Category: Books

1911 Courtship Letter: Nov 12 Dear Noah

2/17/2014

Elva Nelson Mitchell and Ethel Nelson Draper, cousins, Swift Current, Saskatchewan. From the Norma Draper Family Collection.

The above photo is one of several I scanned from the photo albums passed down from Ethel Nelson which now make up the Norma Draper Family Collection. I'm including the others in this week's Genealogy Notes below.

Author of Letter: Ethel Isabell Nelson, age 21 (b 1890)
Dated:  Nov 12th 1911
Addressed to: Mr. N C Draper, Grand Coulee, Sask.
Mailed from: Belhaven, P.O.
Relationship:  Courting
Profession:  Farmer's Daughter
Writing instrument: Fine point pen, blue ink
Written on: Off-white, textured, plain, linen-like paper, 9.5 inches x 6.5 inches, folded in half in booklet form with pages numbered 1, 3, 2, 4 but I've posted them here in the order they are to be read.

People mentioned in this letter of part of the Genealogy Notes:

Pa - *James H Nelson
Mother - *Ida Amelia Glover
*Christie - Ethel's 11 yr old sister
*Sadie - Ethel's 16 yr old sister
S. Draper's - family of *Stewart Draper, paternal cousin of Noah
Walter *Yorke - stepson of Noah's 1st cousin 2x removed
Squire *Yorke - Walter Yorke's son
*Fanny - niece of Noah's brother-in-law, Joe Perrault
*Mary Smith - Ethel's neighbor and friend
**Elva Mitchell - Ethel's paternal cousin
**Aunt Mary - Mary Glover *Linstead - Ethel's maternal aunt
**Florence P - Ethel's 2nd cousin (they share great-grandfather George *Croutch)

Places/things mentioned in this letter:

*Indian Head
the *West & North West - Canadian prairie provinces (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta)
*Toronto

- Bram or Brown Dick - ? - book or story - possibly in a reader

- Peck's Bad Boy - by George W. Peck , late 1800's
Stories of a naughty boy. Free online read available at http://www.readbookonline.net/title/32610/

- Astray in the Forest - by Edward S Ellis, Illustrations by Stanley Wood, 1908

Legend:

* Look under the Categories/Labels in the right side column for more posts on this
person/place/thing. If you don't see a label, use the search box at the top of page.
** see Genealogy Notes below

Belhaven. P. O.
Nov 12th 1911.

Mr N. C. Draper,
Grand Coulee,
Sask.

My Dear Noah, -
Sunday is here once
again, and say such a cold
stormy day as it is. I think it
must be one of your North West
blizzards. We were up to Sunday
School this afternoon, and you would
certainly think the wind would blow
your head off. Would'nt be any loss
if mine did go, be some body's gain
for when they found it they'd
think they had a pumpkin sure.
Talk about blizzards. Indeed I wouldnt

care a bit, if one would land you right
here on this farm. Hope something will
bring you along soon, anyway. Six weeks
sounds much better than six months
but 6 days will sound ever so much
better "eh"
I had a letter from Elva Mitchell
on Friday, she spoke as though
they were going to stay with Mr
S Draper's this winter. Said they
had been looking for you down
but that you never had come yet.
Mr Walter Yorke is talking of
going West in the spring, Say's
after he and Squire have been out
there two or three years they will
own over half of the West. He
has high ideal's "eh"

We are not going to church to-night
I guess we. think we will be most
comfortable here in the house. Christie
is reading, "Bram Dick" to Pa & Ma
and Sadie is here with me reading
"Pecks bad boy" Say! it certainly is
a book worth reading, I read "Astray
in the forest" this forenoon.
How is your face now? and did it
prove to be much of a comforter, "ha ha"
The mason's are coming to-
morrow to put in Stable floors
and we certainly will be glad when
the Stables are finished, for it certainly
is getting cold enough for to put
the stock in.
Mary Smith is in Toronto now.
A cousin of her's is to be married this
month so of course she is to be at the wedding

Now you never told me in your
last letter. how Fanny was getting
along. you must'nt forget to mention
her, for you know how anxious I am
to hear about her. "ha ha", not her,
but your the one I am anxious to hear
from. Oh Noah if you were only here,
we would forget all about the storm
just think though only five more
letters we will have to write, and
then the next Sunday instead
of writing we can just make
our tongues run "eh" I am afraid
there would'nt be any church
for us, even if it was'nt
storming. I guess I must say
Good Bye for this time with
love and kisses from your Sweetheart.
x x x x x x x E. Nelson.

Genealogy Notes

Ethel Nelson Draper and Elva Nelson Mitchell at Swift Current, Saskatchewan. Courtesy of the Norma Draper Family Collection.

Ethel has mentioned her paternal cousin, Elva Jane Nelson, several times before in these courtship letters, but this is the first time I'm posting photos which I scanned from Ethel's albums. If you recall, Elva married Will Mitchell and are working on the Indian Head area farm of Stewart Draper, paternal cousin of Noah.

In this week's letter, Ethel says she received a letter from Elva saying her and Will were staying with Stewart through the winter and that they hadn't run into Noah yet. The 1911 Canada census shows William and Elva Mitchell living near Indian Head. This is confirmed in the Courtship Letter Special: July 15 From Elva Mitchell where Elva writes that "we only live 4 miles from the head."

The caption written in the album that holds the above photographs says "Elva and Ethel in the coulee, Swift Current." According to the 1916 and 1921 census records though, Elva and Will lived in Johnston Lake near Mossbank which is a couple hours east of Swift Current, and a couple hours west of the Grand Coulee/Regina area.

Google map showing Swift Current (left), Mossbank (middle), Grand Coulee (right).

From reading Ethel's journals I know she had a penchant for travel. So it's quite possible Ethel & Noah, and Elva & Will had gone on a sightseeing trip to Swift Current. Especially since the back of this next photo shows them in Mossbank in 1926.

1926 Mossbank, SK possibly at the Mitchell farm. Contains Ethel, Noah and Norma Draper; Elva, Will and Merle Mitchel; Laura and Wes Cain.

As you can see, I've added the names on the front of the image so it's easier to make them all out. Also note that Will and Elva's only child (that I can find so far) is Hannah Merle Mitchell who is standing between Laura Linstead Cain and Wesley Cain.

Ida Glover, Florence P Croutch, Mary Glover

Laura Linstead is Ethel's cousin as her mother, Ida Amelia, is sister to Mary Ann Glover who married William David Linstead.

Mary is the Aunt Mary mentioned in several of these letters who was living in Sintaluta, Saskatchewan in 1911, although they had only moved there from the Gwillimbury area in the past few years.

This photo on the right was taken at the Ida Glover & James Nelson house on Baseline Rd, Sutton West sometime in the 1940's. The back of the photo is written in Ethel's handwriting and it is one of the photos she passed on to her daughter, Norma.

Florence P was a mystery to me but after some time spent in research, I believe her to be Florence P Croutch, daughter of John Francis Croutch and Cordelia/Fedelia Cryderman of East Gwillimbury. Florence P is Ethel's 2nd cousin as they share a paternal great-grandfather George Caleb Croutch.

Back of photo of Ida Glover Nelson, Florence P Croutch, Mary Ann Glover Linstead

Carla Olson Gade: Romancing the Snow

11/4/2012

This week we welcome Carla Olson Gade to Author Memories.

A native New Englander, Carla Olson Gade grew up in an historic Massachusetts town and now lives in rural Maine with her husband and two young adult sons. Her love for writing and eras gone by turned her attention to writing historical Christian romance.

Carla enjoys graphic design, photography, history, and genealogy. And she loves the snow, except when it gets dirty by the end of the winter. Throughout the years, Carla has taught workshops on Biblical topics, genealogy, writing, and adult literacy.

Romancing the Snow
by Carla Olson Gade

Romance:
Marked by the imaginative or emotional appeal of what is
heroic, adventurous, remote, mysterious, or idealized.

A native New Englander, I am no stranger to snow. As a child, I always looked forward to that first snow which seemed like a miracle to me. Catching snowflakes on my tongue as they drifted down from the heavens. Tunneling through snow banks taller than I. We made snow forts and snowmen, and would slide for hours on end down steep hills. It was always worth the long trip climbing back to the top, in snow up to our knees, just to go down one more time. When our mittens were soaked, and feet nearly frozen, we’d go in for a cup of hot chocolate, put on fresh mittens and dry socks and head back outside. We’d make snow angels and imagine that they mysteriously appeared in the unscathed landscape. Or so it seemed. Snow always made everything look fresh and new. Pure, and like a dream. A blank palette for a romantic imagination such as mine.

“As the last belated cloud legions...were passing overhead...they
contribute a few more choice examples of snow crystal architecture
as souvenirs of the skill of the Divine Artist.”
~ Wilson A. "Snowflake" Bentley

Snow, like a story, begins with something so small and delicate and can transform into a wonderland. Like the uniqueness of every individual snowflake, we too, have our own experiences, memories, and stories to be told. Like the times I picnicked beneath the shelter of a bowing pine covered in snow. Desiring to recreate this memory with my own sons when they were young, we took a picnic a short distance from our home following a blizzard. All bundled up, we carried a thermos of cocoa and peanut butter crackers and found a spot underneath a snowy pine. The cozy moment did not last long upon my realization that a badger was snuggled within the trunk of the tree. We let this sleepy creature lay in his wintery cocoon.

In the 19th century, Currier and Ives gave us images of a romantic New England winters with landscapes of sloping hills of snow, ice skating, and horse drawn sleighs. With every picture, I see a story and often long to put words to the scenes portrayed. This notion is cemented for me further as my great-grandfather Amos Currier was a cousin to the famed lithographer Nathaniel Currier. I know that the scenes were often inspired by true events and the culture of rural New England that my ancestors experienced.

"The Road, Winter", N. Currier, 1853

Another ancestral cousin, poet John Greenleaf Whittier, put imagery to pen when he wrote Snow-Bound: A Winter Idyl in 1866. The poem recounts his childhood memories of being secluded in their stormy haven, as his family gathered by the warmth of the fireside hearth to hear legends of old, including those of our shared ancestors. Snow-Bound was one of the most popular publications of its day, lending much to the nostalgia for which good folk longed.

All day the gusty north-wind bore
The loosening drift its breath before;
Low circling round its southern zone,
Through dazzling snow-mist shone. . .

And, when the second morning shone,
We looked upon a world unknown,
On nothing we could call our own. . .

Carla Olson Gade: My mother and grandfather on a sleigh ride in 1942.

“There is something soft and tender in the fall of a single snow-flake,
but when it comes out crawling out in the morning and shoveling
away a big drift, it’s ornery, mean and disgusting.”
~ G.L. Adams, The Fowlerville Review, 1879

Each generation has its own recollections, some more romantic than others. The romance is often a myth. Nostalgia at its best. Choosing to hold on to the best memories. Or, looking to the past to redeem a treasure from the deep. Like snow angels and sledding instead of shoveling mountains of heavy wet snow, trudging through the blizzard with a pail of water and grain to feed our horse, recalling the concussion my brother got when the toboggan slammed straight into a tree. Despite the temporary hardships that are endured by so many during nature’s most alarming furies, I must confess that to spend an evening reading by the light of an oil lamp, a candle, or the soft glow of the fireplace, kindles my imagination like nothing else. And, thus, it was for me in my 16th year, during the famed northeast “Blizzard of 1978.”

Hailed the "Storm of the Century," the February blizzard dumped over 27 inches of snow on the Boston area, my family residing directly in its path. The Commonwealth was immobilized and many, like our family were left without heat, electricity, and telephone. The snow drifts were so deep that we could see but 6 inches of antenna of our car which was at the bottom of our driveway. It felt as though we were trapped inside our house, but the sun shone and we ventured outdoors to dig out after the two day storm. I recall walking uptown on the snowy streets, absent of vehicles, dragging our sled so we could return with groceries; providing any stores were open in our small community. Our historic town with clapboard homes and steepled church was clad in white. So picturesque, surreal even, like a Currier and Ives scene. And so pleasant, as many typically reserved New England neighbors greeted one another along the way. And though many were trapped on the interstate by the snowy onslaught and cities shut down for a week, I cling to my own experiences. But I could never keep from wondering how a great snow would affect those who lived in earlier times. Though their lives were not reliant on electricity and such, tremendous snow still created significant hardship . . . and perhaps other romantic notions.

18th century woodblock print depicting The Great Snow of 1717.

I’ll leave you with a true tale of my 9th great-grandparents Abraham Adams & Abigail Peirce who endured “The Great Snow” of 18th century Massachusetts.

The year 1717 “is rendered memorable, by the unusual quantity of snow, which fell on the twentieth and twenty-fourth of February. In these two storms, the earth was covered with snow, from ten to fifteen feet, and, in some places, to twenty feet, deep. Many one-story houses were covered, and, in many places, paths were dug, from house to house, under the snow. Many visits were made, from place to place, by means of snow shoes, the wearers having first stepped out of their chamber windows, on these excursions. ‘Love,’ we know, ‘laughs at locksmiths,’ and, of course, will disregard a snow-drift. Tradition informs us, that a Mr. Abraham Adams, wishing to visit his ‘ladye love,’ Miss Abigail Peirce, mounted his snow shoes, took a three miles’ walk, for that purpose, and entered her residence as he left his own, namely, by the chamber window. He was the first person the family had seen from abroad, for more than a week. Cotton Mather has left in writing a particular account of ‘the great snow,’ and the many marvels and prodigies attending it.”

(From: A Sketch of the History of Newbury, Newburyport, and West Newbury, from 1635 to 1845 By Joshua Coffin, Joseph Bartlett, 1845)

“As mighty a snow, as perhaps has been known
in the memory of man, is at this time lying on the ground.”
~ Cotton Mather, early American preacher and historian

Carla Olson Gade: My ancestor’s home in Newbury, MA (Spencer-Peirce-Little House, c. 1690 which was covered in snow up to the second floor in 1717. Photo courtesy: Karen Lynch. http://www.karenlynchphotos.com/

Have you ever been in a blizzard or other great snow?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY!
Leave a comment with a valid email address by midnight, Nov 11th
to be entered to win a copy of Carla's giveaway,
Colonial Courtships
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Colonial Courtships:
Carving a Future by Carla Olson Gade
Barbour Publishing, October 2012

Unexpected adventure catches the Ingersoll
brothers by surprise-and brings unexpected love into their lives. Nathaniel has his sights set on becoming a master figurehead carver, until he risks everything for a woman. Jonathan's merchant trade and his new love are in jeopardy from a brother's animosity. Micah expects to settle down to peace after a life of fighting on the frontier but finds a young woman hiding from an abductor. Alden is press-ganged into tending an ailing naval captain, then catches sight of the captain's fetching niece. Will the unexpected end in four courtships?

The novella collection begins with Carving a Future, set in 1753. Ship figurehead carver Nathaniel Ingersoll has apprenticed for many years under his Uncle Phineas and hopes to become a master ship carver in his own right. Indentured servant Constance Starling arrives on the Connecticut coast too ill for anyone to accept. Has Nathaniel jeopardized the future he has worked hard to achieve for the welfare of a weakly servant?

Excerpt: http://carlagade.com/CarvingaFutureChapter%201.pdf

Carla is the author of the Heartsongs Presents novel, The Shadow Catcher's Daughter, as well as the novella “Carving a Future” in Colonial Courtships. Carla is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers.

Connect with Carla at:

Carla's website
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Goodreads
Colonial Quills group Blog

If you are interested in ancestry, Carla invites you to check out her Genealogy blog at http://familyhistory.wordpress.com.

1911 Courtship: Feb 27, Dear Ethel

9/2/2012

Welcome back to the continuing letters of Noah and Ethel's courtship year. Our last letter was 1911 Courtship: Feb 24, and was written on a Regina hotel letterhead - Noah's next-to-last-stop as he made his way back home after spending time with Ethel in Ontario. Since we're going in chronological order, here's another of Noah's. It appears he misses his sweetheart since his last letter was dated just 3 days before this one...

Author of Letter: Noah Clement Draper
Dated: February 27, 1911
Addressed to: Miss E. Nelson, Bellhaven, Ontario
Mailed from: Grand Coulee, Saskatchewan
Relationship: Courting
Profession: Farmer
Writing instrument: Fine point pen, Black ink, switching to pencil on last page.

Writing Paper: Thick, textured, linen-like paper, 9 inches x 6.5 inches. Paper is folded in half and usually written starting on the front as page 1, then inside for 2 and 3, and ending with page 4 on the back. This time however, Noah wrote straight across the inside as if it was one page. It probably made sense to him, but it looks out of sync below, and it created havoc when I made a pdf copy - not something he had to worry about 100 yrs ago.

Mentioned in this letter:
- Percy - Noah's older brother (Noah is 23 yrs old)
- Will - probably William Rigler, married to Noah's sister, Ethel, who is mentioned on page 4
- the hired man - Common at the time for farms to employ and lodge a hired man.
- Mother - Sarah Sophia Deverell Draper (1846-1930)
- Coulee men - men from the area around Grand Coulee, Sask.
- Eva & Joe - Joseph and Eva Amelia Draper Perrault - another of Noah's sisters
- Veda - Veda Josie Perrault (16 yrs) - Noah's niece
- a cute little girl - possibly Veda's baby sister, Marguerite, except she was born Aug 1910. Perhaps she was a preemie and required an extended hospital/NICU stay ?
- Fred & Louie - Louie is Sarah Louisa - Noah's sister. More on Fred and Louie below under Genealogical Notes.

Grand Coulee, Sask.
Feb. 27. 1911.

Miss. E. Nelson,
     Belhaven, Ont.
Dear Ethel;-
   Received your welcome letter
Thursday and was glad to hear
from you. hope you are all well
as this leaves us at present.
     Well old girl you said you
would like to see me work
if you had been here this
after noon you would have
thought I was going some
I loaded the last three loads
of wheat I will draw untill
after seeding. Percy & Will
had out 16 loads when I got
here and we have drawn out
eight since.

I also done the chores for 22 horses and four cows as my man went
up to his homestead Saturaday night expect him back next week
guess I will hire him for the summer.
   Mother & Percy met me in Regina the day I wrote before & we
got things fixed up & they drove out & I waited for & went out on
the local. Met one of the Coulee men men in Regina & he said he was
having a party & I was to be sure and get ther. so of course I went
but it turned out to be a dance but I had a good time all the
same. Then on Friday night there was a Social evening in the
basement of the Methodist church had a good time at that
to & saw a lot of my old friends.
   Eva & Joe got home Saturaday night & brought home with
them a nice little girl. (O so cute) expect Veda & her will
have big times. Say Veda is a tarter she grabed this out
of my hand and started to read it so I just reached up on
the side board & got one she had written, and opened it
& read it. Say there is no use letting any one getting ahead
of you. eh.
   Was at Joe's last night for tea and also Fred and Louie we had
a big time Louie took mother with her so I had to take the
girls. O. Joy. then after church I went back & stayed all night
& came home this morning so am taking this chance for writing.

Say Veda is bothering me to best four
of a kind, wish you were here to
help me. Expect to go into Regina
tomorrow with mother & Ethel
Louie & Fred is going in too I guess.
     Well Ethel I am not much good
at writing letters but I am getting
near the end of this.
     Veda has my pen but not
my pencil. so all mistakes blots
& blunders are kisses. wish I
were there to deliver them
in person.
     Have you been over to your
aunts yet & how is she getting
along.
     Say Veda has adressed an
envelope to you so I am going
to use it. Well this is all for
this time. So good Bye from
your loving friend. & F---n - e

N. C. Draper

x x x x x x x x
G B S H S Y . L . O .

I wonder if that word just before Noah's name, F---n - e stands for fiance? Perhaps he doesn't want to use it because it's not official yet? Or is it only wishful thinking on his part? We don't even know if he's proposed because the letters started as he left Ontario after Christmas. Prior to that, they knew each other because their families are were close - she was the girl-next-door - but none of the other letters showed an inkling of their feelings.

And then the letters after the kisses... G B S H S Y . L . O . I can only come up with... Good Bye Sweet Heart ... and the rest perhaps Say You Love... what? And would the O be for?

Anyone wanna take a guess?

Photos of the Time

Since there seems to be a distinct lack of photos of the Draper Family around this time, I thought I'd introduce a new addition to the courting letters - historical photos taken at the time the letters were written.

Unless specified otherwise, the Regina photos are free doman taken from the site, http://scaa.usask.ca/gallery/regina/ which

Genealogy Notes

Many of the letters speak of Fred & Louie, but without Fred's last name, I can't find a record of him. I've searched for Fred, Frederick, Wilfred, etc with no luck.

The problem is compounded because Noah's parents, David and Sarah, used all 3 of the names of Sarah, Louisa, and Louie, on different census when listing Sarah Louisa. I put all 3 in the search engine, along with Fred, but I was inundated with hits for Sarah, Louisa, or Louie married to Fred Draper. Unless she married an unknown cousin, she wouldn't have married another Draper.

A further problem is the lack of information. At this time in the US, the censuses are released 70 yrs after the fact, which is why the 1940 US census has just been released. Up here in Canada, though, there needs to be a 92 year span which means we don't have access to anything later than the 1911 Canada census and the 1916 census supplement for the late blooming western provinces.

This won't be the last time we run across Louie and Fred in these letters, and one of these weeks, I hope to surprise you with more information about the mystery couple.

Next week, we get to read Ethel's response. :)

Mom's School Books & a Giveaway

4/30/2012

27 Comments

Have you ever wondered what your parents learned in school?

My mom knows I like books, especially old ones, and she gave me a box of them a while back. I found them again while looking for some old photo albums.

It wasn't until I opened them that I realized they were her old Grade 7 & 8 school books.

Arithmetic

If you've been following Mamma's Memoirs which I presented in four parts, you'll know my mom was Mary, the middle Kakkonen daughter. However, when they started school, Pappa and Mamma changed their last name to Henrekson. At least that's how Mamma wrote it in her Memoirs.

On this post, I'll show you how my mom wrote it as Mary Hendrickson.

The image to the left and below is Mom's Arithmetic book. What strikes me as funny is the stickers. I didn't know they had stickers back in the 50's. If you look close, the stickers say, "Made in Czechoslovakia." I wonder where she got them.

Composition and Grammar

Canadian History

British History

Seasonal Activities

Okay, this one had me stumped until I looked at the topics. I believe this is for art.

Reader: Over the Bridge

Mathematics

Literature?

Dark Horse is a novel so I'm assuming it was a literature class. It lists my mother, Mary, and her brothers, William and David, which signifies it was handed down. Since William - or Billy as everyone called him - died in a highway accident when he was only 16 (as mentioned in part 4 of Mamma's Memoirs) this is the only thing I have that ever belonged to him. I never met my Uncle Billy as Mom was carrying me at the time of the accident.

Also, the name at the top of this page, Grace Spillenaar, brings warm memories to mind because the Spillenaar family was very good friends with Mamma while they lived in the area. A missionary family, the Spillenaars moved a few hours south to Round Lake where they started a ministry preaching the gospel to the Inuit. I remember John and Tyyne Spillenaar’s bush plane with "Wings of the Gospel" written on the side. John Spillenaar is the founder of Arctic Missions Outreach.

However, what got me wondering if this book really was for literature class was the book itself. If you read the first page below, the character has smoked his cigarette to the stub and is wishing he had a cold bottle of beer. In a Grade 8 school book? Really?

This may not have been a school book. I have half a dozen books which my mom bought as an adult through the Doubleday Book Club and she wrote her name in the front of each one.

With Mom using these books in 1951/52 means they're over 60 yrs old. Wow.

Mary Hendrickson, 13 yrs old, 1951

Do you collect old books?
What is the oldest one you have?
What is the oldest one you'd like to have?

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Winner's Choice.
The pile contains an assortment of books including inspirationals, mainstream, autobiographies, self-help, and devotionals.
If you're the winner, I'll email you the list and you can pick.
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Anne Greene: My Best Christmas and Giveaway

12/18/2011

This week we welcome back Anne Greene to Author Memories.

ANNE GREENE delights in writing about wounded heroes and gutsy heroines. She writes both historical and suspense novels. After falling in love with several countries and their people, Anne set a number of her books in exotic locations. She and her hero husband, Army Special Forces Colonel Larry Greene, have visited twenty-five countries, including three communist countries. When she’s not deployed with her husband, Anne makes her home in McKinney, Texas. Two of her four children live nearby. Tim LaHaye led her to the Lord when she was twenty-one and Chuck Swindoll is her Pastor.

My Best Christmas
by Anne Greene

Do you have one Christmas that stands out in your mind? I’d love to say that my best memory of Christmas was one in which I did the giving. But it wasn’t. I was ten years old and thought I was quite the grown-up.

Though we always had enough to eat, had a roof over our heads, and sufficient clothing, my family was poor. So, Christmas for me consisted of too much anticipation before the grand day, but then pretty much disappointment the morning of.

That particular Christmas time I’d played in the snow, sang the Christmas carols our small town played throughout our downtown area in snowy Ohio. Spent my meager savings on gifts for my family members, and counted down the hours until Christmas morning. Though I knew Christmas for us wouldn’t amount to much, I loved the season. Though I wasn’t a Christian and didn’t know the real meaning of Christmas, I loved the idea of a Child born in a stable and laid in a manger. The whole idea sent my imagination soaring.

But that Christmas a whole new world opened for me. My older sister and I rushed down the stairs. There weren’t a lot of presents scattered at the base of the lighted tree and each present looked similar in size and shape. So, the initial glance didn’t seem too promising. We always took our time opening gifts, carefully unwrapping and saving the paper for the following year. We savored each gift, making the experience last.

I opened the first present, and it was a book. Just the right color (blue), just the right size, and ummn just the right smell. Excitement mounted inside as my sister and I discovered each gift was another book in the series. I literally jumped for joy. I’d never heard of Nancy Drew, but those books looked too good to be true. I spent many hours reading and rereading those books. And Christmas continued through the year because my mother took me to visit a tiny book store. Halfway up the stairs to the Book Nook I could smell the enticing odor of fresh print on pages. Then there were tables and shelves with stacks of books to browse through. That year, every spare cent I earned took me back to that magic wonderland.

So, why the picture of a Grandfather clock? My favorite Nancy Drew mystery was The Mystery of the Old Clock. Children today don’t seem to be as interested in Nancy Drew mysteries, but back then I had no cell phone, no computer, no video games, and life was simpler. We had family, we had love, and we had the whole, wide world of books.

And, I didn’t discover the real meaning of Christmas until I was twenty-one. But that’s something I’ll have to tell you about at another time. For now, find yourself a book you’ve always loved, a treasured companion, curl up in a chair by a roaring fire and experience another world.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY!
Leave a comment with a valid email address by midnight, Dec 25th
to be entered to win a copy of Anne's giveaway, a free download of her ebook,
A Texas Christmas Mystery.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Texas Christmas Mystery, White Rose Publishing, available now.

A lady Coastguardsman searches for a killer.

An oil rig troubleshooter accused of murder races to clear his name.

The murderer strives to silence them both.

As Amber Meredith seeks to arrest Derrick Darbonne, sparks fly. She needs to solve her first case. But the handsome Cajun suspect makes her heart race and her toes tingle. Derrick has worked all his life for his high-paying, adventurous job. When his past threatens his future, will he endanger the woman he loves?

Read an Excerpt

Read The Gift, Anne's previous visit to Author Memories.

Read Anita Mae's Book Review for her thoughts on Masquerade Marriage,
Anne's award-winning Scottish historical romance which was a direct result of
Anne and her hero husband, Army Special Forces Colonel Larry Greene's visit to Scotland - only one twenty-five countries they have visited.

A Christmas Texas Mystery is available as a downloadable ebook.

Masquerade Marriage is available as an ebook or a print copy.

Both are availabe at www.whiterosepublishing.com

To learn more about Anne Greene and view pictures
from her extensive travel, visit her at

www.AnneGreeneAuthor.com

1911 Courtship Letter: Nov 12 Dear Noah

Genealogy Notes

Carla Olson Gade: Romancing the Snow

This week we welcome Carla Olson Gade to Author Memories.

Romancing the Snow
by Carla Olson Gade

1911 Courtship: Feb 27, Dear Ethel

Mom's School Books & a Giveaway

Arithmetic

Composition and Grammar

Canadian History

British History

Seasonal Activities

Reader: Over the Bridge

Mathematics

Literature?

Anne Greene: My Best Christmas and Giveaway

This week we welcome back Anne Greene to Author Memories.

My Best Christmas
by Anne Greene

A Texas Christmas Mystery, White Rose Publishing, available now.

Recent Posts

Archives

Categories

1911 Courtship Letter: Nov 12 Dear Noah

Genealogy Notes

Carla Olson Gade: Romancing the Snow

This week we welcome Carla Olson Gade to Author Memories.

Romancing the Snow by Carla Olson Gade

1911 Courtship: Feb 27, Dear Ethel

Mom's School Books & a Giveaway

Arithmetic

Composition and Grammar

Canadian History

British History

Seasonal Activities

Reader: Over the Bridge

Mathematics

Literature?

Anne Greene: My Best Christmas and Giveaway

This week we welcome back Anne Greene to Author Memories.

My Best Christmasby Anne Greene

A Texas Christmas Mystery, White Rose Publishing, available now.

Recent Posts

Archives

Categories

Romancing the Snow
by Carla Olson Gade

My Best Christmas
by Anne Greene