

                                                                                  Ella

Buy e-books or paperbacks from The Goodbye Lie series here

      

Pure Romance - Bass and Treble Couplers - Plus Amelia Island's Velvet Undertow Excerpt

     My sweet friend, Debbie Mahon, sent me a simple muted-toned photo of roses on a piano.  She said it reminded her of me.  I loved it.  (I don't know where she found it, but I will credit the photographer if I find out.)   Roses and music are the ideal combination for romance.  And since I write The Goodbye Lie series of romance novels, I was, of course, inspired to take my own picture, as seen above.  Pink roses and our antique (working!) pump organ say romance, at least in my book. Sorry, I had to add that cliché. Then I zoomed in on the picture to see if the round labeled white stops you pull out to change the sound while playing are readable.  They are and that's when I realized how the two stops I use most are the bass coupler and treble coupler. They were already pulled out when I took the shot and it came to me that the stops represent the male and female in my stories.  How much fun is it to discover romance in unexpected places?

The Goodbye Lie series

 available in E-books and Paperbacks

     The photo below is the original shot I snapped showing the pump organ music "Mosquite Waltz" which is featured as the backdrop on Amelia Island's Velvet Undertow front cover.

 

🎵 Listen to Mosquito Waltz here,

Amelia Island's Velvet Undertow cover sheet music as played on the the pictured pump organ above 

by Linda Plumlee Riley.

May it transport you back to 1889 where you can join the Dunnigan family and experience all

shades of their antics ...

From the cover above:

Witnessing the unthinkable, Carolena Dunnigan's secure life on Amelia Island, Florida turns to ashes.  Determined to save her siblings, she fleas to Charleston, South Carolina for work.  Unholy entanglements and revolting revelations drive her to Pennsylvania and the devastating Johnstown Flood of 1889.  It scours away secrets of the past, but will anyone survive this powerful undertow of shock and struggle?

***

     Excerpt: An earth-shaking roar in the distance drew louder.  And louder still.  The only other sound every man, woman and child in the town could hear was his or her own heart.  Instinctively, each knew the time of their passing had come.

     A living, seething, tumbling mountain of debris headed for them.  It toppled trees, houses, and buildings like so many dominoes.  Friends, animals,  the spring-sprouted blades of grass, all life itself, disappeared into the churn.  Nothing was spared.

***

Known to her fans as Gracious Jane Marie of GraciousJaneMarie.com, Jane Marie Malcolm celebrates HEART & HOME with roses, recipes and romance.  She is the creator of Martha Bear's world of silly stories for the entire family at MarthaBear.com and continues work on future novels and shorter delights to entice her diverse legion of readers.  

An Almost True Trivia Story

    Hubby Bruce and I went to a local restaurant and stayed for the weekly trivia game.  We’d heard about it and, heck, you can win free food.  Since we like their pizza, why not have an extra large, thin crust, double cheese with mushrooms on half and pepperoni and green pepper on the other half, on them?  Oh, may I mention we are pretty good at trivia?  It’s been a while since we’ve played Trivial Pursuit, a game from the 1980s, but when we did, we beat the socks off our kids. 

Once the rules were explained, mainly no cell phones allowed with which to google the answers and no shouting them out, we chose a name for our two-person team.  Being the well-educated sophisticates we are, we cleverly decided upon Team Malcolm.  (In case you don’t know, Malcolm is our last name.)

We began.  The first question: How many days are in a fortnight?  I jumped on that one, writing down the number 14.  Correct, of course.  Then I got one about the Joint Chiefs of Staff right and Bruce got Pulp Fiction. It went downhill, at lightning speed, from there. 

After ten minutes, we were doing so poorly that when they asked five questions about television theme songs from the '90s, I hollered, “We didn’t even own a TV back then!”  Not true, but I was hoping for a little sympathy at our wretched showing.  When none was forthcoming, we left at half-time having learned a couple of lessons.  #1.  Just because I beat a radio DJ out of a pizza twenty-one years ago by stumping him with Bruce’s question:  What was Li’l Abner’s legitimate day job?  Answer:  He was a mattress tester for the Stunned Ox Mattress Factory.  Yes, just because I won that one, doesn’t mean we know quite everything.  #2.  Never assign your real last name to your team because Amelia Island, Florida, where we live, is a small place and word of any humiliation spreads quickly.  Examples of such: So far this morning, the mailman asked me if I know what color the sky is and a store clerk asked how many toes are on a human being’s left foot.  While I’m pretty sure the sky is blue, I’m thinking the toe thing might be a trick question.  Is that with our without webs and do webbed toes count as one or two toes?  Hmm.  I’m still thinking this one over …

(Reprinted from 2014 and written by Jane Marie Malcolm because she found it and thought it was still cute. Remember, she's the funniest person she knows.) 

Glory in the Morning plus Goodbye Lie Diaries- Breelan

Present Day
Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Florida

     
Jane Marie writes: I had never seen morning glories in this particular area I frequent. But, poof, there they were, in all stages of blooming from buds (look at the lower right of the top photo) to full-blown blossoms.
     A memory from childhood, I recall them climbing on our backyard fence and I thought how pretty they were.  When they wilted, I'd pluck away old blooms to make room for more.
     As I stopped to take these pictures, I thought about the name, morning glory. How simple and wonderfully sweet. The way they open their faces in the a.m. in greeting to a new "glorious" day, well, they are aptly named.  💮
     

     I did a quick search for info and found they are poison to ingest, so don't. They come from South American and have made their way here. There are 500 varieties! They are a vine and will climb on anything vertical.  They are often considered a weed. In Victorian times, they represented either love or mortality because each bloom wilts after one day. They also stand for tenacity because, although their vines twist and turn, they are tough and don't quit climbing.
    So, there are a few tidbits about morning glories, an old-timey flower that deserves appreciation.

***

Late 1880s
Fernandina on Amelia Island, Florida

Breelan Dunnigan writes: I am not noted for my gardening abilities, more my writing, but I do love flowers. Peeper mentioned morning glories one time while talking to herself.  I do not believe I was meant to hear. She said something about how she would love to sit back and watch while they "growed up Aunt Noreena's legs, fat body and around her neck.  Since they are knowed ta chock out plants," she figured they might choke the blather out of her next-door nemesis.  

Breelan Dunnigan

     Those two are always at it. I think they secretly adore the other. Well, not adore, but like each other. Hmm, no. I don't know which one hates the other more. The only good thing to come of their nasty shenanigans is it gives mama an example to tell the little ones about how to NOT behave, and the adults think it's funny. 

***

Breelan Dunnigan is the heroine in The Goodbye Lie series,

the first in the historical romance novels set on Amelia Island in north Florida. A cub reporter for the Florida Mirror, Bree learns while she lives, appreciating all things that may spark a short story or an article for the local newspaper. Her curiosity is known to cause her trouble and her trouble is her family's trouble ... 

The Case of the Mysterious Droppings

Clearly, Abby feels no guilt or shame.

     Look at the photo on the right and realize this is the first thing I saw as I exited our bedroom that foggy Easter morning. Wearing my Sunday best, my tasseled shoes included, I prepared myself for the less than likeable task of clean-up. And since I  don't believe in embarrassing animals or humans, I didn't question Abby about the matter. But I thought the image of our Spokes Dog, standing in the middle of you know what, proved she was the guilty party.  Although she looked quite proud of herself in the picture, she knew better than to do her business in the house. In fact, it's rare that she does. Oh, a dust bunny suggested the Easter Bunny left us this remembrance of him, but I was not fooled.  Abby was the culprit, for sure.
     Or was she? Remember I mentioned my special shoes. They are dressy and comfy and I've had them for ages. They are some kind of silky fabric and have no signs of wear. I always try them on the night before an event to make certain my feet, over the years, haven't grown and I have that Cinderella wicked step-sister thingie going on. 

my beloved tasseled shoes

   So, back to Easter morning. I heard this odd clacking. Naturally, I looked about to find the source of the clacking. Then I remembered the previous evening as I walked around the house in my shoes. The lights were low, the TV was blaring and Abby was barking at the passersby outside. Hmm. The noise was enough to make we want to scream phooey!  This morning, the house was quiet so with an even cadence when I walked, the clacking noise sounded. When I stopped walking, the clacking stopped, too. Hmm, a second time. Could it be? By jingo, it sure could. When I raised my foot to look at the heel of my shoe, there was none!  At least, the rubber sole part was gone. The droppings were not from innocent Abby, but from my shoes! They were and still are so old, the rubber had dry-rotted!            Sorry Abs. If you could talk, I think you would happily give me a piece of your doggie mind.  I know you have a mind because when I lift your right front paw, you let me shake it. That's the best trick you do, next to taking food from my fingertips, of course.  

🎜Where has all the rubber gone? Long time passing🎝

Goodbye Lie Diaries - Belleek Irish Pottery - Miss Ella

Late 1800s

Fernandina on Amelia Island, Florida

Miss Ella writes: We just had a package delivered. My sweet sister-in-law, Katie Lawrence from Washington, D.C., sent Michael, well really the whole Dunnigan family, a lovely biscuit barrel, covered in hand painted shamrocks for St. Patrick's Day. It is made by the Belleek Pottery Company. I have heard nothing but delightful things about them and everything is true. This jar is so lightweight and delicate, how did it make it to our doorstep without a

*Miss Ella

chip or crack? You have to know, Grandmother Peeper will claim it as her own the moment she spies it. That is fine with me because she will keep it filled to the rim with her delightful biscuits. I must dash off a note of thanks to Kathleen, next thing.

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

Present Day
Fernandina Beach, on Amelia Island, Florida

Jane Marie writes: Imagine my surprise when I first heard of the Irish pottery given to you in your time.  I, too, was recently gifted with the very same biscuit barrel!  I don't know its origins as it was presented to me by relatives who don't know its origin either.  They were readying a family home for sale, discovered this and thought of me.  If I've never mentioned it, the Irish is alive and well in me.
     Hmm ... Since my family doesn't know its origin, might it possibly have belonged to the Dunnigan clan from your day and got somehow separated from your family to end up in mine? Oh, I like to think that.  By jingo, that is just what happened.  I'm sure of it. Well, pretty sure.  Anyway, I like the idea and will tell the tale.
     I did a bit of research on Belleek Pottery and found the factory opened in County Fermanagh in Ireland in 1857 in the village of Belleek. According to their website at www.belleek.com/, it is Ireland's oldest working fine china/pottery factory. Their process takes 16 people to handle each new piece.  If there is a flaw of any kind, it will never be sold. Thus, perfection is their watchword.
     Watch this video to see how they do it: Belleek Pottery Made in Ireland  

HAPPY SAINT PATRICK'S DAY

from The Dunnigans of

The Goodbye Lie Series  

and Jane Marie Malcolm and Family‎

*Miss Ella is the matriarch of the fictional Dunnigans  on Amelia Island, Florida. Known for her grace and kindness, she is the culinary supervisor for Aqua Verde Passenger line, the family business.

24 Hour Salad

Aunt Suzie's 24 Hour Salad is always a hit.  There are many versions of this layered salad, but I use this one because I first had it many years ago at my sister-in-law's house.  Thank you, Aunt Suzie! 

You'll need:

1 large glass bowl so the layers are visible
1 bag of your favorite mixed greens or shredded head of lettuce
1/2 cup green pepper
1 can drained and sliced water chestnuts (optional)
1 box or bag frozen green peas

Layer the above ingredients. DO NOT MIX

2 tablespoons sugar
2 cup of mayo
Mix and spread over top of greens.
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese- sprinkled over the mayo

Garnish with:
1 or 2 sliced eggs
cherry tomatoes- sliced in half or whole
bacon bits
green onions
radishes- sliced

Use whatever you like to make it look pretty.  Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours then serve with pride.

Thank you, Aunt Suzie.  Enjoy! -jmm

Polka Dots and Bows - Goodbye Lie Diaries - Marie

Late 1880s
Fernandina, a small city on Amelia Island, Florida

     Marie writes:  I adore the polka dot pattern. I wear my blue polka dotted blouse with mama's pearl necklace for special occasions and I feel wonderful doing so.

fair-haired

Marie Dunnigan

     I mentioned this to Jane Marie and she told me she would make a fashionable picture with polka dots of some sort for an entry in this blog.
     As I admire the photograph above, it appears she has tied her pretty pink scarf about her neck several times and knotted it in front.  Oh, and her broach is so lovely. It must be a family heirloom.  I will have to ask her.
     Anyone reading this diary entry, do consider the addition of some or many polka dots into your wardrobe. I do believe they will forever be a popular style.   

Marie Dunnigan is a featured player in Amelia Island's Mark of a Man set in Fernandina, a small city on the island in north Florida.  Marie is boy crazy and stubborn and her tale makes for much drama, mystery, romance and many surprises.

Treat Yourself for Valentine's Day

     Discover Amelia Island, Florida's romantic   Goodbye Lie series  - We think you'll love the lure of it when you experience the romance then remember the legend of it all ...  (Available in e-books and paperbacks most everywhere online or order it in your local book store.)
     The Goodbye Lie, Amelia Island's Velvet Undertow and Amelia Island's Mark of a Man, all part of the historical romance/mystery/drama/comedy series, are where the written road delivers you into the antics-filled and angst-ridden lives of the Dunnigan siblings, inside and out of their small island town of Fernandina.  

Breelan and Waite and Trip's story circa 1882

 from Fernandina on Amelia Island, Florida to

New York City and back.

Carolena and Grey's story circa 1889

from Fernandina on Amelia Island, Florida to

Charleston, South Carolina to Johnstown, Pennsylvania and back.

Pat and Angelica's story circa 1898

from Fernandina on Amelia Island, Florida to

Erie, Pennsylvania to the waters of Cuba and back.

Buy e-books and paperbacks here --Goodbye Lie series 

Walking Leaf plus Goodbye Lie Diaries- Peeper

       Have a look at the walking    

leaf aka leaf insect aka leaf bug in the above picture. How wonderful, don't you think?  My friend, Carlo, showed me this fascinating critter, and I want to make sure you, my on-line friends, see it, too.  I did some mini-research. Always in disguise, it can be from one to four inches long. It has six legs and doesn't bite. Notice it has veins, too, just like a real leaf. The babies are a dark red and turn green as they grow. Its walk is such that it wobbles as if blowing in the breeze like a real leaf! 

     For further details, click  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqGiEOw17wA and/or do a video search for walking leaf on YouTube.

 Goodbye Lie Diaries

Late 1800s

Fernandina, Florida   

Peeper writes:  I and our youngins has seen them things and the walkin' stick, too.  Ain't God grand?

(Peeper is the beloved grandmother, who knocked on the Dunnigan family front door one day during the Civil War.  Announcing she'd heard Michael, the patriarch, was off fighting, she entered their home to take care of Miss Ella and her two girls, Breelan and Carolena.  Peeper never left.)

Goodbye Lie Diaries - Miss Ella's Simple Salad

Late 1800s

Fernandina on Amelia Island, Florida

    

     Miss Ella Dunnigan writes:  Everyone about town is aware I plan the menus for our Aqua Verde Passenger Line of ships.  My staff and I do our utmost to make our passengers' travels a safe yet exciting sea adventure and that, too, is the case with regard to their taste buds.  Sometimes, easy to prepare food is just as appetizing as elegant.  This is the case with my Simple Tomato Salad.  Four ingredients and you have a healthy delight to serve on board your personal boat or yacht, on a picnic or at your dinner table.

     As is the usual, I want to express my thanks to Jane Marie for photographing her version of my salad. It does look tempting. Find how she made it, below.

Miss Ella's Simple Tomato  Salad

You'll Need: 

(Guestimate the quantities of ingredients as to how many people you'll be serving.)

Tomatoes - chopped or Cherry Tomatoes- halved

Walnuts or Pecans- in pieces

Sharp Cheddar Cheese (jmm used 2% fat), Colby or your favorite cheese- in bite-sized pieces

Salad dressing - (jmm used Avacado Ranch)

Toss all the ingredients and serve chilled.  Individual servings may be prepared by the bowl or salad plate. If tomatoes are out of season where you are, tuck this recipe away or splurge.  (Cherry tomatoes were less expensive here in Florida this time of year.)

This would make an easy Valentine side, too!

***

Miss Ella Dunnigan

     Miss Ella, the Dunnigan family matriarch, and prominently featured player in Amelia Island's Goodbye Lie series, is the nearly perfect mother of  the family. Held in high esteem on Amelia Island, Miss Ella is gentle, loving and a thoughtful soul. She would rather turn and run than get "into it" with nosy, nasty Aunt Noreen who lives next door. But Miss Ella's backbone turns iron when need be. ( PLEASE don't tell Aunt Noreen I wrote this reality about her. )     -jmm



Meet Leona Visper- Goodbye Lie Player

The Goodbye Lie

Set in 1882 in the city of Fernandina, Amelia Island, Florida

Leona Visper

Leona Visper - Now she is somebody everyone wants to meet. Why?  Because she is known worldwide as The Songbird of the North.  With her blond hair piled high, glistening eyes  and a figure she is not ashamed to show off, Miss Visper has a voice of silk, which can lure men into her devilment.  However, she wants no ordinary men for they do not satisfy her.  Her men must have mountains more money than that in her own swollen bank account plus they must be highly regarded in society.  
     Additionally,  Leona doesn't much like being compared to other women, especially if they are younger. Because of this, she has few female friends. 
     Her master plan is to permanently land the richest male she can. She prefers him unmarried, but only because there are less tedious complications with a bachelor.  If he is handsome, all the better.  And she doesn't care what she has to do to complete her mission ... 

#GoodbyeLie, #AmeliaIslandRomance, #AmeliaIslanddrama, #Irishfamily, #GoneWithTheWind, #LittleHouseonthePrarie, #AmeliaIslandtrilogy, #smalltown, #Victorian, #Centre