Spotted on My Walks

"Happiness is a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but which if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you." ~Nathaniel Hawthorne

I love spotting things on my walks like this butterfly. I've been pursuing him or his brothers and sisters for the last couple of months in order to take his photo. They were all very camera shy, not wanting to reveal those spotted wings for me. Butterflies are a gift of summer that edges over into autumn. I see them in my walks through the fields before the last cutting of hay harvests the late blooming flowers for the cows to eat when snow starts flying.

Some of you who follow my Facebook author page know I post photos from time to time that I take on my walks. Sometimes the clouds and sky. Sometimes flowers.

Sometimes butterflies. Sometimes Oscar. Sometimes snakes and bugs. The digital camera on my phone makes sharing my walks easy. But it does take a while to jerk the phone out of my pocket and click on the camera icon. Often too long and I miss some great shots I would love to share with you. A few weeks ago, I was walking along a fence row and a wild turkey flew up right in front of me. So I think that it sure would have been nice to have had my camera out, but I didn't get that camera out. Two steps farther on, another wild turkey flew out right in front of me. A missed opportunity. A day or two later, I was walking along a thicket of trees in another field and a fawn, still sporting spots, must have been spooked by Oscar. It jumped out right in front of me. Again, if only I'd been ready with my camera. Maybe I should start wearing one of those motion sensor cameras around my neck. :) 


Then there are these butterflies I've been chasing all summer. I get my camera ready and try to sneak up on them but just when I'm set to hit the picture taking button, the butterfly flutters away. That's what butterflies do. Flutter away and refuse to cooperate with the picture taking human.

So some of the things I spot on my walks I can only share in words. I do that at times on my Facebook page and all the time when I'm writing. I want the words of my stories to make pictures in your head. The things I spot on my walk may or may not find their way onto my Facebook page, but they have a good chance of someday finding their way into one of my stories. 

I took a break from birthday stories tonight, but I have a few more I hope to share. You have seven more days to throw your name in my giveaway hat if you haven't already. You can read about the prizes on my Website Events Page.  Leave a comment here with a way to contact you to enter or send an e-mail from my website. Always fun to hear from you and I've enjoyed all the birthday stories you've shared. 

Thanks for reading. Hope that happiness butterfly lights on your shoulder.

Birthdays Mean Cake

"All the world is birthday cake, so take a piece, but not too much." ~George Harrison

Birthdays mean cake. And sometimes surprises. At least that's what I'm hearing in the stories you've been sending in as you enter your names in my Celebration Giveaway for Christmas at Harmony Hill. 12 more days to enter your name by sending me a message from my website or leaving a comment on one of my blog posts before midnight EST on September 30. You might win a Shaker Christmas ornament or a quilted Christmas tree hanging. And of course books. Remember I have that special drawing for book prizes if you say you've never won. Details are on my website's News and Events Page. Who knows? You might end up as happy as this little birthday girl who just blew out her candles. I think she's expecting her wish to come true.
 
And even if you don't win the prize, you can enjoy some of the birthday stories with me. We're thinking cake tonight. How many of you have let your kids dive into a cake on their first birthday? Did it turn out the way you expected and give you some laughs? 

Marilyn says her first birthday cake supplied her family a million laughs over the years. "When I was one-year-old my mother baked me a beautiful birthday cake.  They sat me down on the floor with the cake in front of me to take a picture. I promptly raised my right leg and placed it squarely in the center of the cake. They got their picture (and still have it) but it wasn't the picture they had planned. But it has created a million laughs since then."

Too bad this was before America's Funniest Home Videos. That's the one show Mom will watch - mostly because of the cute kids - so I'm finding out what America thinks is funny. Marilyn's leg in the cake might make the show!

Amanda tells us about a special grandmother who is still making those birthday cakes. "I remember birthdays with fondness growing up. My grandmother would always make each of us our favorite cake on our birthday in addition to cooking our favorite meal. I always wanted a homemade black walnut apple poundcake with brown sugar frosting. My favorite meal- Mamaw's fried chicken, of course, with all the fixins. She is 85 years young this year. My husband and I recently moved to within a mile of her so she could continue to remain at home with someone there to help her if and when she needs it. She still makes our favorite cakes for each birthday, although we have started taking our own "supper" with us so she doesn't tire herself out cooking." 

Amanda, tell your Mamaw we're all coming to your birthday next year!! That cake sounds delicious.

One more cake story from Annette. "I was new in a new school in a new state. They talked differently, dressed differently and seemed to be so distant. My birthday came, and the girls in my class brought a cake in the shape of a butterfly for my birthday. It is the first birthday cake I ever remember."

And wasn't that a great first birthday cake to get? It's so good to have good birthday memories and a delicious cake makes the memories better. 

What's your favorite cake? Ever blow out birthday candles and believe your wish would come true?  

 

Birthday Stories to Make You Smile

"Age is a question of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter." (Satchel Paige) 

Happy birthday to me! Do you like having birthdays? I do. I may not like counting them up, but I do like having them. I didn't have either of these desserts today, but as pretty as the top one is, I'd take the homemade chocolate pie any day. Can't put candles on it, but the smoke detector would go off anyway if you tried to put a candle for my every year on a cake or pie. What about you? What is your favorite birthday dessert? Do you have to blow out candles? I guess I should have said do you I get to blow out candles. Kids think it's fun anyway. You can check out Jim's birthday story from last Sunday to prove that's true.

Most of the birthday stories I've been getting tell about a party or a day that's special. But Kathy sent in one that made me smile and remember. Here's what she told me. "Definitely a memorable, not favorite, was the one when my husband gave me an ironing board as a gift. 'But you needed one' was his sad lament. 'But I didn't want one' was my equally sad response."

I wrote back to Kathy and told her I totally understood. My husband gave me a floor polisher once. Not a cheap present but one I definitely "didn't want" just like Kathy. Sometimes husbands are clueless even when they're trying hard. Or maybe they aren't trying too hard! LOL. My husband has brought in some winners in the present line, but he's also come home with some questionable gifts. Like the aluminum can masher. Useful, but a birthday gift? Or the apparatus that was supposed to pick up litter. Puzzled look on that one. Or the set of dishes from the auction. Only a couple of the saucers had chips! 

But then he also brought me in a Cockerspaniel puppy once. That made up for a lot of those more questionable gifts. Then he got a salvaged desk from an old office somewhere and had it beautifully refinished for me. I've written a lot of books using that desk. And he really did think I'd like that floor polisher. His mother told him it was a great gift. What difference did it make that, at that time, we lived in an old farmhouse where the pattern on the linoleum rug in the kitchen was worn down to the black backing in spots? It could also be very clean and polished. I used the thing - then. I still have it, but only as a souvenir these days. Oh yeah, and he insisted on buying me another floor cleaner last Christmas. Some guys never learn!  

Remember, you still have time to enter my giveaway for the Shaker Christmas decoration and mini-quilt along with books, of course. Full details on the Events & News Page on my website. You can enter by leaving a comment here with a way to contact you should you be one of the winners. Or you can e-mail me. www(dot)annhgabhart(at)yahoo(dot)com. Don't forget to tell me if you're one of those people who "never win." I have a special drawing and prize for one of you so that you won't be able to say those "never win" words again. Also I'd love it if you want to share those special birthday stories. Not necessary to enter, but I have such fun reading your stories. 

There's also a giveaway going on Goodreads for Orchard of Hope, that will be out soon all dressed up in its new cover. 

Thanks to all of you for the birthday wishes. I'm feeling much loved and I want you all to have a piece of pie. I'd bake it for you, but I have these edits to get done. :) Thanks for reading!!

   

    "I don’t let old age bother me.  There are three signs of old age: Loss of memory .... I forget the other two." – Red Skelton

Never Forget 9/11

Twelve years have passed but the day will never be forgotten. There are no words to express the tragedy of that day. The reading of the names, the stories of the heroic actions of those on the planes and in the towers, and the memory of the courage of the first responders bring tears as we relive that terrible day. May we never forget. 

Stories and Grandparents Go Together

• Grandparents are a family's greatest treasure, the founders of a loving legacy, The greatest storytellers, the keepers of traditions that linger on in cherished memory. Grandparents are the family's strong foundation. Their very special love sets them apart. Through happiness and sorrow, through their special love and caring, grandparents keep a family close at heart. ~author unknown

Thanks to all of you who have been sharing stories about your birthday memories. This is a picture of my aunt Bond who doubled as a grandma for my sisters and me. She made birthdays special the way some of you have been making birthdays special for your children and grandchildren. I'm having such fun reading through your stories and sharing a few of them forward. 

If you haven't entered my Christmas at Harmony Hill Celebration Giveaway yet, you still have plenty of time. Deadline for entering is September 30 at midnight EST. Lots of time to share birthday stories. I can see some of you out there frowning. You're wondering if I have Christmas and birthdays mixed up. Well, it's my birthday month, but my Shaker Christmas book is out, so we're talking birthdays for Christmas or is that Christmas for birthdays? Now I'm the one confused. LOL. 

But I'm not confused about how fun your stories are. Many of you have said your best birthday memory is when somebody surprised you with a birthday party. That's one of my birthday memories too. Also the age fifty has been mentioned often. Guess that's a milestone birthday. It's one of my favorite birthday memories too. I'm like a lot of you. Never really had a birthday party the way we think about parties when I was a kid. After I got married, we had family dinners or I went out to lunch with my mom and sisters, but no party party with guests and candles on cakes. But then the year I turned fifty, my church family threw a surprise party for me after a church service. And it was a surprise! They had a black cake and decorations and sang happy birthday. The whole bit. And it was such fun. Lots of laughter. And black teeth! That black icing on the cake turned everybody's lips and teeth black. All I can say is that it's good that was a few years before everybody started carrying phones around and putting photos out on Facebook at the click of a button. Black teeth aren't all that attractive, but I did so appreciate my church friends going to that trouble for me. 

Today is also Grandparents Day. Of course, most loving grandparents think it's Grandparents Day any time the grandkids can come over for a visit. So here are a couple of birthday stories that include the grandkids. 

First up is Jim telling about his grandson. 

My oldest Grandson (now 16!) was very excited about his birthday (3^rd I think). We were ready to light the candles and sing. He started blowing out the candles as fast as I could light them. I finally got them all lit at once and he blew them out and as soon as he could take a breath shouted again! Again! Again! So we lit them again and he blew them out. We repeated the light-blow-again, again, again thing several times. We ask if he didn’t want to cut the cake and eat it---No! again! Again! Again! So repeated it a few more times and this time asked if he wanted to open presents---No! again! Again! Again! We final had to tell him the stick lighter had run out of gas (a small fib since what had really run out was the skin on my thumb.  Now his little brother is 4. He doesn’t say again, again, again because all of us do it for him. He just bows out every candle he finds and then says light it! He also helps everyone else on their birthday whether they want help or not.

The idea that no one is perfect is a view commonly held by people with no grandchildren. ~Doug Larson

Gayle also shared her birthday memories with us - first one from when she was a kid and then another years later.

   My best birthday present came two days late when I turned 10. My brother was born, which was a double blessing because I had asked for a baby brother for my birthday. Little did I know the responsibility my Mom would heap on me as the big sister. As children we were never close--I was the oldest he was the youngest, but as adults we developed a very special bond. 

 
I think the most fun birthdays were when my grandchildren were younger. They were always so excited to give me my gift and sometimes didn't wait for me to open it before they were telling me what they had bought me. 

Grandparents are a delightful blend of laughter, caring deeds, wonderful stories and Love. ~author unknown

On the seventh day God rested. His grandchildren must have been out of town. ~ Gene Perret

Thanks for reading. Remember leave a comment with a way to contact you here on my blog to enter the contest or send me an e-mail from my website. Details about the contest prizes, etc. are on the News and Events Page on my website.

Christmas at Harmony Hill Celebration Giveaway

I sent out a newsletter Sunday. If you're on my newsletter list you already know about my new celebration giveaway, but if you're not, you can find out about it here. 

I'm celebrating my birthday and the September release of Christmas at Harmony Hill by giving away some prizes. The book is in stores and available online. I do hope you will enjoy the story when you get a chance to read it. Back to the giveaway. For the prizes, I picked Shaker Christmas decorations - what else? 1st prize is the "Hands to Work; Heart to God" ornament and one of my books (winner's choice). 2nd prize is the mini-quilt hanging with embroidered Christmas trees (13.5" by 16") & a copy of one of my books. (Again winner's choice.) 

Then my "never win" prize for those of you who say you never win is a lovely book about tea, a Melody Carlson Christmas book and a copy of one of my books. To enter you can e-mail me from my website or leave a comment here with a way to contact you if you happen to be one of the lucky winners. Remember to tell me if you're one of those "never win" people. I know the feeling. Deadline for entering is midnight EST September 30, 2013. Contest open to residents of the United States and Canada and those 18 or over.

For fun, you can share a favorite birthday memory and in the weeks ahead, I'll share a few of them forward if you give permission. I've got some good birthday memories to share too. While I may not enjoy counting up my birthdays, I still love having them. The last few years I've had to celebrate my birthday at the National Quartet Convention. At least my husband has plenty of booths to look for a last minute present for me. One birthday, a few years ago, he bought me presents at a truck stop on the way home from one of the Patriots' concerts. Actually, I really liked the t-shirt with Labrador dogs on it. And the truck stop sack made good wrapping paper too. LOL. 

I've already gotten a lot of neat birthday memories from those of you who get my newsletter. Some of the stories have made me smile. Some have made tears pop up in my eyes. Here's one of the smiling memories from Sandi. 

My best birthday memory is when I was soon to be 17.  My birthday is in July and I was working as a waitress the summer before my senior year.  I'd had a horrendous day at work and wanted to go home and go to bed--or hide under the bed or just die (teenagers are sooo dramatic). My two best friends showed up just as I got home and they insisted that I go "out" with them. I refused to clean up or put on new make-up--I had cried on the walk home and I looked rather dreadful, but after much coaxing (and threatening from my mom who had joined the discussion for some reason), I decided to join them. My friend Ruth said she had to stop at her boyfriend's house to pick up something and I assured her I'd be the one in the car..."Jim" came to the door and insisted I come inside. I was pretty worn down by then so I went in...surprise--all of my best friends and some I didn't even like were inside and they all screamed "happy birthday" in unison. Fortunately, my mom had packed a bag with make-up and fresh clothes in it and had secretly given it to one of the girls. 

And now we hear from Donna about how we can't know what tomorrow holds, but we can cherish the good times we have with family. 

My best birthday had to be two years ago. My family (daughter, son-in-law and 2 grandkids) were away on a camping trip on my birthday. My sister ... invited me and my boyfriend over to celebrate my brother-in-law's birthday. Unknown to me, it was not only my brother-in-law's party but one for me too. Out came a separate cake for me with candles, and they all sang Happy Birthday, and even had presents. My sister had invited her kids and grandkids to this party and it was a wonderful, birthday surprise for me. Little did we know that a year later my sister would be fighting for her life battling cancer. She's had surgery, radiation and is doing better.  So, thank you Big Sister, for everything.  I love you. 

Donna's sister's name is Diane, so if you have a minute, whisper a prayer her way. I do so appreciate all the prayers you've whispered my way and my mother's way as her dementia steadily worsens. Prayers are powerful. 

Thanks for reading and I hope you'll join in with my giveaway fun and come back for more stories in the weeks ahead. And if you don't get my newsletter and would like to, just let me know.

Some Gave All - The Traveling Wall

I've never been to Washington DC to see the Vietnam Wall, so when I found out the Traveling Wall was coming to a town near me, I wanted to go. I've researched several different wars for my historical novels but so far, the closest I've come to writing about the Vietnam War was in Jerry's life testimony story, Angels at the Crossroads. Jerry didn't go to Vietnam but being drafted led to some of the crises in his life. 

The draft and the war were very real to kids my age. Boys I went to school with went to war. My brother-in-law worked on airplanes in the Philippines. My cousin was in Vietnam. The news every night showed boys dying in the Vietnam jungles. Those boys whose names now cover that black wall. 

So many names. So many soldiers who stood up for their country and didn't come home. As the sign said at the Wall, I touched the Wall and the Wall touched me. One of the flags had this on it. All gave some. Some gave all. 

I'm at Mom's tonight and the Internet is down. Doing this post on my phone. Not the easiest way to type and the phone sometimes puts words in my fingers I didn't have in my head. I did send out a newsletter this a.m. I'll tell you all about it and my new contest on Wednesday. That will give me the chance to find the recipe for that wicked looking chocolate cake. So come back then. If you can't wait and would like to get the newsletter now, comment with your email and I'll send it out to you. 

But tonight I'm remembering. If you are a vet, thank you! If you have a vet in your family, thank you for your worries and prayers for him or her.