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Summer Celebrations and Winners

It's time to enjoy those great summer days with the kids and with my reading friends.

And the Winners Are

I usually make you wade though whatever I post here and get to the bottom of the page before I announce the winners, but this time I'm letting you know right off the bat. First place winner is Diana J In Maine. She says she never wins anything, but now she has. She gets the lovely Shaker box and chose The Innocent. 

I haven't heard from the second place winner yet, but it's John D. He wins the Bread and Bun Warmer decorated with the Shaker Tree of Life and his choice of one of my books. Then, most of the time when I do a giveaway, I pick a "just because" winner to win one of my books. So I did that this time and Peggy C. is my just because winner this time. If I don't hear from John or Peggy by Wednesday, I'll draw another name. 

Thanks to all of you who joined in with my giveaway fun. I loved your summer stories and I'll be sharing more soon. It was also fun reading some of your favorite things about summer. Tomatoes out of the garden, visits with grandparents, swimming, reading in a hammock, just enjoying the day. 

Here's what one of you said. Bjm probably spoke for a lot of us on this one about her grandmother.

"Many years ago when I was a young girl I would go stay with my Grandmother at her river cottage. My Grandma was and still is my very favorite person. She hunted, fished etc. I remember so many young people coming to see her every weekend. She was so well liked by them. I could go on and on about her and all the fun and quality time I had with my favorite person.The sad thing is I don't think I ever told her that."

Well, on second thought I couldn't say my aunt who was like a grandmother to me went hunting, but I do have great memories of time spent with her.   

 
Busy Summer Days

Summertime is such a busy time. Even though my children grew up years ago, married and have their own families, summer still seems to fill up with dozens of things to do. Vacations. Grandkid visits. Flowers to plant. Vegetables to gather and cook. Oscar to give a bath after he gets hot and sits down in the cow's pond. That happened today when the grandkids came out and we took a long walk. I forgot to guide Oscar around the pond. He was not a happy dog when he had to suffer through a hose down. Then halfway through, he gave a mighty shake. So guess who else got wet? 

Let's Talk Shakers

One of the reasons I have busy summers is that I've had a new book come out in July the last few years. Sometimes I have a deadline to finish writing a new book too. Both things are good - very good, but it keeps me hopping in June and July. With the new book, I have blogs to visit to try to get the word out about the new story. (You can watch for notice of some of these on my Facebook page this month to give you more chances to win a book.) Then I have my own  celebration contests like the one I just finished up to share the fun with you, my reading friends. 

And next Sunday I'll have my Hometown Book Launch at my town's library. I started having book talks to celebrate a new book when Scent of Lilacs came out in 2005. I've kept up the tradition with each new book since then. So if you're in the area, come on down to the library next Sunday afternoon and we'll talk new books and Shakers. You might win a door prizes and for sure you can snag some chocolate. I will be signing books after my talk and a Q & A session. We usually have fun.

That Announcement I Promised

I jumped the gun when I promised a surprise announcement this post. I'm going to have to wait until later in the week for that. But soon. Maybe I'll give away another book or something to make the wait worth it.

As always, thanks for reading. 

In the Good Ol' Summertime

Tomatoes and Butterflies

Only a few more days to enter my Celebration Giveaway for my new book, The Innocent. Entries have to be in by midnight EST Saturday night, July 3, 2015. For more details, check it out on my website. I invited those who entered to share a summer story or something they especially love about summer and I've gotten some great stories and favorite things. I shared some of those favorite things on my Mailbag Tuesday feature on my Facebook page. One thing most of us could agree on was how we love those tomatoes from the garden in the summertime. And I might add seeing butterflies when I go walking in the fields. I'm always wishing I could see more. 

Some of you shared how summer was for you when you were a kid and I'm going to share Sandi's tonight. Sandi has a way with words. She'll have you running along with her in her summer fun and I would guess that many of you might have known similar summer  memories from when you were kids. I know I did.

Summer Memories from Sandi

We were a poor family...but only in terms of money. I was number six out of eight children. Our house was small and in the summer, my mom would, often, open the door and yell..."scat." She didn’t have to tell us twice because she had quite a list of things we could do inside–like dusting or washing dishes or cleaning under the beds–jobs no kid would want to do.

What we lacked in toys, we made up for in imagination. One year we had a zoo–with every bug we could catch lined up in jars for all of our paying customers to see...however, no one showed up in spite of our advertising. (Or perhaps it was because of our advertising). 

We younger kids were delighted when we’d find a dead bird or even a large bug because then we could get our older sister, who had plans to become a nun or a majorette, depending on the day, to come out and do a funeral service. She’d read scripture and we’d sing and wail a little if we felt a particular affection for the deceased. (The wailing was usually reserved for one of our many pets). 

We spent several days building a Ferris Wheel–needless to say, that went about as well as the bug zoo.

The grape arbor held endless possibilities and served as a grocery store (with cans we took out of the trash) or a fort that had to be defended against the Indians...or cowboys or just each other. We had an old shed on the property and one day one of the oldsters from the County Home (which was about a mile up the road) moved in. We didn’t notice until he had thrown nearly everything out onto the lawn and was sitting on a rock smoking a stogie (cigar). He was an interesting old guy and we learned several new words much to my mother’s chagrin and ours, if she heard us repeating them. 

My brothers had a basketball hoop (a bent hanger) attached to the shed and one day the ball landed on the roof–I watched as they climbed up to get it and both fell through at the same exact same moment. I can’t remember which was more exciting–watching them land or the chaos when my parents found out what had happened. They had plenty of kids, but only one shed.

The days seemed endless back then. My grandmother lived very close to us (on the same lot) and although we weren’t allowed to "pester" her, we’d go and sit on her porch with her, when invited and she was a wonderful source of love and entertainment. She had a very deep belly laugh and if she laughed, we laughed, so we’d go through all kinds of antics to make her giggle–which was fun all in itself.

We would catch lightning bugs at night and Dad would put up a tent and we’d declare that we were going to sleep in it–we’d make it about two hours before someone would bring up a story about a ghost or a mass murderer who had been seen lurking in our neighbor’s garden... Then, we’d all run screaming into the house and climb into our safe warm bed until the next time. Ghosts were one thing, but mass murderers were pretty scary.

We had none of the things kids have today. One bicycle was shared by all and I don’t think any of us had been to a real swimming pool until we were almost grown. The closest we got to water outside was if we turned on the hose and sprayed each other. We had a wagon and we’d take turns being the pusher or puller. Dad made us a seesaw/merry go round and it was great fun until someone would get in the way and...well, that’s another story.

I don’t ever remember being bored. When Mom would get out the Sear’s catalog and start thumbing through it for school clothes, I knew it was almost over. Oh well, there was always next year and time truly does fly...when you’re having fun.

More Stories to Come

Thanks for sharing your childhood summers with us, Sandi. I'll share some more of the stories in the weeks to come. 

Also watch for a big announcement Sunday. Of course, I am announcing the winners of my Shaker prizes in my Celebration Giveaway, but there will be another announcement as well about a little change going to happen here.

As always, thanks for reading. 

Buzzing about a New Winner

Last week's Mystery Picture

And so we see the rest of the picture. Most of you guessed it right off the bat. Well, you guessed the bee anyway. A few of you didn't see the daisy but nearly all of you recognized that bee. Sometimes the mystery picture is hard and sometimes not. And the fun part is that different people see different things. It's good to work our imaginations a little. Well, it's especially good to keep mine working.  :) 

Bees

I liked seeing this bee on the daisy because that means they are some out there. Bees are vital to our food supply chain since they pollinate many of our plants' blossoms. But bees are having a hard time in areas, including ours. Several beekeepers have completely run out of honey locally. My husband likes his honey. He thinks it helps his allergies. I'm not a honey eater. Didn't like it even when I was a kid and my sweet tooth was at high alert. I guess it didn't taste enough like chocolate. However, I would beg Tums from my aunt at times to feed my sugar addiction. I never went for that chocolate appearing Ex-Lax though. LOL. 

But back to bees. We are not beekeepers here on the farm. My mother's father was. I should have worked that into the Rosey Corner books. Mom said she sometimes watched her dad gather the honey and that he didn't get stung. Or not that she could remember anyway.  

I can only remember getting stung by a honey bee once when I was a kid. But they were everywhere on the hollyhocks that grew all around our yard. We sometimes caught them in quart jars just for fun. Didn't take a lot to entertain us, I guess. We always let them go after they buzzed at us in the jars. 

I do wish I saw more of them buzzing the wild flowers now.Our world is an amazingly complex system of intertwining  creatures. "Then the Lord saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good." (Genesis 1:31)

On to the Winner!!!

Danie is the Wednesday blog winner. I'll get her choice of one of my books out to her as soon as I hear which one she wants. Sharon was my previous winner on last Sunday's blog and she sent me a message that I just looked for and didn't locate. I read it while I was away visiting my daughter this weekend, but unfortunately I don't remember, for sure, which book she wanted. I think it was Love Comes Home. But sometimes my thinker gets a little mixed up. Does that ever happen to any of you? I'll search again, Sharon, or contact you again.

Newsletter and Website Contest

I appreciate all of you playing my guessing games. You make blogging more fun. Now, if you haven't already entered, you can hop over to my website to see details about my Celebrate The Innocent Contest. Deadline to enter is midnight EST July 3rd. Shaker prizes! 

As always, thanks for reading!

High Energy Days and One Last Mystery Photo Contest

Better Late than Never

At least that's what we tell ourselves when we show up late. I'm late with this post and you can maybe see the reason in this picture. The grandkids have been to visit and stay a few days. They can keep this grandmama hopping. They've gone home now, but they had lots of fun. 

Well, this front runner had fun until yesterday when she came down with some kind of bug. Sick, sick all day long. Couldn't even hold down ginger ale. Now I'm a little worried that her little bug may have hopped around to me. But so far I'm holding my tea down. She was a very brave kid. Suffering in silence mostly and handling being sick very well. But it did put a damper on her fun. Thank goodness we already had the promised fishing trip done the day before. And all the kids caught fish. She said she caught the most at seven and the boys caught five or six. I lost count, but I have the feeling she would have counted up more than the boys no matter. After all, she's their big sister and should catch the most. LOL. 

One More Blog Contest to Win a Book

So how about an easy mystery picture puzzle for the last blog contest? (Well, last right now. I'm sure I'll have more later.) Just leave a guess on what this is and you'll be entered in a drawing for your choice of one of my books. 

Remember the guess doesn't have to be right to get an entry. Any kind of comment will do, but it's fun to guess. And so can you tell me what this is?

Sunday's Winner

I guess it's time for me to tell you the winner from Sunday's "Tell me about your Dad" drawing. By the way, the Dad stories were fabulous. If you didn't read the comments on my Sunday post, then you should go back and read them. Those who shared about their dads really helped us get to know some great guys. Deadline for entries is 6 p.m. EST on Sunday June 28, 2015. You must be 18 to enter.

Oh yeah, you wanted to know the winner, didn't you? Drum roll please. And the winner of her choice of one of my books is Sharon M. I'll be in touch, Sharon. 

Thank you all for reading and for playing my flower (and Dad) games.

Share Something Your Dad Liked to have a Chance to Win a Book

Everybody needs a dad. That somehow is not the same as a father. A father is something we all have. But somehow when you say Dad it changes that father into someone you can run to when you skin your knee or when you need your bike handlebars tightened or to give you a boost up into a tree. Or to take you on a ski lift when you're five. I don't really remember the ride, but I love the picture.

My dad was a farmer. He worked hard, growing crops and tending cattle. We had hogs, cows, sheep and chickens. Dad sold cream before I can remember and then later milk in metal milk cans. Mom traded eggs for groceries at the local country store. We made our own sausage and salted down our hams and cooked our lard. We had a freezer full of beef and a cellar full of potatoes and canned vegetables and fruits. 

I remember Dad on a tractor, feeding the cows or taking care of whatever needed doing at the time. He built a barn by himself. He repaired the roof when it leaked and sawed our wood for the stove. He liked to play cards and was serious about winning. He pitched horseshoes and was hard to beat. He played clay court croquet in a league. He went on a motorcycle to Oregon when he was twenty-one. He didn't marry until he was almost thirty. He was a good dad and I miss him.   

The Flower Mystery


None of you guessed that the flower last week was a wild rose. And I thought you'd all figure it out. But I'm glad a few of you threw your name in the hat for a book. The odds were really good for you, but of course, I still only drew out one number. Linda Mc, you were my lucky winner this post. I'll be in touch to find out what book you'd like to have.

New Game - Tell Me Something Your Dad Liked

Not really a game this time. But if you leave a comment and tell me something your dad liked then I'll throw your name in the hat for this post's contest. Deadline is Wednesday at 7 p.m. EST. And then I'll have one last blog book giveaway game posted Wednesday night. We'll have a new flower game of some kind maybe. Remember, you have to be 18 years old to play.

Contest to Celebrate The Innocent

I also sent out a newsletter with a contest to celebrate the release of my new Shaker book, The Innocent. If you'd like to throw your name in that hat, check out the Shaker prizes and how to enter at www.annhgabhart.com/events.html. But meanwhile back here at the farm, er blog, you can make a comment to have a chance to win your choice of one of my books. 

And as always, thanks for reading!

Another Guessing Game, Another Book to Give Away

The Winner of the First Book is...

And my first blog book giveaway winner is Alla.  I'll be in touch via e-mail, Alla. 

Flower #2

You all were too good at the first game. You're either lucky guessers or you paid attention on my Facebook page. If that's it, you'd play a mean game of Concentration. Wasn't there a game like that on television where they had to match something on a big board? There used to be so many games on daytime television. Some of them are still around. Price is Right. Jeopardy. Wheel of Fortune. I used to like Password. I think that's the right name. More recently, that crazy game A Minute to Win It was sort of fun. I watched it some with Mom when I was staying with her. She liked it. Which old television game shows do you remember?


But back to my flower game. Yes, indeed, flower #2 was the new flower that bloomed too late to make my parade of yellow flowers on my Facebook page. It's a moss rose or at least, that's what I always called it. Those little flowers are so cute and tough too. They can take the heat.

And Now on to the Next Game

This post we're doing something a little different. It's still a yellow flower, but do you recognize which one? Any comment will get you an entry (even an "I don't know"), but the right answer gets you two chances to win. Remember to guess before you read the comments. One winner, named in the Sunday post, will win the choice of one of my books, autographed to the winner or to one of the winner's family or friends. So if you already have ALL my books (and I really thank you if you do!), keep in mind that books make great gifts for any occasion or a just for fun occasion. 

Newsletter Shaker Gift Giveaway

I'm sending out a newsletter in the next couple of days with a Shaker gift giveaway to celebrate The Innocent. So if you'd like to be on my newsletter list and you aren't already, be sure to sign up pronto. 

Thanks for reading