Lucy Reception

I listen to the radio or attempt to when I'm bustling about the house and, for some electronic reason, the reception is often poor.  Yes, of course, I've tried balancing on three toes of my right foot with my left thumb in a semi-vertical position while I plug my right ear with a purple pencil eraser shaped like a gopher turtle for the count of 8.2 seconds.  That didn't help much.  Through trial and error, I finally discovered the best place for pretty good reception is to put the radio not beside the desk, not on top of the desk, but inside the desk. And not just anywhere in the desk. It won't work in the first, second, or third drawers on the right side.  No, the sweet spot is in the top drawer on the left side.  And you know how I control the volume? It's so simple. To turn it up, I pull the drawer open. To turn the sound down, I just push the drawer closed. Quite brilliant, don't you agree?  I think Lucy (Lucille Ball/I Love Lucy) would.

The best reception is in the desk drawer.

volume control set to low

Grammy Camp - a fairy house

What is Grammy Camp?  A sharing, crafting, playing, creating gathering of grandmother and grandchild. In this case, Ava and me and what a time we've had.  One of the extra fun projects  we did was to make a fairy house!  And it cost nothing because all the supplies came from my craft stash closet.

This is what we used:

-1 large shoe box
-purple and pink spray paint for outside
-flower and leaf foam stickers for around the outside entrance hole
-green felt for lining the inside bottom
-silk flowers
-small basket with scrap ribbon of all kinds and pearls and beads spilling out
-hairspray cap filled with batting, covered with pink felt, decorated with gold marker and topped with a small paper umbrella for the fairy throne
-foil for the pond with blue marker swirls
-cork for log by the pond used for fairy sitting
-glass pebbles for stepping stones from entrance leading to throne
-black marker, blue glass pebble and googly eyes for spider glued to inside
-small clear box with gold, silver and blue glitter for fairy dust which we sprinkled over the inside of the entire house
-misc. sequins and decorations
-glue gun

outside randomly sprayed with pink and purple paint, ribbon added for shady corner
 

                                                 

hidden entrance on the end

  

overview

left is basket with beads and ribbons, right is fairy throne

 scattered silk flowers, foil pond with sea shell stickers, glass pebbles for path

 

 spider with mismatched googly eyes, over box of fairy dust

 

After we took these pictures, we found a cat's whisker (we call them whickers) and placed it atop the throne for good luck.  We also found half a shell from a hatched birdie and added that.  Who knows what the fairies will use it for--maybe a punch bowl or perhaps a basin to wash their stockings.  We'll just have to wait and watch... and keep adding treasures for the fairies as they appear.

 

Making the Mark - Survey Says...

While attending my monthly Bunko party, I recently passed out papers with three short paragraphs on them.  I asked the girls to give their opinion on which of the three they preferred for the opening of my third historical novel, Mark of a Man in my Amelia Island's Goodbye Lie Trilogy.  Of the eleven I asked, nine picked my favorite.  I should have gone with my instinct but it is always good to have feedback and, Lord knows, these gals are never shy in saying what they think. Since we've been playing Bunko for twelve years, I trust them.

 

 

 Thank you, ladies!

Patriotic Pin

Happy July 4th!!!!

 

You've probably seen these easy to make patriotic safety pins. They never go out of fashion so make some now or later but this craft is something everyone in the family can proudly wear year round!

 

 

 

                                  

 

You'll need:

one 1 1/2" safety pin

twelve 1" safety pins

25 blue seed beads

62 red seed beads

50 white beads

 

 

Follow the pattern of colored beads in the photo above, stringing the beads on the 1" safety pins. Close each pin when it is full.  When all smaller pins are completed, slide them onto the side of the longer safety pin that is permanently attached to the head.  Wear with pride over your heart!

Year of Living Graciously - July

Draw the lines on your right palm and left palm, put them side-by-side and connect.  Pretend they are streets and name them! 

 

Naturally, the names that came to my mind are from my novels, Amelia Island's Goodbye Lie Trilogy, The Goodbye Lie, Velvet Undertow and the upcoming Mark of a Man, plus my website, www.GraciousJaneMarie.com.  This is what I called mine:

 

Breelan's Curve

Island Drive

Romance Road

American Way

Martha Bear Blvd.

Goodbye Lie Ave.

Teddy O Trail

Elvis at Doo Wop's!

We saw an ad in our local News-Leader that Amelia Island's  Doo Wop's, Best 50's Diner was hosting Roger Hawk & the Mystery Train Elvis Tribute Band, June 29th, from 3 to 5 pm.  Bruce and I like 50's music and the atmosphere and food at the Doo Wop is great- hamburgers are huge and I like their spaghetti- and the milkshakes... Well, we went and there on the sidewalk out in front was Elvis in his gold trimmed red jumpsuit, complete with huge collar, big belt and rings on his fingers.  And the music?  It was terrific! His combo of musicians/male backup singers added a richness to the overall sound.  Thank you, Doo Wop.  We heard things are going well for you.  That's wonderful news. We'll be back for another good meal soon.

Check out Doo Wop's menu here:  http://doowopdiner.biz/ and visit them at
1120 S 14th ST, Amelia Island, FL.

 Roger Hawk as Elvis

 

 of course they would serve this to honor Elvis

hanging on the wall inside the Doo Wop

Ramble Alert! - White Enough?

I’m always up for a challenge.  This time it’s drinking from a straw.  As you roll your eyes at my ineptness, let me continue.  I am on a quest to have a sparkling smile, so sparkling, in fact, that a tiny  star appears on my choppers in all my photographs, as it does on those of  Gaston, the mean guy in the Beauty and the Beast cartoon.  While I am sufficiently in touch with reality to realize this ain’t gonna actually happen, my mission continues.  To that end, I asked Santa for  those dental whitening strips you leave on your teeth for thirty minutes.  I must have been a pretty good little girl, last year, because he gave me a box.  Not only have they worked, more mentally than  actually, probably, but I get the added benefit of playing the part of a rabid dog any time I want as my lips overflow with the frothing product working its white magic.  Additionally, I have toothpaste and mouthwash and gum, all of which are supposed to assist in this process. 

 

Is this just another phase of my life, like knowing the Latin names of house plants, making stained glass, pouring candles, quilting, playing the spoons, etc?  Certainly not.  Why?  Because this has to do with vanity.  Let’s face it.  If you’re a girl, it's a lifelong affliction.  Enough said. 

 

So back to the straw. I’ve heard how red wine, coffee, etc., stain your teeth. I have never been a coffee drinker until Bruce, my thoughtful husband, suggested I try a cup with French Vanilla creamer and a packet of sweetener.  I was hooked after that.  However, since it discolors my teeth and the fancy creamer makes me fat, I stopped drinking it for about six weeks.  Then I heard something.  Remember,  if it’s on the news, in print or online, it’s true…  Here it is:  If you drink coffee and wine through a straw, it will bypass your teeth and they will remain pristine white.  I don’t know about you, but I am unable to suck on a straw without the coffee filling my mouth and surrounding my teeth.  No matter how far back in my mouth the straw is,  coffee abounds.  So the straw is out.  Besides, all that puckering  makes wrinkles around your lips and that will never do.  I end this ramble because my coffee is gone and it’s time to swish with a whitening mouthwash.  As someone once said, “Don’t hate me because I have a semi-brilliant smile.”  Or something like that.

 

PS  Oh, I almost forgot to mention that, as a public service announcement as part of the sometimes whacked world of Gracious Jane Marie, July is Find Your Favorite Tooth month- and the tooth has to be in your own mouth!  I’m leaning toward my upper right incisor.

PPS These are the things that clog my mind...

mini TV interview

Last Saturday, I was doing a book signing at Books Plus on Centre Street, downtown  on our beautiful Amelia Island.  Fellow writer, Chuck Barrett, author of Breach of Power, was also signing his novels. That's when I spied a News 4 Jax (Jacksonville) TV reporter and she spied us. She was doing a piece on the first day of summer, June 21, and taping segments around the island for it. And so we were interviewed. While that interview lasted all of two minutes, only 16 seconds made it past the final edit.

When it aired, I snapped a photo from the television and for some electronic reason I don't care to investigate at this time, the quality of the picture isn't good, but you get the idea. While my words were less than eloquent, I mentioned "island paradise" three times, these interviews are good practice for my acceptance speech when I'm awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Chuck Barrett and JMM interviewed

Baby Birds

My brother, Bob, sent this photo and I had to share. He found these babies inside the tool shed by his house.  He's been watching the feathery fluffs grow up and, as you can tell,

they are about ready to fly away!

 

Dad's Day

In the Irish, as they say,

'Tis Himself,

we honor today!

 

Happy Father's Day!

Clean Living

I saw these two items on my desk, side by side, laughed and said to myself, "Talk about your clean living!"  Yup, clean, wholesome and all-American- that's what it's all about...    :-)

 

Magnolia-Mark of a Man Favorite

The old talkin' tree, a magnolia, plays its part in Mark of a Man, the third novel in my Amelia Island Goodbye Lie Trilogy series.

My granddaughter, Ava, and I sing the chorus of a song A Hundred Million Miracles from the Broadway musical Flower Drum Song.  Click here to listen to the words: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRWOtwweKUg&feature=endscreen&NR=1.  It's similar in meaning to "stop and smell the roses."  And so we do.  We examine the patterns on calico material or we'll study the differences in the sharks' teeth we find on the beach or--you get the idea.

So when a friend brought me a magnolia blossom, I started to examine it. Although I've seen hundreds of these flowers on the trees down here in Florida and Georgia over the years, and I know they are the most prominent flower of the South, plus  the very word, magnolia, is in the opening paragraph of Gone With The Wind: ...her thick black brows slanted upward, cutting a startling oblique line in her magnolia-white skin — that skin so prized by Southern women and so carefully guarded with bonnets, veils and mittens against hot Georgia suns..., I never appreciated them until now.  I wanted to share because they are so beautiful, inside and out.  And I didn't realize the flowers open in the day, close at night and then reopen!  Enjoy!

 I  measured this blossom with a ruler.  It is 8 inches across!

 

As I looked closely at the center, I saw a real work of art.  I don't know what the parts are called, stamens?, but notice the curls on the top half and what appear to be closed petals below them.

 

 

The blossom closed during the night and would reopen the next day.

 

 

Day 2, the center turned brown and what I thought were petals on the lower half opened wide!

 

 

 

(As always, thank you to YouTube.com and its contributors for the video in this article.)

 

 

Goodbye Lie Diaries-Peeper

1880s
Fernandina, Florida
Grandmother Peeper writes:

When I was a small child, there was this here Indian called Walkin' Wise, who come every Sundee
and sat on the step of our church just awaitin' for us children ta come outside when service was finished.  I suspect he come for the potluck dinner at 12 o'clock noon but he would tell us stories. I recall one time when he told us every body has a good wolf and a bad wolf inside a them. And these wolves is always afightin'. When some one of us asked who won the fight, Walkin' Wise said it's the one ya feed.  That was about my favorite story a his.



        Peeper, a featured player in
    Amelia Island's Goodbye Lie Trilogy,
 offers advice and elixir-fixers
 and if you don't agree with her,
 well--ask Aunt Noreen what happens...

 



Year of Living Graciously- June

Wash and press the clothes of your old teddy or dolly then dress them. If you have no clothes, find a scrap piece of felt or fabric. Cut out a triangle for a shawl and rectangle for a skirt.  Secure with old brooches.  If your stuffed friend is a boy, make him a paper hat and use a ribbon for a string tie. Proudly display for all to see and/or cuddle at bedtime. Who says you're ever too old to play with dolls?

Hollywood Hearts-The Great Gatsby

New York. 1922.  The tempo of the city had changed. The buildings here higher.  The parties were bigger. The morals were looser and the liquor was cheaper. The restlessness approached hysteria. -The Great Gatsby.

View The Great Gatsby's official trailer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNfXYCFvtjw

We just saw The Great Gatsby and I liked it.  Filmed in Australia, the scenery, the sets, the costumes, oh those costumes, and Leonardo DeCaprio were standouts.  He played the ever hopeful Jay Gatsby.  At 38, his face is still pretty and, as he ages, I think he will remain a handsome man. His intense blue eyes speak of his love... If you are not familiar with F. Scott Fitzgerald's famous novel, please read it, and watch this movie. I don't want to spoil the story for you here.

Computers are heavily involved in the making of this film, yet the actors still emote and the drama seems real in an artfully unrealistic way.  Tobey MacGuire, aka Spiderman, did a believable job as Gatsby's friend. I read they are friends in every day life, too.  I also heard someone say Carey Mulligan was not exotic enough to play Daisy, the main female character. I don't think she needed to be exotic.  Gatsby's love for her was pure and although she wore the ornate dresses and glitter and pearls of the rich Roaring Twenties, her face carried an innocence to warrant his want for her.

View a video of Carey Mulligan's Vogue shoot as she reads from the novel.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bl8oo_0_HVk .

View The Great Gatsby and Tiffany's 2013 Blue Book Collection jewelry-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKzGGig0Gpk

View The Great Gatsby costumes -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTo3uHLH31o

I was disappointed by all the electronic music and screaming vocals. One trailer I found played a ragtime tune, but the movie soundtrack was more modern, more Moulin Rouge.  Come to find out, the director of Gatsby, Baz Luhrman, likewise directed Moulin Rouge.  Don't get me wrong.  I loved the music in Moulin Rouge.  I've seen it several times- on purpose.  Perhaps they were going for a younger audience in The Great Gatsby.  Did I hear a rapper at one point?  Not sure. The music was often distracting.

Music aside, it's worth the price of matinee admission, at least, to see the hundreds of extras in all their glamorous glory, plus you still have DeCaprio's blue eyes...


I want to thank YouTube and its contributors for putting up such great clips for me to find and share with all of you.

Memorial Day Ceremony

Each year we see attendance grow at the Memorial Day ceremony at the foot of Centre Street in downtown Fernandina.  Simply put, it does a heart good.

2013 Memorial Day Ceremony

 

 

veterans stand before WWII Army truck

 Laying the wreath in honor of those who have died.

(Note gull overhead in top left of photo.)

 

Taps Bugle Call being played... 

 

Post 54 American Legion Chaplain Bruce Malcolm

THANK YOU

Diet Dessert

I came up with this gem of a recipe I like to call Chocolate, Butter, Sugar Juice. While it's really not much of a recipe, the good news is you probably have all the ingredients on hand.  When you need a sweetie and chocolate but don't want to eat the whole cake or box of cookies, try this. No flour calories plus the real secret is to eat this with a fork.  It's a slow process so you can savor each bite and your sweet teeth will be satisfied.  Enjoy!

You'll need:

a microwavable proof glass
a pat of butter or any kind of margarine or cholesterol cutting spread you use
a dusting of cocoa
a pack of Splenda or Stevia
a splash of vanilla
a small blob of peanut butter (optional)
fork

Mix the above ingredients and nuke in the microwave until melted.
Be sure to use a pot holder to retrieve the hot glass.

It might not be pretty but it sure serves as a sweetie substitute.

Quotes for Book Lovers

 

There is a lovely used book store in Tallahassee, Florida called My Favorite Books. Here is a link to their site. http://www.myfavbooks.com/. 

 

As we were checking out, I saw three totes hanging overhead with the following quotes on them. Oh, these canvas totes are available for purchase, of course.  Just contact the store through their website.

 

"I cannot live without books."- Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 1815



 "She is too fond of books and it has addled her brain." - Louisa May Alcott

 

"When I get a little money, I buy books: and if any is left, I buy food and clothes. " - Erasmus

 



Making the Mark- Character Names

As I've said before, I like to use different, old-fashioned sounding names for players in my Amelia Island's Goodbye Lie Trilogy, set in the 1880s in Florida.  BUT, they must be universally pronounceable so all readers are thinking the same name as the story unfolds.

I have three new background characters in Mark of a Man, volume #3 in the series. (Each novel stands alone.)

Juniata- first name of the secretary for the fictional Dunnigan family's Aqua Verdi Passenger Line company.  I saw an old graduation announcement from Juniata College near Altoona in Pennsylvania. There is a Juniata river in central Pennsylvania, too.  I like the flow of the sound of the four syllables when I say the name.

Jency- first name of a Dunnigan character by marriage.  Her involvement promotes much angst from misunderstanding...  I recently heard someone talking about their relative by this name. Different and old-timey sounding, I think.

Perpetua- first name of a baby in Mark of a Man.  I changed the baby's original name to this, but won't tell you what that original name was lest I hurt someone's feelings who has that name.  I heard Perpetua while watching the History Channel.  She was a Christian martyr who died in the Roman Coliseum for not renouncing her faith.  While the name carries a rich pedigree, I thought, why not give it to the baby because this saint was, after all, once a baby, too. It's a beautiful name.  Here is a link with interesting facts about Saint Perpetua. - http://saintperpetua.com/Groups/1000004967/Saint_Perpetua/Perpetua_The_Martyr/Perpetua_The_Martyr.aspx

The sources of my characters' names are random.  I don't seek the names.  They jump to within my hearing and what a joy it is for me as I stop, listen and adopt them into my fictional family of characters.

Mama, Mother, Mom

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!

Thoughts of a mother take us home and we are blessed.

Off or Off-Off Broadway?

You hear about Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway, right?  I always figured it had to do with small or low budget productions or shows working on improving their plots and staging. These shows weren't ready for the main Broadway drag so were housed a few blocks away, in lesser-known theaters.  I was wrong.  It's all about seating capacity. If a theater has 100 to 499 seats, it's considered Off-Broadway.  If there are less than 100 seats, it's called Off-Off Broadway!

50th Annual Shrimp Festival

Friday afternoon we set up the tent, dodging raindrops and wearing our Disney World ponchos with Mickey Mouse on the back. We'd put up the tent before but never the side curtains. Like squeezing 20 pounds of potatoes into a 10 lb. sack, we managed to get the zippers down on all sides. The most surprising part was the front flap ended up at the front of the tent.  A few mishaps occurred by nothing major.  My wet flip flops slipped off the ladder and I fell on my elbow but the picket fence behind the tent broke my fall. 

 

It rained all day Saturday while we, along with all the other vendors, waited patently inside for the heavens to dry up. Didn't happen. The winds blew, knocking over this, breaking that- my main poster frame and glass--bummer. A few patrons walked about town under umbrellas. When someone found my tent, I knew my carefully combed hair and makeup was less than perfect.  "Please excuse the way I look."  "You look just like everybody else," she replied.  How right she was.  Finally, at 5 pm, the official shut down time anyway, we exited the tent, zipping her up and left for the night.

 

It was sprinkling at 7 am on Sunday.  Out came the ponchos but by 9ish, someone shouted, "Look, look!  Blue sky!"  Whoops and hollers roared and the streets filled with thousands of town folk and visitors ready to cram two days of fun into one. It was a good show, at least one day of it, and we were all glad for that.

 

It took longer to tear down than it did set up and we had more stuff to get home.  Bruce explained it was because he'd made several trips home for more things like shelves and racks at my request.  I forgot that part.  With his pickup literally overflowing and tied down as tightly as he could get it, I followed him home, ready to flash my lights if and when something fell off the back.  Despite hitting a pothole or two, nothing landed in the street! We unloaded his truck once home, but were so tired, we left my car packed until---Well, it's still loaded. It's on the list to do tomorrow, two days after the event. 

 

A great big thank you to all the new friends I met at the Shrimp Festival.  Join us here at the Gracious Jane Marie Blog and www.GraciousJaneMarie.com where we celebrate

 heart and home with roses, recipes and tasteful romance! 

 

 

 the tent was up just before the rain - that's Jane Marie peeking out

 

setting up inside the tent while the rains came and came and came,

 note book in ziplock bag for safe keeping

 

Jane Marie's stuff



                                                                     
                    painted art glass, painted crystal necklace, easel art- where the livin' is easel, tea tiles

The Goodbye Lie- what started it all...

                                                             hand painted carafes for wine, water or juice

 

 

Secret Pebbles-hand painted stones, verses with organza gift bags

 

 

and then the sun shown.  Oh happy, happy day!

 

See you next year!



Goodbye Lie Trivia

What stuffed critter makes a cameo appearance in each of the Goodbye Lie series books? You guessed it.  It's Martha Bear!

Read Martha Bear's free family-friendly short stories at www.MarthaBear.com and watch our Captain Fancy Patch read a bedtime story at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owujwL7dEng.

Martha Bear in her courtyard flower garden at Stately Martha Manor
 with Airborne, her grasshopper companion, on her shoulder


PS- Notice Martha Bear has no eyes.  That's okay because she "sees with her heart!"  Ahhhh...

Penny's Pineapple Bake

A friend from Bunko gave me this recipe. The sweet pineapple and  cheddar cheese make for a great side dish.  Thank you, Penny.  Enjoy!

 

Penny's Pineapple Bake

You'll need:
 

2 cups pineapple chunks (reserve juice)

2 cups grated cheddar cheese (2% sharp lite optional)

 

Combine:

6 Tbsp. pineapple juice

5 Tbsp. all purpose flour

1 cup sugar

 

Mix together all of the above in a 9" by 13" baking dish.

 

Topping:

1/2 cup melted butter

1 sleeve of Ritz crackers (crushed)

Sprinkle topping mix over mixture

 

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Serve warm.

Goodbye Lie Diaries - Peeper vs Aunt Noreen

Fernandina on Amelia Island, Florida
1880s

Grandmother Peeper

Peeper writes:  Do ya  got a problem with them pesky crickets a chirpin' and keepin' ya up most a the night?  Take a banana peel or two, chop  'um up and scatter 'um outside near the doors and winders. Don't know if them crickets is quiet cause they're eatin' the peels or cause they don't like the smell.  Now, I ain't never tried this myself.   Ifn it don't work, blame Aunt Noreen!

Aunt Noreen

Aunt Noreen writes:  Peeper Clegg!  How dare you go telling Jane Marie's friends I peel bananas to feed crickets! You have your stories mixed up, again.  Mrs. Ickles  is the one who feeds the crickets. Everybody knows I can't endure the feel of banana peels on my fingers.  My Clabe peels and slices my bananas for me to eat only, because he adores me so.  Besides, cotton in my ears works just as well at blocking out pesky cricket noises and bothersome old pickle-plumpers like you!  Don't be using my name again unless it is in an honorable way.  





Peeper writes:  All I know is that you're the craziest old chicken I ever seen.  I cain't understand how you're aunt to my Breelan and Carolena and Marie and Jack Patrick. Theys all got sense.  Somebody must a banged your head on the door jam when you was a baby, is what I say.



***Peeper and Aunt Noreen and all mentioned in the above diary entry are neighbors in Jane Marie Malcolm's The Goodbye Lie historical suspense novels set on Amelia Island. 

Save That Receipt!

My husband, Bruce (B) recently returned—No wait, recently TRIED to return a pair of slippers that didn't fit him.  The conversation with the store clerk (C) follows:

B- "I'd like to return this pair of slippers I paid $24.95 for."

C- "Certainly, sir.  Have you worn them?"

B- "No.  Well, only so much as to walk from the back of our house to the front.  We have a very small house."

C- "Do you have the receipt?"

B- "No, ma'am. I never expected them to be uncomfortable so I don't know what I did with it."

C- "Do you have the box they came in?"

B- "No, again. Same answer.  I didn't think I would need it."

C- "Well, I don't recognize that plaid insole, so are you sure you got them here?"

B- "Yes, I'm sure.  Is there anywhere else in town that sells this brand?" (Remember we live on a tiny island with few stores.)

C- "No, I believe we're the only place."

B- He looked at her.

C- "Let me see if I can find a stock number on them somewhere." (She did.)  "Okay. Do you have your credit card which you charged them on?"

B- "Here you go."

C- After running it through the cash register/computer,  "I'm afraid I don't see a charge for  them on your card."

B- Knowing that particular credit card had to be the one he used since that is the only one he carries, he asked, "So now what?"

C- "Well, let me see."  She pushed buttons and more buttons, saying between button pushing, "Since there is no receipt and no box, we will have to charge you for the missing box."  After still more button pushing, "Yes.  I can give you a refund of 85 cents."

B- "85 cents?"

C- "Yes, sir."

B-"Give them back to me.  I'll run over them with the lawn mower.  The entertainment factor is worth more than 85 cents."

C- Unsmiling, "Very well, sir."

B- As he went to leave, he said, "Hey, if you've got anymore of those 85 cent slippers around, I want 'um all.  I'll sell them on the street corner and make a killing!"

Interviewed by Janet Smith

                                                                                                      
Janet Smith is working on a degree in nursing  and asked to interview me for an English class. I was flattered and, with her permission, I printed her piece which got her an A!

                                                                             

Gracious Jane Marie 

                                                                               

         I was standing in a driveway in Fernandina Beach, Florida.  In front of me was a quaint yellow single-story cottage.  The author of the historical Amelia Island’s Goodbye Lie Trilogy, Jane Marie Malcolm, resides here.  If I had any questions about being at the right place, the sign on the house, Stately Malcolm Manor, answered them for me.  I was reminded of the old southern mansions that had names attached to them like Twelve Oaks from Gone With the Wind.

          White flowering bushes greeted me on the right.  The scent of those blossoms made me want to stop and smell them, but I continued to the front door, which was opened  and seemed to be saying, “Welcome.  Come inside.” 

          Jane Marie greeted me with a smile and, with genuine hospitality, showed me to my chair in the dining room.  While she got our cold beverages, I took the time to appreciate the beautiful décor of her home.  It is said your residence is a reflection of you, and I would say Jane Marie’s house certainly represents her personality.  I felt as if I had been transported back in time, to an era of romance and grace.  Throughout the house, I could see items that showcased her artistic abilities.  On the dining table was an ordinary red brick, and on top of it stood a clay high heeled shoe covered in green vines and leaves.  A whimsical head with leaf-like wings adorned the apex of the heel.  “What do you think?”  Jane Marie asked.

          “I love it!”  I replied.  “It’s like angels are walking with us.”  Jane Marie said she wanted to use my words as a title for her piece.  I felt honored.

          Jane Marie or "Gracious Jane Marie," as her fans call her, is the very essence of grace mixed with wit and a sunny disposition.  She is soft spoken as a real genteel woman would be.  Her long hair gives her the appearance of someone who belongs back in the time of her writings.  She makes you feel what you have to say is important, and when she laughs, it is contagious.  You can’t help but laugh, too.

          When I asked her the date of her birth, she giggled and said, “In the twentieth century.”  Even though she refused to tell me, Jane Marie pointed out her framed birth certificate hanging in the kitchen.  On the aging paper was the month, day and year.  I decided to keep her secret to myself.  Like the mother from Pennsylvania in her first novel, The Goodbye Lie, Jane Marie was born in Erie.  This is just one of the ways Jane Marie mirrors her life with her stories.

          Jane Marie is married to Bruce Malcolm, former mayor of Fernandina Beach.  She spoke of the interesting and funny things he has said, and has created a journal that includes many of his best gems.  She calls it The Wit and Hillbilly Wisdom of Bruce Malcolm.  It shows that Jane Marie is deeply in love with her husband.    “I believe in love at first sight,” Jane Marie said, “because it happened to me.” 

          Jane Marie didn’t become a writer until the age of forty.  It all started when her family was getting ready to move away from Fernandina Beach.  She wanted to remember the little town she loved and combine the history of Fernandina Beach with her love of romance.  Just before they left, Jane was working in a quiet shop in Victorian downtown Fernandina.  With no one in the store, she was about to “put pencil to paper” and begin her first book.  Just then, a man in his forties, who looked to be in his seventies because of his weathered face, walked through the door.  He wore a yellow rain slicker and had curly auburn hair that women would kill for.  He was a shrimper just off his boat, selling his wares.  He became her first character and she named him Catfish.

          Her original idea was to give The Goodbye Lie to her daughter for her hope chest and, thereby, pass it along to her grandchildren.  Needing to find out what happened to the other characters in the novel, Jane Marie continued her work in three more books.   

          As the interview continued, an old grandfather clock chimed the eighth hour in the background, and once again I was taken back in time.  Jane Marie’s favorite era is the 1880s.  She used this period in history as the setting for her books.  Her characters are created, in part, from people she knows, plus colorful life experiences and surroundings.  She used her own family structure as a model for her books.  She incorporates items that show her artistic abilities into her writings, such as her Secret Pebbles©.  These are hand painted glass stones, decorated with roses, hearts, crosses and/or Christmas trees and come with special verses for different occasions.

          If Jane Marie couldn’t write for a living, her choice of job would be costume designer.  Again, the 1800s would be her preference because the women’s clothing, in her words, “Had a lot of frou-frou.  The more the better!”  I could picture her dressing that way today if she could get away with it.

          On the back of her second book, Amelia Island’s Velvet Undertow, there is a comment by a fan who says, “Where Little House on the Prairie meets Gone With The Wind …”  This is a great compliment because Jane Marie loves Gone With The Wind and considers herself a Windy, meaning a big-time fan.  When I asked her who her favorite author was, I was not surprised to hear her say Margaret Mitchell, the author of Gone With The Wind.

           Jane Marie is known for coming up with her own words, and her favorite right now is "rutstucker."  I was laughing at this strange word when she said, “Make sure you write the meaning down so you won’t forget.”  A rutstucker is someone who is stuck in a rut.  I hope Jane comes out with her own dictionary soon.

          You can get to know more about Jane Marie Malcolm by visiting her website and blog at www.GraciousJaneMarie.com.   Here, she writes about the heart, home, roses, recipes and romance.  Her second website, www.MarthaBear.com, features her free and silly online children’s stories meant to encourage family reading.

           Jane Marie’s books are comprised of romance, family and history.  Getting a glimpse into her home and personality, I can see how much her real life and published life are intertwined.  She breathes and lives romance. 

          The chapter of my time with Jane Marie was over, so we walked outside together and said our goodbyes.  Before I entered my modern carriage, I could hear the ocean behind me.  Glancing back at Stately Malcolm Manor, I remembered what Jane Marie said when I asked her for one last thought.  “I believe in happy endings.”  That said it all.