What a Surprise Plus The Goodbye Lie Diaries-Aunt Noreen

Present Day

Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Florida

Jane Marie types:  Have a look at the pictures to see what I saw as I pulled into the driveway of our humble home.  Not only was the bird sitting on our roof massive, but it held its outstretched wing in this position for at least five minutes.  It was plenty enough time for me to exit the car, grab my phone and snap these pictures. When it didn't fold its wing, I thought, perhaps, it was injured. I was happy to figure out the separated and ruffled feathers on its wing and head indicated it was all wet and now drying those feathers in the heat of the Florida sun. Finally, it shook itself and flew away.  While I've seen different birds in our time on Amelia Island, including my first Eastern Blue Bird the day before, this creature was remarkable with regard to its size and location, on the top of my house!   As to what kind of bird it was, the mailman said it was a buzzard. Whatever it was, I'll never forget it!  

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Late 1880s
Fernandina on Amelia Island, Florida
 

Aunt Noreen

Aunt Noreen writes: You may have seen a buzzard one time on top of your house, Jane Marie, but our family has a pet buzzard living next door to me.  We have named it Peeper! Having studied this particular species in depth because it eats with us as well as hovers inside and outside Dunnigan Manor, the vegetable garden, church, and the entire town, for that manner, it is difficult to escape its presence.  I warn all. Beware of the buzzards within. We all have them in our midst. 

*Aunt Noreen and Grandmother Peeper are featured and forever fighting characters in The Goodbye Lie historical romance series.  

 PURCHASE The Goodbye Lie Series HERE 

available in e-book and paperback

Peeper's Egg Trick-Goodbye Lie Diaries

Late 1880s
Fernandina on Amelia Island, Florida

Grandmother Peeper

Peeper writes:  Folks is always wantin' my elixir fixers.  Here's one.  After yur eggs is boiled hard, the best action ta take ta get them shells off is this.  Find a glass jar with a lid.  Aunt Noreen always has extree jars cause she don't never can nothin' anyways. She's secretly afeared she's gonna poison her whole family.  I got ta give her credit fur facin' the truth, this one time. So, put the hard shell egg into the jar, cover it with water, screw on the lid and shake it fur a bit.  When ya pour off the water, the cracked shell will come away in near one piece.  This is a fine and fast aid ta peelin' them eggs.

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Present Day
Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Florida

Jane Marie writes:  Hi Peep,  There is a song, from 1974, called Everything Old Is New Again.  By this I mean, your egg trick is something I saw on our magical internet that allows you and I to communicate through time with the world.  I had never tried it until I saw how well it works for you in your day. Please see the photograph to the left of my egg with, as you said, almost the entire shell beside it! I don't know who first thought to try this, but work it does.  It's just one more thing we have in common!

Peeper is a favorite player in The Goodbye Lie historical series.  Having adopted the Dunnigan family, she is an integral and fun part of the clan, offering advise, wanted or un.

New Year's Idea

You've heard the phrase that goes something like this: When life gives you lemons, turn them into lemonade.

I got to thinking how fresh-made lemonade would be a great drink for your New Year's Eve celebration. If you are spending the night on your own, contemplating, reading, drawing, dancing, singing, playing the canjo (not a typo) or whatever, or if you are with family and friends, squeeze the lemon and follow the simple recipe below.  As you raise your glass to 2016,  each or all resolve to make the best of any challenges the new year may present. Simple, easy, healthy, wholesome and safe!

                                    Lemonade by the Glass

2 tablespoons of sugar or 3 to 4 packs of stevia natural sweetener
1/4 cup hot water
2-3 tablespoons of fresh squeezed lemon juice
3/4 cup cold water

Mix the sugar or natural sweetener in 1/4 cup of water.  Microwave 30 seconds until hot and stir to dissolve sugar.  Add lemon juice and the rest of the cold water. Adjust sugar/lemon ratio to taste.  Serve with a couple of ice cubes.  Makes an 8 ounce glass.  To serve more folks, simply multiply each ingredient by the number of family members/ guests.  (This is also a good math activity for the kids.)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Annual Christmas Letter - 2015

Merry Christmas to all,

It has been a busy year on Amelia Island, in north Florida, USA! 

Here are just a few of the highlights from our past twelve months:

Father sniffed his wallet to see if it smelt of farts.

Uncle Fuzzie still showers. We’re all happy for him when it rains. 

Daughter was asked to alphabetize the books in the public library. She declined, citing it was her turn to wash the cracks in the sidewalk. 

The palmetto bugs squish when you step on them.

Grammy quit choir and volunteered, instead, to sing solos.  It seems handbells, cantatas and all that praying are using up the hour of church each week and the music director can't fit her in until 2024. Now, Mother must decide on which Tuesday of that year she will perform.  Oh, the pressure!  

Son bought a new home in a new neighborhood.  He lost the address though.  If you see an empty house anywhere, let him know.  He is listening for your call.

Uncle Blocktassel heard bananas will keep longer if they do not touch.  He thinks it best they don’t see each other either, so stashes them in separate rooms.  He is suspicious that Cousin Squirtfinger snuck in and ate the banana he had tucked away behind the third volume in The Dandelion and The Nut Pick series. Be warned. Uncle seeks proof.

 

Granddaughter ate too much chocolate and blew chunks clear across her newly decorated white and pink bedroom.  The chocolate stains look like polka dots.  Everyone knows brown and pink, together, are a very chic combination, and Aunt Snuffle says it adds designer tones.   

When Mother set Father's plate of leftovers before him, he said, "This looks like Sunday dinner in the state pen." Mother is grateful for a husband who is always so free with his compliments.    

The trees have no feathers, but the dog’s fur tastes like the sweeper.

The stop sign works best on Thursdays. 

Brother learned to eat cheese.  Grad school has taught him the riches of life.

That’s all we have time for as we are already sanding the grapefruit and plowing the paper towels to prepare for the coming year. 

Love from your favorite Amelia Island family.   X O X O X O

Happy St. Paddy's Day! - GBL Diaries- Michael

Michael Dunnigan

1880s
Fernandina on Amelia Island

Michael Dunnigan writes:
Ah, behold the shine on that large shamrock. Mother Rose would be lovin' the sight of it on her own front gate. Thank you, Miss Jane, for the hangin' of it.  And happy Saint Paddy's day to you all!

Through the magic of electronics, the characters in Amelia Island's Goodbye Lie trilogy are able to communicate to us from their time in Victorian north Florida in The Goodbye Lie (GBL) Diaries. Michael Dunnigan is the patriarch in the series, where each novel focuses on one of his grown children.  His patience is sometimes short-lived, but his love for his family is unlimited.

Ebook and paperback format available at book sources everywhere.

Baked Swiss Steak Recipe

No matter if you're attending the world famous Amelia Concours d'Elegance ( https://www.ameliaconcours.org/ )car show on a pretty day or fighting the snow and ice where you are, this is a family-filling wonderful recipe to try. I’ve known Sandy Welsh for many years, and in that time, she’s given me several wonderful recipes.  She’s one heck of a good cook!  Thank you, Sandy.                                                     Jane Marie  PS  I'm sure Grandmother Peeper or Miss Ella from my Goodbye Lie Trilogy novels has a version of this recipe, but I haven't asked them yet.  I'll add it to the list.

 

You’ll need: 

• 1 pound of boneless sirloin steak or round steak
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour for coating meat

For tomato gravy: 

• 1 or so teaspoons all purpose flour for thickening tomato gravy
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 14 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice (Sandy suggests using Hunt’s petite diced tomatoes)
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots (Sandy suggests chopping baby carrots because they are sweeter)
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Cut the meat into four serving size pieces. 

Combine flour and salt.  Coat the meat on both sides. 

Brown the meat on both sides in a skillet.  Transfer the meat into a greased, shallow baking dish.  Set aside. 

To skillet drippings, add tomatoes, carrots, celery, onion, Worcestershire sauce and a teaspoon or so of flour for thickening.  Bring to a boil, stirring an additional 2 minutes.  Pour over the meat.

Cover and bake at 350°F for 2 hours or until the meat is tender. 

Serve with or over mashed potatoes, buttered noodles or rice.  Serves 4.  

NOTE:  The tomato and vegetable mixture can easily be doubled for extra gravy. 

reprinted from original graciousjanemarie.com website

Goodbye Lie Archives

I was going through some files and found this prototype on the right.  As you can see, it's a working copy of a possible poster for The Goodbye Lie.  Compare it to the actual cover on the left.  The font for the title and author name is very different from the final version.  And the curvy copy at the top? All I can say is it's interesting.  I'd completely forgotten this was one of several possibilities we rejected.

Mark of a Man Excerpt + Aunt Noreen's Potpourri Recipe

Amelia Island's Mark of a Man is the upcoming novel in my historical suspense/romance Goodbye Lie series.  Set in 1898 on Amelia Island, Florida, Aunt Noreen and her daughter, Nora, are having a lovely time at the John Philip Sousa concert, which unexpectedly is presented in Fernandina, the small town on the island. Yes, a lovely time, that is,  until Aunt Noreen starts her stuff. 

Excerpt:

   Casually standing and stifling a yawn, Noreen added, "By the way, daughter, I don't mean to hurt your feelings, but did you speak to Austin about his pigs and their smell?"
   Nora sprang to her feet.
   "I am aware your father gave him permission to corral his animals out back of your house, but the odor …  You know how I hate to complain …"
   Nora was proud of herself for not choking since her mother was the queen of queens when it came to belly aching.
   "And I've been so patient in not saying much about it, yet I must alert you to the disagreeable situation. Since Clabe brought Abby home, I can't seem to catch my breath in my own house. Why else would I relegate that dog to live with Justice in his cabin most of the time?  I admit, she has made me smile once or twice when she's not tearing up the newspaper or tracking sand inside or leaving her fur on my rugs, but she smells like the animal she is. My tender constitution requires open windows as weather permits to keep the house fresh. When the wind blows, it blows Abby's odor out and then it is quickly replaced by all that pig stink. There are times Duffy Place smells as bad inside as it does out! Oh, how I dread rainy days like today or cold days when we have to button up everything and that nasty odor gets trapped indoors.  Should Mr. Sousa smell it, I would die of embarrassment on the spot! On the spot! By way of a natural perfume, I have instructed Winnie that she is to steam apples, cinnamon sticks, cloves and orange peels at the first sign of a cloud."
   Unable to keep her patience, Nora sniped back at her mother, ever the hypochondriac. "Tender constitution?" 
   Remembering her daughter was still young and had yet to appreciate the depth of her physical and mental suffering over the years, Noreen said, "We will save the discussion about me for later. Now we are talking about your husband's offensive pig farming occupation.  How you can stand to be touched by a man in such a line of work?"
   "How dare you. How dare you!" Nora spit in anger and none-too softly. "Austin is a fine, honest, loving husband to me. You knew when we married he was a pig farmer and a volunteer fireman. I don't ever hear you saying a prayer for his safety when it comes to risking his life to save others or their homes. All you do is carry on and find the negative in everything. When you and father suggested we build our house behind Duffy Place like Breelan and Carolena did behind Dunnigan Manor when they wed, it was explained how Austin's animals needed to be close by for him to care for them. We built on the back of your property, as far from your house as possible with the pigpens behind that. We could have just as easily gotten a piece of land somewhere else, but you insisted we stay near to you.  You assured us you'd have no problem with this. Besides, Austin keeps the pens in pristine condition. Like most of your problems, this one is all in your head. The only foul smell in your house is when you burn the beans! And my husband bathes twice a day, if you must know!"
   Noreen crossed her arms over her ample bosom, tightened her lips and tried to close off her hearing, as was her usual when she was admonished.
   "You pretend that if you preface your comments with an 'I don't mean to hurt your feelings, but--,'  it takes away the sting in what you say.  You know it doesn't! Who made you Lord High Executioner anyhow, dear mother?"

Aunt Noreen's Potpourri Recipe

quarter  2 apples

3 to 6 cinnamon sticks broken in half 

small handful of cloves

peel of 2 to 3 oranges- chopped into 1 inch pieces

water to cover

Simmer above ingredients, uncovered, to refresh and deodorize your home.



Grammy Camp - Perfume People + Goodbye Lie Diaries - Marie


Granddaughter Ava and I planned on making Perfume People last summer at our annual Grammy Camp, that's when I first thought of the idea, but just ran out of time.  This year, we made sure to do this fun project and you can see the results. 




Ava's Bing-Bong

 

Some empty, fancy perfume bottles and scraps of ribbon, lace and netting, plus markers, buttons, rhinestone jewels, hot glue* and whatever is in your stash of craft goodies and you and yours can make your own Perfume People.  No two will ever be alike, either! Create a create family, a theme, create a holiday scene. Enjoy!

*Always keep a cup of water beside you when you work with hot glue.  Should you burn yourself on the glue, and it happens, quickly dip your finger into the water and it will stop the hurt.

Ava's Glugette

Grammy's Fruitie Hootie

Grammy's Clowngwin

Grammy's Calipsoul

Ava's Art-Pooch

***
1880s
Fernandina on Amelia Island, Florida

Marie writes:  Oh my goodness! Your Perfume People are

Marie Dunnigan

delightful!  I can entertain the children for hours making these.  I will put forth the word immediately that all the women we know should save their empty perfume bottles. Between Breelan, Carolena, Nora, Sophie Belle, our mother, Miss Ella, and the girls in our Aqua Verde office, we should have enough in no time.  And with all the sewing and mending that goes on around Dunnigan Manor, there will be enough ribbons and so forth that the little ones won't fight.  I don't know what your hot glue is but it sounds dangerous.  We will use our usual paste and, hopefully, get the same wonderful results. I can't wait to tell everyone about the new friends, Perfume People, they are about to meet.

(Marie Dunnigan is a featured player in Amelia Island's Mark of a Man, part of the Goodbye Lie Trilogy, set on Amelia Island, Florida in 1898.)

The Goodbye Lie Diaries- Pat's Favorite Picture Eggs

Fernandina on Amelia Island, Florida
1880s

Pat Dunnigan writes:

Pat Dunnigan

I generally don't write down recipes.  I leave that to my sisters, mother and grandmothers.  This time is different.  Ever since I can remember, Grandmother Peeper has been making Picture Eggs especially for me, her Bird of the Earth.  To this day, she'll ask if I'm hungry and when I tell her yes, the first thing she offers is Picture Eggs. I'm putting pencil to paper to remind my wife, whoever she turns out to be, to make them for the children we'll someday have.

Pat's Favorite Picture Eggs

Here's what you do to make a single serving: 

Get out the large skillet for just one won't be near enough. Butter both sides of one slice of bread.  Take a round cookie cutter or glass and cut out a circle right in the middle of the bread. Put the bread and the cut out circle in the hot pan. Crack a raw egg and drop it into the hole, frying the circle at the same time. Flip it over after a minute or two and brown the other side of the bread. Don't overcook the egg if you want the yolk to be runny.  Add a smidgen of salt and pepper. Dip the toast circle into the egg juice or spread with jam and as Jane Marie says, "Enjoy!"

Pat Dunnigan is a featured player in Amelia Island's Mark of a Man, an historic suspense novel in Amelia Island's Goodbye Lie series, set in Victorian Fernandina on Amelia Island, Florida in 1898.

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

Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Florida   

Present Day                                                                           

Jane Marie writes:

Thank you for the wonderful idea, Pat.  I tried one and quickly gobbled it down. I think Picture Eggs would make a great all-American breakfast to serve on the 4^th of July or anytime!

Picture Egg and Toast Circle

Potato Stamping - a Goodbye Lie Fave

  

I love old fashioned crafts because they're easy and fun and because our ancestors created them.  Potato stamping is a wonderful family activity. It is featured it in my historical romance novel, Amelia Island's The Goodbye Lie Trilogy set in 1882 in north Florida.  In the story, the Dunnigan children are kept occupied with this activity so as to protect them from the frantic goings-on by the adults around them. 

    

potato stamps with paint

completed T shirt more T Shirts

 

Caution:  Since a knife is needed for cutting the potato, an adult must be present to supervise.

 

Paint.  Read the label on the paint before applying it to make sure you're using the correct type for the object you will be stamping.  If stamping on wood, acrylic (washable) paint will work.  Poster or acrylic paint is good for paper.   Use fabric paint for fabric.  Be careful of water color paints because they may be too thin.  The outline of your stamp might look blurred.

     Always test the consistency of paint and the coverage of your stamp on a paper towel or rag or wood scrap, whatever is similar to your intended finished product.

     Once the paint on your design is completely dry, heat set paint on fabric designs with an iron set on high.  Stroke the iron over the picture while it is covered with a protective cloth (like an old pillow case) for three or four minutes.   Do not scorch and DO NOT USE STEAM.

 

You'll need:

•  Sharp knife (for adult hands only)
• 1 large fresh potato, at least 3" in diameter to make two stamps
• Pencil for outlining pattern on potato or cookie cutter
• Paint - see notes above
• Paint brush, sponge brush or cotton swabs
• Aluminum foil or paper plate for paint palette
• Paper towels for blotting and testing stamp
• Multi-colored felt tip markers (optional)
• Glitter (optional)
• Beads (optional)
• Buttons (optional)
• Thin ribbon or lace for bows (optional)
• Pencil with new eraser for dots (optional)

 

Wash the potato to remove any dirt and pat dry with paper towels.  Do not peel.

Cut the potato evenly in half using a large knife to make a clean cut.  It needs to be as flat a surface as possible without ridges - these will show when you stamp. 

Decide on what image you want to stamp.  A simple pattern will be easier to cut into the potato than an intricate one.  If making initials, make them block style, bold and backwards!  Save the complicated snowflake-type shapes for when you've mastered the easy stuff.

With the pencil, trace or draw your pattern free-hand on the cut side of the potato, or press a cookie cutter 1/4 inch into the flat white surface of the potato.

Cut away the area outside the stamp so that the stamp protrudes by at least ¼ inch.  I found it was best to cut away small sections at time, being careful not to let the knife slip under the actual stamp part, or it will fall off.

Squirt a small puddle of paint on the foil.  With a brush or cotton swab, paint the stamp portion of the potato, making sure the stamping surface only is evenly covered.  Wipe off any paint that slops over the edge.  You want a crisp outline. 

Test your stamp on a paper towel to see how much paint and pressure are required before you actually begin stamping your project.

To change colors using the same stamp design, wipe away any excess paint from the stamp and paint on a new color.

Let the paint of an already stamped design dry before partially stamping over it with another color if that's the look you desire.  If you want the colors of the paints to blend, then quickly stamp the new color over the color used just before it.

Get creative.  Personalize items or decorate wrapping paper, book covers, picture frames, stationary, brown bags as gift bags and lunch bags.  Stamp gift tags, envelopes, refrigerator pictures, T shirts, paper and cloth napkins, tablecloths, doll clothes, etc.  If you can think of it, you can decorate it. 

 

Embellishments for T-shirts or fabric purses:

• Sprinkle glitter on the paint while it's still wet so it will stick.
• Glue tiny beads, buttons (sewn on fabric) or ribbon bows (safety pinned for removal for washing if necessary)
• Outline the stamp with a marking pen or paint a boarder around each stamp pattern or random stamps on the object you're making so it will stand out. 
• Spatter paint - Dip an old toothbrush in gold paint or any other color and run your finger along the bristles from tip back toward you, while pointing the toothbrush at the object you're decorating.  The paint will speckle the surface.  Practice first on a newspaper to test the technique and discover the coverage you want.

"Necklace" look (as in photo above) - Repeatedly dip the flat new eraser of a pencil into paint and dab it onto a shirt in a draped pattern to resemble the beads of a necklace.  Make it a choker or a long necklace, whatever appeals to you.

 

If you cover your potato stamps in cold water in the refrigerator, they will keep for a day or two.

 

Enjoy!

 

Reprinted article from www.GraciousJaneMarie.com

Chuck Hall's One Man Show

Chuck and "the band"

Fall into more Fernandina fancy with my newly designed Blog, Blog, Blog in autumn colors!
 

And how better to start this season than with local celebrity and funny man, Chuck  Hall. Last night we attended Chuck's Old Time Family Hour held at our Amelia Community Theatre with donations going toward their beautiful new building. Well, I'll tell you a little secret. Mr. Chuck is way more talented than I thought. Yes, he's a wood carver and I knew he picked at the banjo but heck, folks, he is quite the lively all-around entertainer! The audience clapped and sang along, as Chuck strummed that banjo, belting out a dozen tunes from I've Been Workin' on the Railroad to You are My Sunshine to O Brother, Where Art Thou? - I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow. Accompanied by an electronic band, produced with the push of a button on a small contraption attached to the mike stand, Family Hour lasted a good ninety minutes and there was never a lull.

One of my favorite jokes he told was about the man who went to a revival meeting and the preacher asked him what his trouble was. The man said it was his hearing. Well, the preacher prayed over him mightily and then asked, "So how's your hearing now?"  The man answered, "I don't know. My hearing isn't until next Wednesday."  With material like that, you know we had a good time!

  Chuck "joking" around!

 

Thanks, Chuck.  American can use more good, clean, wholesome family entertainment like your show.  Keep it coming!

 

Chuck Hall and Bruce Malcolm AFTER the show. (The hour was up,

 so there was no time for Bruce and HIS railroad song.

That's why they call it a one man show, Brucey.)