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!

Time for a Spring Contest - Name the Flower

Spring is Here

Hey, did you notice? It's SPRING! The calendar says so. Now if some of us can get Mother Nature to go along with the calendar, we'll be happy. Here things are beginning to look and sound like spring. The spring peepers are in full voice at night and in the morning, the birds are singing their spring songs. I haven't heard a mockingbird yet, but he'll show up soon. Maybe the mockingbirds are scouting out a new nest location and building their new home. 

A First Wildflower

I did actually see my first wildflower today. The flower up above wasn't it, but I did post its picture on my Facebook page. Usually that first flower is a dandelion, but so far I haven't spotted one of those. If you've read my book, The Blessed, you might remember how my character Lacey did a spring dance every year when she saw her first dandelion. Some springs it was harder for her to do that happy dance than other springs. 

Name the Flower Contest

But seeing the first little wildflower of spring gave me an idea for a new giveaway contest. This one won't be very hard, but I hope you'll have fun with it. Name the flower. As always, you don't have to be right. You just have to give it a try (and leave your e-mail so I can contact you should you be a winner.) That said, I know all of you will get all the flower names. Still, even if it isn't a hard to guess contest like some of my mystery puzzles, (well, some of them were hard to guess) maybe it will still be fun. 

Prizes

The prizes are guess what? Aww, you did guess. Books!! I'll draw three winners. And every time you name a new flower, you'll get a new entry. So be sure to come back and check on the next flower every new blog post. That's usually Wednesdays and Sundays if I don't forget what day it is. That has happened. :) The winners will get their choice of one of my books and a grab bag book by a different Christian author. I have several autographed books that I need to give away and some others that aren't signed but the story is still good. I'll figure out which ones are up for grabs and let you know in one of my posts. That's besides my books. You can check out which of mine you might like to read by checking the titles out on my website. There are sample chapters and more there on all my inspirational fiction books. 

The contest is open to USA and Canada for print books and e-books for international entries. That international postage is prohibitive. You must be 18 to enter. Deadline for entries is April 18, 2015 at 12 midnight EST. I'll announce the winners here on April 19. 

Get Ready, Set, Go

So I'm ready to hear what you know about this flower. For years I called it the wrong thing. Oh, and if you don't know the real name or even if you do, another fun thing to do is pretend you were the first person to ever see this flower and that you got to name it. So what would you have called it? 

Remember to leave a way to contact you if you want to be in the running to win a book. I can't respond directly to your comments. 

Two Days Left to Enter the Roses are Red Giveaway

Only a few more days to enter my Roses are Red Poem giveaway. I've had fun reading your poems and love that so many of you gave verse a try.

Last Wednesday I shared a few of the poems that were more than a Roses are red simple verse but I've enjoyed them all. It's fun to just go with the first thing we think of and make a poem. That's the kind of poet I am. 

Roses are red. 

Violets are blue. 

I do appreciate 

Readers like you.

It was fun to see how so many of you included how you liked my books or the idea of winning one of my books in your poems.

I got identical poems from Bonnie and Marianne. 

Roses Are Red

Violets Are Blue

Make Me A Winner

So My Dreams Can Come True

How could I keep from liking Jackie's poem? 

The weather has been very cold,

But my book reading doesn't get put on hold.

I stay warm snuggled up in my bed,

With Ann's books dancing in my head.

Thanks, Jackie, your poem made me smile. But I like C-Jay's approach too. Just write from your heart and don't worry about that rhyming stuff. She's right. Not all poems rhyme.

Roses are red.
Violets are blue.

Sugar is sweet,

I love books. :)

It doesn't rhyme, but then, not all poems do. And, it's from the heart!

And last we have this from Gigi. It made me smile and think of how much fun puppies are.

This is about the two puppies I got last year.  I couldn't choose just one so I brought home sisters last year. Their names are Gemma and Lily and are just as sweet as can be.
 

Roses are red, 
Violets are blue,
I couldn't choose just one,
so I brought home two.

So you have until Tuesday night, March 3rd at midnight EST to throw your name in my giveaway hat. You don't have to write a poem, but you can if you want. You might win the pretty necklace along with your choice of one of my books, maybe Love Comes Home or Angel Sister or whichever you want if you are the winner. Just leave a comment here with a way to contact you or shoot me an e-mail at annhgabhart(at)hughes(dot)net. You must be 18 to enter. 

And thanks to all of you who have joined in with my giveaway fun.

Another Mystery Picture to Guess

Here's the new mystery picture. We'll see if I can be a tad trickier this time than last time. I was trying to be tricky last time, but obviously I missed the mark on that. I had no idea that all of you were country girls like me who knew your wood.
 
 
Here is the picture nearly all of you figured out. And then the rest of the picture. I was imagining you seeing canyons and who knows what else. But most of you saw exactly what it was. A slice of tree trunk. Still, it's pretty neat, don't you think? I spotted it on my walk last week. A little bit of a tree sawed down and deserted. No fire made with it. 

When I was a kid, one of my chores was to carry in loads of wood and stack it on the back porch for the woodstove. Helped develop my muscles. Even after I married, we burned wood for heat until a few years ago when my husband developed allergies. Nothing like the warmth of wood heat. Sitting by a fire, reading a book, drinking a cup of tea. Simple pleasures.

I've got all of you who made a guess on the last picture entered in the giveaway for one of my books and another grab bag book. Remember, I'm picking three winners on February 1, 2015. You have to be 18 to enter and a USA or Canadian resident to win the paper books. But if you live in other countries and want to play the guessing game, I'll send you an e-book if you win. If you guessed on the last picture and then guess again on this new picture, you get another entry. Each guess on a new picture earns an entry for you.

So what do you think it is? I do hope I have a few of you at least momentarily puzzled with this one. LOL. We'll see. You all are hard to fool. Remember, it's more fun to guess first and then check out the other guesses. The most important thing to remember is that it's all for fun. Wrong guesses get an entry the same as right guesses. But you do need to leave a way to contact you. If you don't want to leave your e-mail here, you can send your guess via my e-mail, annhgabhart(at)yahoo(dot)com or leave a message on my Facebook page.

Okay. Time to guess!!

When the Soldiers Come Home

Photo Credit: "Burst of Joy" is a Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph by Associated Press photographer Slava "Sal" Veder, taken on March 17, 1973 at Travis Air Force Base in California

In Love Comes Home, my new Rosey Corner book, the story starts with the surrender of Japan and everybody celebrating the news that the war is over and the "boys are coming home." Then later in the book, there are homecoming scenes. That's why I asked readers who might have homecoming stories of their own, real ones and not fictional ones like mine in the book, to share those with me. A couple of weeks ago when I wrote about the passing of my husband's Aunt Annie, I included a coming home story about when her husband made it home from World War II. I actually used hints of her story in one of the homecoming scenes in Love Comes Home. That story also touched Judy as it reminded her of the homecoming of her husband from Vietnam. Here's her story. 

"When my husband was in Viet Nam ,we were newly married. I wrote and mailed a letter every day(2 on Sat. for Sunday). I had the last letter in mail box, since he was to be home in 1-2 wks. I had an appt. to get my hair fixed, knew what I was going to wear. I told him in the letter I'd eaten onions but they'd be gone before he came home. I didn't hear his voice, and had one 3-way call in 15 months. I was so happy ..and that very day, he came home. He'd gotten an early plane out and hadn't slept in days. He came in, at the nearest airport and went to where his Dad was working, and he brought him to my parents, where I was living...I was so shocked...and very happy, onions and all...we went to visit his Mom, and went to a hotel, and he was so tired and sleepy, he knocked out..was I glad...because it was as if he had changed so much...he was much changed and for the second time I fell in love again even more than I was....I thank God he made it home.. 46 yrs ago."

Thank you for sharing with us, Judy. I'm sure that memory still is as bright today as it was then. 

I went out on the net to look for a picture of a Vietnam homecoming and found the one above. This is not Judy or anyone I know, but a photo taken of the homecoming greeting of one of the POWs who were released after the war. The picture tells it all and it's no wonder it won a Pulitzer Prize for the photographer. The link here to War Tales tells the story of a World War II veteran, Russell Ogan, who also served during the Korean War and was still in service when the Vietnam War ended. Here's what the retired Brigadier General said after looking back on his three decades with the Air Force. "Taking the prisoners out of Hanoi was the highlight of my career." You can read the rest of his story at the War Tales link. I'm sure he had some great homecomings of his own during his service to our country too. 

Remember, the giveaway contests are still going on until the end of June. Get details for my website giveaway on my News & Events page and you can throw your name in my blog contest hat (picking 5 winners of one of my books) by leaving a comment on one of my posts here in June. Please leave a way to be contacted if you want to enter the contest. Each comment on a new post gets you a new entry in the blog contest. One entry per person in the website contest. And you have to be 18 to enter.  

Family - the Perfect Gift

Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas. ~Peg Bracken

What makes Christmas such a special time of the year? What stirs up the Christmas spirit in our hearts and makes us want everybody to be happy on Christmas Day? Love is the main reason. God's love for us that resulted in the first Christmas, and our love for the Lord and for our families and friends.

And because we love we want to give gifts that show that love. Mandy was able to do that with a gift to her brother. Here's her best gift given story.

"My brother is a country music singer and he is always traveling from home to Nashville, TN. I just thought he needed something to take with him from home while he is away. So, I made him a quilt. I worked so hard on it...I'm not a great quilter. I embroidered a square in the middle with a guitar, a guitar pick, and a microphone on it. My brother doesn't show emotion very much, but he did when I gave him his quilt. He hugged me and cried and then said very quickly that he need to go outside for a minute. I loved that he loved it. Now he always takes it with him wherever he goes so he can have a little bit of home wrapped around him."

Aww, Mandy, that's such a sweet story. But Robin has those best family gifts figured out. Here's what she said, "Best gift given or received! Hmmmm........I have to say that is a really hard question. Yes, our family exchanges gifts, but it isn't about the presents for me. I only remember being together as a family. Going to my grandparents as a child and now going to my parents' house with my children. It's family! Only family. That is the perfect gift. The gift of being together."

Beautiful thoughts, Robin. Thanks for sharing. May we always remember those blessed times with our families.

Last week we shared a story of a cat as the best gift ever. So far nobody has mentioned a puppy or a dog as best gifts. They don't have to be under a Christmas tree the way my daughter's dog is here. They can be the best gift any time of the year. I've certainly had some of those best gifts. Oscar is my most recent one. But I may get a dog Christmas story yet. Remember, if you haven't already entered my Christmas giveaway, you still have time. I'm not drawing for the winner until New Year's Eve. Just leave a comment here with a way to contact you or send me an e-mail from my website.You can check out about the prizes on the Events Page.

By this time next week, we will have had our family Christmas. Saturday is our big day with the kids. Next week is getting ready time. Gotta bake cookies, wrap those last stray gifts, go to the Candlelight Service at church, buy groceries, clean the house, and who knows what else. If I could teach Oscar to wipe his feet when he comes inside it would be easier to keep the floors clean. 

What do you have to do to get ready for Christmas? 

Christmas Contest and Stories

It might be sixty-five degrees outside here in Kentucky, but it is December. Christmas is on the way. And one of the best things about Christmas is the spirit of giving. Gifts, gifts and more gifts. I’m getting on board the gift giving train by having a Christmas giveaway.

st prize is a pair of these fun bookends, winner’s choice of one of my titles, and an autographed copy of Karen Kingsbury’s new Christmas novel, The Bridge. Second prize is one of my books, autographed of course, and two other Christian novels. And I didn’t forget about those of you who say you never win. I’ve got a set of cute cat magnets and your choice of my books to get one of you out of the never won ranks.

 

To enter send me an e-mail from my website or leave a comment here with a way to reach you. Be sure to tell me you’ve never won to be entered in that drawing. Last, it’s not a requirement for entering, but for fun I asked you to share something you especially like at Christmas time. And boy, have you shared. All your wonderful traditions and memories are getting me in the Christmas spirit. Here’s a few of them. More next blog posting day.

Karin sort of summed up what many of you have said about Christmas with this concise line.  “The top three things I like about Christmas (and any holiday, weekend, or event) are Family, Family, and Family.” In a followup message she told me she grew up in a little town like me and never realized who she was related to and who she wasn't until she was older. However, she ALWAYS knew they were all family. Sounds like a great place to grow up.

So while a lot of you have mentioned getting together with family as the top thing you enjoy about Christmas, others of you have added going to Christmas Eve candlelight services with those family members. Or sleigh riding or seeing the people you love tearing into the present you gave them and loving the way their faces glow when they get that perfect gift from you.

Of course, Florence had a different story about gift wrap flying.  “My favorite part of Christmas is when my cats go wild and run through unwrapped gift wrap on the floor and tear around the tree. They get so excited, it's hilarious!”

And here’s Allie teaching her children all about the best parts of giving. “There are so many things I love about Christmas. On top of the list it would have to be giving to others. My children have been making shoeboxes since they were born (I helped) and now they do it themselves, we also get a gift for an Angel through the Angel Tree our church hosts through the Salvation Army. Last we donate other gifts to Toys for Tots. My kids have learned it is about giving and not always receiving. I also love the holiday parades we are in, Christmas lighting and we all carol to senior homes with our church. It is a magical time of year.”  

And we’ll end this bunch tonight with this touching story of a father’s love for his family from Betty.

“The best thing I like about Christmas..... is the memories. I grew up in an old Victorian, 3 story home in the suburbs of Philadelphia, one of nine siblings. I am the third oldest so I had a wonderful time watching our family grow. I also remember the visits of our Grand-parents and Great Grandparents. The most vivid memory is of Christmas morning with us children gathered at the top of the second floor landing looking down the stairs and waiting for our father. You see, my father earned his living driving a cab and was not allowed to have Christmas day off. So he drove into the city and picked up his cab and then came back home to us. What a wonderful time we all had opening our presents with both parents. Then Mom made us all a big breakfast. Afterwards Dad had to return to work. It wasn't until many years later that I realized that as horribly strict as his boss was at the cab company, Dad risked being fired just to spend that special time with us.”

Parents do so want to make Christmas magical for their children. Hope you are looking forward to a great time. Remember – if you haven’t – you’ve got time to sign up for my giveaways and if you want to throw in a Christmas story or tradition, that would be great. One entry per person over eighteen and deadline for entries is midnight EST December 23

Thanks for reading.