HARRIET BEAMER TAKES THE BUS

When I first started reading this book, I thought it was slow. At the middle of the book, we were only in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The first half of the book set the rest of the book up. Harriet was on a journey of her life.

Between a kind waitress, a waitress who was also a ballet dancer, a Cherokee Indian, a couple who tried to steal her credit card, a snake handling preacher, a saloon hall dancer, and many more characters, she had a memorable trip across the country. She rode the bus, the train, a motorcycle side car, and was kidnapped. It seems she touched the lives of most of the people she met.

I identified with her. After all, I'm 71, and I'm not ready to be put out to pasture. She was 72, and not ready either. I hope the author, Joyce Magnin, has more books for Harriet up her sleeve. I give this one a 5 star.

Here's the cover.

MY ETSY STORE AND MORE

I never had heard of Etsy until my daughter started her store a couple of years ago. She  has been so busy with it that she has finally started calling it her "Sweat Shop." That's the first place she goes after work. She's also a big scrapbooker. You can find her on my right hand side as Di's Tidbits. My store name is www.etsy.com/store/kathycretsinger.

She finally talked me into making dresses or clothes for 18 inch dolls. You may know them as American Girl Dolls. Our granddaughter got one for Christmas and I've made a few things for her. I have big ambitions, but it's hard to find the time, or as much time as I want, to make them. Right now I'm behind on my writing and I need to finish by May 15. I just lack 30,000 words, and it's doable.

Besides the doll clothes, I have one mug rug. It's green, but I need to make other colors. They have a pocket to put a cookie, napkin, tea bag, spoon, or whatever in, plus a place for a mug. I like them so much. I think my writer's group will get them for Christmas.

I am trying to read a slow book. Don't you hate that? The book comes out May 1, and I should have started it after Christmas. It is so slow. I do want to finish it by May 1, but I doubt if I will.

This is the last blog I write today. I need to write as much as I can. I'll get back to the pictures of our vacation by next week. My husband is getting strawberries now, so we'll be busy, plus going to a band concert in Nashville tomorrow and a chorus concert on Saturday. Have a good day. I'm already tired.

FINALLY HOME

We are finally home! If my niece reads this, don't get me wrong, I loved every minute of my time with you, but as Dorothy says, "There's no place like home."

I didn't know how much I missed the trees and green grass. And the little hills we have in West Kentucky. But there was beauty in the flat country and scattered trees. I loved seeing the oil wells pumping. We also saw a small dust storm.

Can you imagine what it was like for us to see a niece we had not seen in forty years? We had not known where she was. It's such a long story, and for Lisa's sake, I won't go into it. None of us has the words to express the feelings we all fell. I go down as far as I can in my writer's heart and there are no words. No actions, no thoughts. It cannot be expressed. It is only joy.

We had never seen Lisa's children or her husband. We met all but her daughter. We have been hugged and kissed so much, by such lovely people. We fell in love with the whole family and made such wonderful connections. It was great.

We also ate soooo much. Lisa is a wonderful cook. The plane had trouble taking off. In Dallas/Ft. Worth they even left early to have plenty of time to take off with our heavy bodies. Just kidding. It did leave early, but not because we were heavy.

I'll try to get some pictures downloaded soon, by Wednesday. I have to write double duty today. I'm behind on my word count. I'll tell you more, but I don't want to bore you. By the way, I have a handsome great-nephew who is handsome as they come and single. Cute as a button. I love match-making.

VACATION IN TEXAS

We made it here with no trouble. We hadn't flown in three years, and flying had changed. It seemed the security was not as strict as it had been before. The difference of flying out of the country and flying in the country probably had something to do with it.

Our flights did arrive in time, and we had a nice lay-over in Dallas. We had time to find our next gate and eat lunch. The flights all left on time, which was good.  Before, I've always waited on the tarmac either coming or going in Dallas. That was never fun. It gets hot in the plane when you have to wait. This time there were no stacked up planes leaving or coming. It was a great comfortable flight.

It has been so good to see our niece and part of her family. So far, we have had a ball. I'm loving every minute of it. We've met two of her sons and will meet another one tonight for dinner.  It is so good to reconnect. We never thought we would see this day. There have been a lot of tears shed these last two days. What a blessing to find our niece and her family.

I may not get to write any more until Monday.

ANGEL OF THE COVE

Last night, I finished Angel of the Cove. I wanted to finish it before we left on vacation. Sandra Robbins did a good job telling us about the people of the Cove. I've been there, but I never noticed the cantilever barns. Next time we're in the area, I'll have to see them. I don't think we had them were we lived. Very good description of them in the book.

One thing that is interesting about the mountains is the people found in these valleys and hollows, Each one has their own differences. They have been in those parts for so long and probably never seen outsiders, so they develop their own swy of living. It's sort of like a Code of the People. A Code of the Cove, or a Code of the Ridge, or a Code of the Valley. They shy away from outsiders. They are afraid of them. Afraid they'll think them strange and laugh at their ways.

It's the same in this book, but Granny took Anna in, and it helped her to connect with some of the Cove people.The description of the Great Smoky Mountains was beautiful, the haze that hangs on it and the colors of the trees and bushes. The language she used for the Cove people was so accurate. That made the book more interesting.

The time of this book was before the government made the people leave the Cove. It had to be a much different time than what it is today. We drive through the roads today and can't imagine what the farmers had to go through. It was a wonderful description of the time before civilization came to the Cove.

OUR LAST TRIP FOR A WHILE, ALMOST

Yes, this is our last big trip for a while. It is a vacation, a very excitable vacation. I wouldn't tell this ahead of time, but we have very good neighbors that look out for our house.

We are going to Lamesa, Texas. I've never been there, and my husband and I are sooo excited to go. Yesterday we went to town to get all the last minute things we would need. I've decided my headaches are triggered by noise, so I stocked up with ear plugs.

Why West Texas? My husband has a niece that lives there. We have not seen her in over thirty years. She ran away from home when she was fifteen and she is now fifty. I don't think she'll mind me telling her age. We found her about a year and a half ago, and she is still the same sweet girl she was when we last saw her. We've never met her husband or her children, so we're so excited to meet them.

I'll have to send pictures either while I"m there, or when I get home. My friend, Ms. Computer, will be with me. In fact, that's the only thing we'll be carrying on. I will carry on my purse.

My suitcase is beginning to fill. I have some sewing to do today and laundry of course. When do we ever not have laundry? I'm try to get everything done ahead of time so I won't stress over it at the last moment. I'm a big stresser. I don't think that is a word, but I just made it one.

I'll write again Friday, and probably won't Monday. We'll be flying out Monday morning. All I ask is that you pray for us to have a safe trip.

GREAT WEEKEND

I hope everyone had a great week-end. We did. Our son and his family had Easter Dinner with us. Our daughter and her family has sickness and didn't get to come. She said she wanted to rest, and I understand that. Her husband was in the hospital the first of the week and her daughter had pneumonia.

The seven of us had a wonderful time. I cooked turkey with no dressing. Although I love dressing, it is too much in the spring. We had corn, my grandchildren love corn, green beans, mashed potatoes, deviled eggs, fruit salad, homemade bread, and Prune Cake. The Prune Cake is a recipe handed down from my mother-in-law, and it is delicious.

Our oldest grandson doesn't like chocolate. We didn't tell the children it was a Prune Cake. Chet, the oldest, had eaten most of his when he said, "This doesn't taste like chocolate." Then we told him it wasn't chocolate, it was prune. He had a hard time eating the rest, but he did.

Our visitation group meets the second Sunday of each month and this month was our time. I forgot it was Easter when I said I would have them. We have light refreshments. I had planned to go ahead since I would have a fruit salad and deviled eggs left over. I had decided to make a light dessert that is easy. I'll give the recipe at the end., if I don't forget. I don't have a name for it so we'll call it Chocolate Lemon Strawberry Dessert.

During my nap, the telephone ran and one single woman in our group said she wouldn't be coming. We only have seven members, so we were down to six. Then the wife of another couple called, their granddaughter had been in a four-wheeler accident and was being air-lifted to Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville, and they were on their way there. They wouldn't be there. So we were down to four. We had a good time, the four of us. The dessert was a big hit.

CHOCOLATE LEMON STRAWBERRY DESSERT

This depends on how much you make. It's easy to make more or less.
Sugar-free Chocolate Cookies without filling. I used Murray Sugar-free 100 calorie packs
Lemon Sugar-free Instant Pudding mix
Strawberries sliced

Crumble cookies. Mine were hard, so I pounded them in the packs, I used 2 packs for 4 people
Cover bottom of nice stemware glass with crumbs
Add pudding
Arrange strawberries on top for garnish.

The first we had were in martini glasses. I didn't have any, but I had parfait's. I made two layers and they were good. This recipe made the two layers. We have a covered dish next Sunday and I'm making this is a dish. I may double the recipe. It is surplussingly good. 

WE'VE BEEN ON ANOTHER TRIP

You probably think all we ever do is travel, but don't believe it. It seems it comes in spurts. We are in a spurt right now and may have one more trip to go. I know we'll be going to Nashville the last of the month for our granddaughter's chorus concert. That is, if she's able to perform. She has had pneumonia for almost three months. The doctors can't find out why she can't shake it. She has a CT scan scheduled today, so maybe they can find the problem. She's sixteen and too young for this to happen.

We went to Paris, Kentucky last week. I'd been to Lexington, but never to Paris. It was so beautiful, and we all enjoyed our visit there. We saw the horse farms, big horse farms, and went to Cane Ridge Meeting House. I loved that.

Several years ago, I started writing a story about the Restoration Era and it would end at Cane Ridge. In doing research I found Barton Stone visited the town I was born and raised in, Rogersville, Tennessee. There is a spring there that ebbs and flows like the ocean. It's one of two in the whole world. He writes about visiting the spring. I've been there many times as a child. It is privately owned, and the owner does not allow any visitors now. It is interesting.

We stayed three days, but enjoyed every day of it. I want to go back later this summer. I'm going to stay home and write for a few days now.

COWGIRL TRAIL

Another book by Susan Page Davis has just released. Cowgirl Trail is a book in a six book series about the Morgan family. I was one of the critiquers and I loved it. It's very funny, if you can imagine an all girl cowpoke company herding cattle. I loved it. I think you'll enjoy it. Here's the info.

Cowgil Trail is part of a six-book series about four generations of the Morgan family living, fighting, and thriving amidst a turbulent Texas history spanning from 1845 to 1896.  Although a series, each book book can be read on its own.

In 1884 Maggie Porter returns to the Rocking P Ranch. The sanatorium was not able to save her mother and now her father's health is failing. When the cowboys walk off the job leaving no one to drive the cattle to market, head ranch hand, Alex Bright, cannot convince the men to stay. How could Alex let this happen?

Maggie is desperate to save the ranch and she turns to the town's women for help. The new cowgirls must herd, rope, and drive the cattle to market. With only two days left, outlaws charge the small band of cowgirls in an effort to start a stampede. The cattle begin to scatter. Will they lose everything? Where will their help come from?

I saw it was on Kindle or book. You will enjoy it. I loved Alex. He was a good friend, but could he be more than that? Read it to see.

LADY ANNE'S QUEST

I did finish this book, and it was good. I'd give it five stars. Susan did a wonderful job to keep us in suspense. I felt so sorry for Anne. She seemed to always be two steps behind her uncle. They do finally meet, but it took a long time. That made the book interesting. It seemed the closer they got, the farther away he became. I guess I loved the chase.

In The Ladies Maid we knew Daniel Adams had feelings for Anne Stone. After all, he asked her to marry him several times. Well, he cools it in this book and you begin to feel he doesn't care about her. That's what makes it more exciting. He helps her find her uncle, so he did still care about her.

We meet Millie Evans and Sam Hastings who are determined to keep Anne away from her uncle. And Peterson returns from the first book. Susan Page Davis does a wonderful job with this book.