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Just wanted to let you all know why I am not attending to all your posts. My husband just had a three level spinal fusion, so I am shuttling back and forth to the hospital, where the food is terrible and his room claustropobic and shared (!) with another patient. Some post-op complications but we are hoping he can come home by Sunday. Anyway, I have a couple of pre-scheduled posts this week. Be back soon… 0 0

We always have a second bloom of fall color right around Thanksgiving, here in Chapel Hill. I thought you might enjoy these:   0 0

I am making a habit of posting this every year. It seems appropriate. Having grown up in Plymouth and worked as a tour guide at Plimoth Plantation, the Pilgrims are near to my heart. ***** Much has been written about the first Thanksgiving which took place at Plimoth Colony. Here is some information that is probably closer to the truth. As usual, click on the pictures.                  The First Thanksgiving 1621, oil on canvas by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris (1899) The voyage from Plymouth, England, had taken 65 days. Once the decision to settle on the shores of the harbor of what is now Plymouth, MA, the Pilgrims faced a daunting future:they had no houses, no stored goods, no knowledge of the country they faced, nor any knowledge of its inhabitants besides wild stories of cannibals. And the season was winter, harsh and cruel. A common house that had been built to house some of the Pilgrims burned on January 14, 1621, and those who had lived there had to return to the Mayflower for shelter.                   Pilgrims going to church (1867) by George Henry Boughton, New York Public Library Not long afterward, the sickness swept through both the colonists and the crew of the Mayflower. It is knot know what this sickness was, although it is thought it might have been pneumonia. At one point, only seven of the entire population were well enough to care for the remaining 150, fetching wood for fires, making food, bathing and dressing the sick. When the sickness was over, only 12 of 26 men with families, 4 of the 12 single men and boys, and all but a few of the women survived. Despite their reduced numbers, they soon set about laying out First Street (Leyden Street) and setting the foundations for a fort at the top of the street. The colonist noticed Native Americans near their settlement in mid-February, and the two groups final met on Friday, March 16th. This is the famous encounter that involved Samoset, an Abenaki Sagamore from what is now Maine, when he and another man entered the developing village and said “Welcome, Englishmen.” Samoset had learned English from the English fishermen who crossed the North Atlantic each year to fish for cod, some of whom remained on small islands off the coast of Maine. He told the Pilgrims of a great plague which had killed the Patuxet people who had previously lived on that spot: indeed, the Pilgrims had found cleared farmland when they disembarked. The local native Americans, the Wampanoags, were very distrustful of the English because some had been kidnapped and sold into slavery by Thomas Hunt, an English captain who had visited the area a few years before. Samoset returned with another Native American, Squanto, on March 22nd; Squanto was one of the men taken by Hunt, had been sold as a slave in Spain, escaped to London and returned to American as a guide. He became the colony’s interpreter and worked on their behalf in their interactions with the Wampanoags. As a result, the regional leader of the Wampanoags, Massasoit, visited the Pilgrims. There was an exchange of gifts, and a treaty was signed that lasted for over 50 years. Massasoit’s purpose in aligning with the Pilgrims was to provide protection for his tribe, which had been decimated by disease, from surrounding tribes. It was his suggestion that the fields south of the brook be turned by hand and crops of wheat, barley, Indian corn and peas were planted in early April. Work continued on the houses, and the little Mayflower left the colony to return to England on April 5th. The first Thanksgiving was not really a thanksgiving but instead a traditional English harvest celebration to which the colonists invited Massasoit and members of the Wampanoag. It is generally thought to have occurred in November of 1621, but might have been at the end of the summer.                                  The First Thanksgiving, Jenny Augusta Brownscombe 1914 I have eaten a traditional Pilgrim meal, and I can vouch for the fact that the food was very tasty and filling. There are no records of exact fare of this harvest meal, but Pilgrim chronicler Edward Winslow noted that the colony’s governor, William Bradford, sent four men on a “fowling” mission in preparation for what was to be a three-day event. Wild turkeys were plentiful in the area and a common food source for both English settlers and Native Americans. But it is just as likely that ducks, geese and swans, which frequently graced Pilgrim tables, were also on the menu. Both the Wampanoag and the Pilgrims occasionally stuffed birds and fish, typically using herbs, onions or nuts to add extra flavor. Deer were also killed and roasted venison would have been on the menu. Strangely, in a land where the shoreline and coastal rivers were teeming with salmon, cod, flounder, shad, haddock, and sea bass, the Pilgrims were not huge fish-eaters. From Edward Winslow, we also know the Pilgrims ate lobster, which were in such abundance they could be collected by the bushels from tidal pools. But familiarity soon bred contempt, and the Pilgrims came to regard them as food for the poor. They also collected and ate eels, mussels and clams but later, with the arrival of livestock, fed the mussels and clams to their pigs.                                    A Re-enactment of the First Thanksgiving at Plimoth Plantation The Pilgrims had brought no livestock with them. The first cattle — three cows and a bull — did not arrive in Massachusetts until 1624m so in 1621 they were without butter, cheese, milk, and cream. There is no indication that cranberries were served at the feast, but they did occur in Wampanoag dishes, adding tartness. Remember that it is unlikely there was any sugar in the Plimoth Colony, although honey might have been available. However, there were plentiful wild gooseberries, strawberries and raspberries. Forget baked or mashed potatoes. Potatoes, sweet or white, would have been

More really interesting people you might want to meet! Gregg Savage at https://greggsavage.net/author/greggsavage/  Gregg Savage lives in Townsville, Australia. When the house is quiet at night, he writes and publishes a children’s tale for everyone to enjoy. His stories are delightful – you, dear followers, could have a different bedtime story to tell your children every night if you visit his blog. Radix at https://cluelessinasia.wordpress.com who is now living in Guangzhou, China. His blog is an open diary into his experiences living and working in Asia, as a Westerner. His posts are informative, humorous and amazing. His first meal in China was at McDonald’s (he’d been taught to avoid street food). https://newbraunfelspoolservice.wordpress.com/  This pool service must have noticed that I like to swim. Too bad they are too far away to be of service to us. Texas… kulinaditya at https://simpsite.wordpress.com This blog has short, pithy and rather profound comments every day. https://somewherebetweenheartandhead.wordpress.com  written by the wife of a very lucky man, compulsive thinker, architect by profession, writer by heart, animal lover, putty in her dog’s paws, hopeless romantic, proud nerd, on a quest to find joy in everyday life. Wonderful poetry!! Karolina at http://lifeinkarolingston.com I’m pretty sure she lives in Scotland – gorgeous photo essays of Scotland and pictures of Edinburgh, one of my favorite cities. She is an historian, photography amateur, traveler, who loves life and enjoy every minute of it. She says hers is another blog about life, experience, beauty of places and blah blah, but I think it’s pretty darn good. Naftali chirchir at https://timehackwizard.wordpress.com  He is a time management coach for part-time bloggers! Lots of very useful posts. Check this one out! https://www.bloglovin.com/ A site where you can post your blogs and a collation of other blogs on an infinite number of topics, several of which you are bound to love. Fredricka Walker at https://realvisionfromrealwomencom.wordpress.com Short, inspiration messages and thoughts for women. Jumisshop at http://jumissshop.com is a Vietnamese blogger, husband of Christina, and father of Gloria & Anna. Check out the blog about life and family in B Na Hills in Danang. Lovely intro to the country. Laura Libricz at https://lauralibriczblog.wordpress.com She is a historical fiction writer who worked a few years building Steinberger guitars (!) and spent her time in college reading German lit. She moved to Germany to stay in 1991 and is the author of the Heaven’s Pond Trilogy. An interesting writer to get to know! Kath at https://kathandkin.wordpress.com blogs about her family history. Her motivations for researching and writing up my family history started when her grandmother died and her son was born. Her posts are really interesting. Perhaps they will motivate you to do some researching of your family? Simon J Kyte at https://certainmeasureofperfection.wordpress.com/ who has written a book set in the time of the British Reformation about Roger Brierly and the Grindletonians, who were a sect of Puritans who remained active in the north of England until the 1660s. Yes, I had to look that up! Julie Davide at https://juliedavide.wordpress.com/  who writes book reviews and other musings. She sounds like a delightful young woman who lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire (another New Englander!) She likes chocolate, wine, caffeine, cheese and black leggings. Check her out! Kashyap at https://kashbaby13.wordpress.com  expresses her feelings in lyrical, lovely poetry. 0 0

Well, my two-legged finally got up something she calls a feeder. What’s more, she hung it right outside the window where my cat tree is positioned. She said it will amuse me. Really? It doesn’t take much to amuse me. I like paper balls, tin foil balls and anything I find on the floor. Batting them around is fun and afterward, I have to take a nap. In between, I crawl up on the chair with my two-legged and stand on the computer keys, just to annoy her, and wave my tail back and forth to hide the screen. She never yells, but she can scold. This morning I was relaxing on the top shelf of my tree, when I saw all sorts of things flitting around in the tree outside my window. Then they sat on the feeder. I think they’re eating. Last night something a lot bigger and with a tail almost as fluffy as mine, was running around under the tree and looking longingly at the feeder. I wonder what that was… The barrier blocking my way upstairs is gone, but I haven’t dared go up there yet. Maybe I won’t. Who knows what’s up there? For some reason, she likes to take pictures of me. This one I like because of the sparkly eyes. She told me she couldn’t figure out how to fix it, but I like it. Anyway, I do love my two legged. This morning I gave her a nose on nose to tell her how much. 0 0

I was completely mesmerized by Kerry Donovan’s first book in the Ryan Kaine series. It left me panting with the exertion of reading it, so of course I had to read the sequel. I hope this is a long series. Ryan Kaine on the Rocks was slower paced (but only slightly) from the first book and is a more than worthy continuation, since it picks up where the first left off. Martin Princeton is trapped on a ledge halfway down a cliff in the wilds of Scotland. He is severely injured, bleeding and, without a heavy jacket, freezing to death. He is preparing himself to die. He was there because he had to get away from the mourning for his brother, who was killed in a plane crash. A  crash that had been orchestrated by Ryan Kaine. When news of Martin’s disappearance reaches Kaine, he abandons the effort to clear his name and instead, in an act of contrition, heads to the Highlands to find Martin. Still hampered by injuries from his previous confrontation with the people behind the crash, and with an unofficial bounty on his head, Kaine goes to the site of the rescue organization and manages to convince the rescue team of his good intentions without alerting them to his identity. He must first find out everything about Martin’s route in the mountains and the people who were with him, treading a fine line to keep himself anonymous. What he brings with him is an intimate knowledge of the area, mountaineering skills, and special forces training, which allows him to strike out on his own to find Martin. Kerry Donovan is in his element. He clearly knows the Highlands and its people and has an intimate knowledge of mountain climbing and rescue. His descriptions of the area are compelling – I could feel the wind and the rain – but the author never loses sight of the plot and shoves the story forward at an exhilarating pace. You are never unaware that the clock is ticking, both for the boy and for Kaine, who has to keep his butt out of jail while engaged in the search. Once again, his characters are fun, even the really bad ones. The clashes between the locals and the English armed response team which arrives to take over the search are both humorous and confrontational. How could you not like a villain named William (Buffalo Bill) Cody? Donovan writes good, tight dialogue for these characters, spartan almost, but smooth. This is escapism at its best, and once again, my only minor complaint is that at his age, Kaine is nearly superhuman in his strength and ability to endure pain. I will admit I got slightly lost in the descriptions of the mountaineering and climbing gear, but I’m sure aficionados of this sport will have no complaints. So, I’m again looking forward to the next Kaine outing, and I rate this book up there with the best in its genre. What a fun, breathless read! About the author   Kerry J Donovan was born in Dublin. Kerry earned a first class honours degree in Human Biology, and has a PhD in Sport and Exercise Sciences. A former scientific advisor to The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, he helped UK emergency first-responders prepare for chemical attacks in the wake of 9/11. This background adds a scientific edge to his writing. He is also a former furniture designer/maker. He is the author of a sci-fi/thriller, The Transition of Johnny Swift, which reached #1 on the Amazon Bestsellers List in December 2014. A citizen of the world, he now lives in the heart of rural Brittany with his wonderful and patient wife, Jan. They have three children and four grandchildren (so far), all of whom live in England. An absentee granddad, Kerry is hugely grateful for the development of video calling. You can find Kerry Donovan on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/KerryJDonovan His blog at: http://kerryjdonovan.com/blog And on Twitter at: https://www.twitter.com/KerryJDonovan His books are on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Kerry+J+Donovan 0 0

The Viscount and the Vicar’s Daughter – A Victorian Romance – is a tender and sweet romance novel. It is not the first by this author, who has clearly developed her style. Romance is not a genre I truly appreciate, but the historical aspect appealed, and I was not disappointed. Tristan Sinclair, Viscount St. Ashton, is wallowing in melancholy and decides to attend a Christmas house party in wilds of Yorkshire, hosted by woman renowned for her orgiastic feasts. He has admitted to himself that after years of debauchery and spending, he has hit rock bottom. What does he have to lose? On his way there, he is distracted by the sobbing of a woman in the woods and discovers Valentine March, a prim and upright vicar’s daughter who has come on hard times. With the death of her father, she has had to find employment and is currently at the lady’s companion to Lady Brightwell, an old crone with a vicious temper and pension for abusing and discarding companions. Tristan discovers he has fallen in love with Valentine at first sight, and she is initially attracted to him – until she learns that he is a most infamous rake. Tristan pursues her with charm, wit and warmth, and not surprisingly, she eventually surrenders. But theirs is a doomed relationship, a scandalous liaison in a house of poor repute between a wealthy lord with a repugnant reputation and a woman not only from a poor background, but also born on the other side of the blanket. Her mother was pregnant with another man’s child when the vicar, out of the kindness of his heart, married her. There is more to Valentine’s background than meets the eye, and it is not clear whether their fragile romance will survive the continuing revelations of their true characters and the outside pressures brought to bear by virtually everyone around them. This is truly a romance in every sense of the genre. The characters are colorfully fleshed out, the dialogue is believable and witty. Ms. Matthews has created a real and colorful Victorian world from her studies of 18th century style, fashion and history. The historical detail is just enough to set the scene but does not overwhelm. I was not surprised to find the typical romantic themes permeating the story. Even with my limited (but growing) background in romance literature, I find they are over-used, and their predictability of outcome can create a sense of ennui. However, this author has managed to infuse a freshness in these tropes and manages to keep the story moving at a good pace, so the reader wants to keep turning pages. I am certain fans of this genre will find The Viscount and the Vicar’s Daughter a satisfying read. About the author: Mimi Matthews is the author of The Pug Who Bit Napoleon: Animal Tales of the 18th and 19th Centuries (Pen & Sword Books, November 2017) and A Victorian Lady’s Guide to Fashion and Beauty (Pen & Sword Books, July 2018). Her articles on nineteenth century history have been published on various academic and history sites, including the Victorian Web and the Journal of Victorian Culture, and are also syndicated weekly at BUST Magazine. When not writing historical non-fiction, Mimi authors exquisitely proper Victorian romance novels with dark, brooding heroes and intelligent, pragmatic heroines. Her debut Victorian romance The Lost Letter was released in September 2017. You can find Mimi Matthews On twitter:  @MimiMatthewsEsq At her website: https://www.mimimatthews.com/ On Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/MimiMatthewsAuthor And on her blog: https://www.mimimatthews.com/blog/ The Viscount and the Vicar’s Daughter can be found on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Mimi-Matthews/e/B0719WDHBW 0 0

This is Nikki Crutchley’s first book, and for an initial outing, it’s pretty darned good. The story: A young tourist disappears from Castle Bay, a small tourist town on the east coast of North Island of New Zealand. When her mangled and mauled body is discovered, news crews and journalists descend on the town. Among them is Miller Hatcher, a young magazine writer battling alcoholism, who is sent there by her editor with the promise of a huge splash in the magazine if she can assemble a strong story for the next month’s edition. Leading the investigation in Castle Bay is Sgt. Kahu Parata, a Maori and twenty-year member of the local constabulary, at least Detective Nicholson and a team of four arrive. Nicholson pushes Parata aside, leaving him to the day to day running of the station and the odious task of informing the victim’s parents. But Nicholson doesn’t know the town like Parata does. Castle Bay has some dark and well concealed history, but everyone believes nothing bad ever happens there. Miller finds the only housing available at a wellness retreat a few minutes out of town. It is recommended to her by the wife of the head of the Town Council who herself is going there for a few days’ respite. The wellness center is populated by a small group of women experiencing a variety of crises, and has a threatening caretaker who has found needed isolation there after losing his family.  A visitor at the wellness center disappeared from there many years previously, but she was never found and the town’s residents still believes Castle Bay is safe and welcoming. *** There are several threads to this mystery, which the author unravels deliberately and with excruciating tension, before wrapping them together tidily in a completely unexpected ending. There are also a couple of ‘gotcha’ moments that gave me a chill. The pacing of the story is excellent and keeps you turning pages (or swiping your Kindle, as the case may be). But the best part of the book are the characters, whom Ms. Crutchley details in such precision that you can easily see them in your mind’s eye. What I particularly liked was that each of them had flaws – their imperfections made them three dimensional and human. Of the two characters from whose point of view the mystery is seen, I found myself liking Parada, who, while caring for a gentle wife with an undisclosed but serious illness, mourns the fact they’ve been unable to have children. Miller is less likeable – her need for alcohol interferes with her investigative journalism and causes her to pull her hairs out one by one in disgusting detail. Nevertheless, she is largely fearless and determined to follow events wherever they lead, even when one of the women at the wellness center subsequently disappears. The town itself – in an exotic locale for those of us not from that part of the world – becomes a character, full of interesting detail, and darkly looming, surrounded by jungle. As Miller investigates the trails leading into the jungle, the black cloud of evil that seems ever-present for most of the book is cloying, palpable, and ominous. This is a satisfying read and I recommend it – a great first book for this author. A quote to tempt you: “She looked away from his face and took in the clear spring night, full of stars. Her last thoughts were of her mother. Would she finally care, when one day they found her body, and a policeman came knocking at her door?” About the Author: After seven years of working as a librarian in New Zealand and overseas, Nikki now works as a freelance proofreader and copy editor. She lives in the small Waikato town of Cambridge in New Zealand with her husband and two girls. Nikki has been writing on and off her whole life and recently has had success in flash fiction. She has been published in Flash Frontier, Flash Fiction Magazine and Mayhem Literary Journal. Crime/thriller/mystery novels are her passion. Nothing Bad Happens Here is her first novel (but hopefully not her last), set on the Coromanadel Coast of New Zealand. You can find the author On twitter: @NikkiCAuthor On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nikki.crutchley.3 At her website: https://www.nikkicrutchley.com/ And Amazon: https://www.amazon.in/Nothing-Happens-Here-Nikki-Crutchley-ebook/dp/B074V4HTSL 0 0

Garfield here. This is my first post. I’ve been watching my two-legged type on this thing – actually I like to sit on it while she tries to work around my glorious orange fluff. I had a tough day last week. There I was, sitting calmly on the floor when she swooped me up and put me in a box with a door with bars. Honestly, she could have warned me. Then she took me out the door into a really dark, cold morning. I’d been looking forward to getting a breakfast treat and instead I got that! After a while of bumping around going somewhere, we ended up at a place called ‘The Vet’s,’ where I met Dr. Anderson. I was treated with indignity when they weighed me and retreated into the box when I was brought back. Dr. A. pulled me out and proceeded to feel me all over – actually that was quite nice and I purred for her. She inspected my teeth and gave me a pill for my runny nose and something cold in my eye, which was also running. Then I came back to what my two-legged likes to call ‘home.’ I do like it here. I get treats and tons of petting, so much nicer than the shelter, and I have a cat tree and a post where I can exercise my claws. I like to look out the window from the top of the tree and I especially like to chase yarn. What I don’t like is getting pills, at least until they were broken up and put in some salmon. I don’t know why that stopped this week. At any rate, I’ll let you know what’s happening from time to time. This week, they took down the barriers to the rest of the house and I had fun exploring and running as fast as I could from one end of the house to the other. I can skid into the family room, turn around and slide to the other end of the hallway. Why does my two-legged laugh? 0 0

My heartfelt thanks to all of you who offered me comfort last week. I truly appreciate it and it meant the world to me. Larry’s service was one of laughter and tears. I think he would have looked at all of us sniffling, crying and smiling and uttered on of his favorite lines: “What? Are you nuts?” 0 0