Rambling Friday: Merry Christmas!

From Luke 2:10-13 says:

 And the angel said unto them, Fear not:

for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy,

which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David

a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

And suddenly...a multitude of the heavenly host

praised God, saying...

Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth,

peace,

good will

toward men.

May you all have a very 

MERRY CHRISTMAS! 

Rambling Friday: July 4th Tidbits and a Recipe

I thought it would be fun to share some things about July 4th! 

Enjoy! 

* The Declaration of Independence was signed by 56 men from 13 colonies.

* The average age of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence was 45. 

The youngest was Thomas Lynch, Jr (27) of South Carolina.  

The oldest delegate was Benjamin Franklin (70) of Pennsylvania. 

The lead author of The Declaration, Thomas Jefferson, was 33.

* The stars on the original American flag were in a circle

 so all the Colonies would appear equal.

Benjamin Franklin proposed the turkey as the national bird

but was overruled by John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, 

who recommended the bald eagle.

 Every 4th of July the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia is tapped 

(not actually rung)

 thirteen times in honor of the original thirteen colonies.

And for fun, a great recipe you may enjoy this Fourth! 

Recipe:  

2 pkg (8 oz each) of cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup of sugar

2 Tbsp of lemon juice

1 tub (8 oz) of Cool Whip, thawed, divided

1 graham cracker crust pie shell lining

Strawberry halves for stripes

Blueberries for stars

Beat cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice in large bowl

 with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. 

Gently stir in 2 cups of Cool Whip.

Spoon into pie crust.

Refrigerate 3 hrs or until set.

Spread remaining cool whip over top.

Arrange berries in rows to resemble flag.

Enjoy! 

Happy July 4th! 

Serious Wednesday: Welcome Back, Linda Weaver Clarke!

We have a winner for Valerie Comer's ebook! 

Andrea Stoeckel

won

Lavished with Lavender

Please contact me asap by FB pm,

reply on here or

email me at: browncarole212(at)yahoo(dot)com

Congratulations!

*******

It's always a delight to share Linda's newest books with all of you. Check out this collection of short stories! 

Welcome, Linda! 

The Willow Valley series has humor, adventure, romance, and mystery. Set in the The 1800s, each book is family-friendly for teens and adults. 

The first book is One Last Dance, which will keep you guessing until the end of the book. In this historical romance, there is a mystery to solve.

Felicity Brooks is a talented watercolor artist but her career is cut short when her father passes away, so she travels home to care for her mother during this difficult time. When Felicity meets their charming new neighbor, a fine-looking bachelor, she soon discovers that he is hiding his true identity. Nicholas Adams is on a quest. But that is not all. When she finds out that someone is after a valuable heirloom…a precious treasure that her father discovered in his attic, her life takes a new turn. After realizing how much she misses her father, will one last dance heal her broken heart?

The second book in this series is Angel’s Serenade. You will learn about the infamous River Pirates, the remedies for illnesses of that time period, the effects that music has on a person, and you will fall in love all over again.

Emmeline Scott is raising her sister’s two children and is surprised when she finds out the new doctor in town is helping her nephew adapt to his surroundings. It is not easy to be uprooted and have to start a new life. Each day when Emmeline practices the piano, she doesn’t know the doctor secretly sits on his porch to listen to her music. As Emmeline gets to know the charming doctor, Lucas Golden, they become intrigued by her neighbor’s mysterious behavior. Will they discover his secret? And who is the leader of the River Pirates, who is causing so much havoc?

The third book has many surprises. In A Pleasant Rivalry, Angelica Davis is surprised when she finds out that an old school chum has returned to Willow Valley to take over his grandfather’s business. Since she writes articles for the Chronicle and Simon Morgan owns the Willow Valley News, they just happen to be rivals. The competition is on. Who will be the first to discover the identity of the jewel thief or the arsonist? Will it be Angelica or Simon? Gradually the feelings she once had for him return as they both search for the same stories. To her surprise, Angelica realizes she is losing her heart to her rival.

Now for book four! I decided to try something new and different. Since I have never written short stories before, I took upon myself the task of writing six short stories for the Willow Valley series. Before I knew it, I realized that writing short stories was a pleasure and quite fun. It’s called Holidays in Willow Valley. This book is full of surprises.

What were the holidays like at Willow Valley, Illinois, in 1840? Relive life in the “olden days” in each of these stories, featuring the characters from the Willow Valley Series: 

* How will Emmeline and Felicity celebrate Valentine’s Day? 

* Do Sam and Josie believe in leprechauns and the pot of gold when St. Patrick’s Day comes around? * Is it common to play jokes on one another on April Fools Day? Nicholas and Lucas find out first hand. 

* How will Simon and Angelica celebrate Independence Day and Christmas? When the Irish and Scottish came to America, they brought their Halloween traditions with them. 

Will Willow Valley accept these traditions? Find out as you share their experiences.

“I have enjoyed all of Linda Weaver Clarke’s books. You can be assured that they are all clean and sweet. This book contains six short stories of various characters and different holidays celebrated in the 1840 time period. These are enjoyable stories to read any time of year, not just in holiday times. The book carries Christian values, which I love. These are very entertaining stories and I hope you will take the time to read them!” –Sunny Reviews

Buy the books! 

One Last Dance is available at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GVNWSP9

Angel’s Serenade is available at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RV79LDN

A Pleasant Rivalry is available at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Z49N2LJ

Holidays in Willow Valley: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089CQL6NB

Order any of my books from Amazon at both my websites below.

Linda’s Website: www.lindaweaverclarke.com

My Book Blog: https://lindaweaverclarke.wordpress.com

About Author:

Linda Weaver Clarke was raised among the Rocky Mountains of southern Idaho and now lives among the red hills of southern Utah. She is the author of Historical Romance, Cozy Mysteries, Swashbuckling Romance, a Children’s Book, and Nonfiction. Linda teaches a class about writing your family history that is free to the public at the Family Search Center in Southern Utah. She is also a missionary at the Family Search Center where she helps people find their ancestors and learn about their heritage.

What is Flag Day All About?

Today is Flag Day! 

• On May 30, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a presidential proclamation establishing a national Flag Day on June 14. 

Many Americans celebrate Flag Day by displaying the Red, White and Blue in front of homes and businesses. The day commemorates the adoption of the Stars and Stripes as the official flag of the United States.

Do you know the flag's history? 

• According to American legend, in June 1776, George Washington commissioned Betsy Ross, a Philadelphia seamstress, to create a flag for the new nation in anticipation of a declaration of its independence.

• On June 14, 1777, John Adams spoke about the flag at a meeting of the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. He said, "Resolved, that the flag of the thirteen United States shall be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the Union be thirteen stars, white on a blue field, representing a new constellation." 

There have been twenty-seven official versions of the flag so far; stars have been added to it as states have entered the Union. The current version dates to July 4, 1960, when Hawaii became the 50th state.''

Do you say the Pledge of Allegiance at your school, perhaps with your hand over your heart? Or sing "The Star Spangled Banner," the national anthem, before a baseball game? Many Americans sing, pledge, and pay respect to the flag, "Old Glory," as a symbol of the country's democracy and independence. Saluting the flag is a way to celebrate and honor the United States of America.

Happy Flag Day to you!

Monday Morning Gratitudes: Holidays and Celebrations

Veteran's Day: time to salute our men and women who've served
A nice service honoring our veterans
That I can salute members of my own family who've served for me.
Remembrance.


That God has given me yet another opportunity to pass on a book to wonderful readers!
That Sabotaged Christmas is making it's debut appearance!
For all those who help: brainstormers, critique partners, readers, endorsers, reviewers, those who interview and invite me to guest post. Thank you!

Blessings!

A Day to
Re-
mem-
ber

Thank you, wonderful soldiers, past and present, for all you've done for us. We enjoy life as we  know it in America, because of your labors, your sacrifice, your fulfilling your call to duty.

Regardless of what lots of the world today say, there are some of us who do appreciate it all.

Today, I salute you, and honor you.

Blessings!