A Christmas Carol, Another Lesson

Posted by Nov 28 2011, 1:00 am in , , ,

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then probably no written work has been more flattered than A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Stage adaptations of this beloved work began within two months of its original publication in December, 1843 with three opening on the same day in February, 1844. One hundred sixty eight years and hundreds of versions for stage, screen and TV later, it’s hard to imagine a December passing without the presentation of a new edition.

As usual in need of funds, Dickens began to write A Christmas Carol in October, completing it six weeks later in preparation for self-publishing the work and distributing it in exchange for a percentage of the profits. He hoped to earn at least a £1,000 but because production costs were high, his final profit for the sale earned only £230 about £19,128 in 2011 currency. All of this profit was eventually eaten up in legal fees as Dickens sued over piracy of the work.

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American Pie

Posted by Oct 28 2011, 12:14 pm in , , , , ,

Jack O’ Lantern is making his annual visit. We’ll soon see him with his glowing toothy grin leering from porches and windows across America. Jack’s name reveals his Celtic origins. He may have come to this country from Ireland, but he acquired his round, orange countenance right here. On the ould soil, he was carved from turnips and rutabagas. Pumpkin is native to the Western Hemisphere. It was cultivated in Central America as early as 5500 B.C, as a staple of the Native American diet. They introduced it to European settlers who soon added it to their diet as well.

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The Seminoles in Florida and Beyond

Posted by Sep 30 2011, 3:57 pm in , , , , , ,

In 1513, Spain claimed the land now known as Florida.  At that time, more than 200,000 natives lived on the peninsula.  By the time of the American Revolution in 1776, disease and warfare had reduced the native population to less than 40,000.  More thousands had been made into slaves by English settlers starting in 1704. By 1813, the United States had plans to clear lands for new settlement.  The natives were in the way.  The Creek War in Alabama forced the Creeks to give up millions of acres.  Many Creek Indians fled to Spanish Florida where they joined with native

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More Than One Way to Cross a River

Posted by Aug 28 2011, 6:15 am in , , , , , , ,

The images of the historic cattle trail readily come to mind: cantankerous longhorns, cowboys in chaps, stampedes, campfires and strong coffee. One of the most is iconic and notorious among these was the Brazos River crossing at Waco.My cattle trail romance, West of Heaven, is set in 1871, the year acknowledged as the heaviest for the movement of cattle north. With my primary research completed, I wrote various crossings into my story with the Brazos River and it’s swift, unpredictable current and deep waters, planned as the most dramatic. The safest way to cross was by ferry. As I always

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Happy Birthday Birthdays

Posted by Jul 28 2011, 6:44 pm in , ,

When I began participating on this blog, I was asked to pick a day for my entry each month. I picked the 28th because July 28th is my birthday. How could I forget the 28th? With this memory trigger and the several reminder alerts handily provided by the blog, remembering should be assured, right? Not necessarily. Here I am at 10 AM CDT preparing my entry which should have been posted at midnight. This time, I blame procrastination more than forgetfulness, but the fact that today I am another year older might have contributed a tiny bit. Photo Courtesy of

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The Way to a Cowboy’s Heart

Posted by Jun 28 2011, 9:24 am in , , , ,

An army travels on its stomach. Whether or not Napoleon was the first to say this, it is a long accepted truth. A truth that could be justifiably applied to the cowboy on the cattle trail. The wise cattle owner recognized this and gave just as much consideration to the hiring of the cook as he did his trail boss. In fact, next to the owner and the trail boss, the cook usually got the highest salary often as a share of the herd’s sale price. For that pay, the cook generally came with his own chuck wagon. This vehicle,

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6 Comments

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