Today, my Inkwell Inspirations post is about Historic Santa Claus and Thanksgiving Parades and I've included lots of old photos, footage, and facts.
To get you started, here's a photo of Edmonton's 1929 Santa Claus Parade...
Have you ever been to a huge holiday parade? How about watching the Toronto Santa Claus Parade, or Macy's Thanksgiving Parade on TV? Today, my Inkwell Inspirations post is about Historic Santa Claus and Thanksgiving Parades and I've included lots of old photos, footage, and facts. To get you started, here's a photo of Edmonton's 1929 Santa Claus Parade... Of course, this is merely another tool I'm using to promote my A Cup of Christmas Cheer story, Riding on A Christmas Wish since it's set in Keswick, York Ontario, within an hour's drive of where the historic Eaton's Santa Claus Parade began. But I've included some real interesting stuff. I hope you enjoy your nostalgic trip back in time.
Today I'm appearing on the Stitches Thru Time blog where I'm interviewed by fellow Canadian writer, Cherie Gagnon.
The questions are about my A Cup of Christmas Cheer story, Riding on a Christmas Wish, so if you're wondering about York, Ontario in 1911, head on over. If you leave a comment on my Stitches Thru Time post, you'll be entered for a $10 Starbucks gift card - sorry, winners must be U.S. residents. This spring on March 11, I was presented an opportunity to create a story for a new two-volume hardcover set containing 16 short stories to be published by Guideposts Books in time for this holiday season. The deadline for the submission of a synopsis was March 26 - a mere two weeks away. The two books were to have different themes: - family, faith, and friendship in one - angels, miracles, and other wonders in the second Since the initial email said we could contact the editor for a list of story suggestions, I emailed and asked for the list so I'd have an idea of what they were looking for. In the days that followed, two stories came to mind - a contemporary story and a historical one, both fitting the faith, family, and friendship theme. I wrote and rewrote and after each synopsis was done to my satisfaction, I sent it out to my Inkwell Inspiration blog mates (Inkies) for critiquing. On Mar 25, I emailed both synopses and a writing sample to the Guideposts editor. And then I tried to concentrate on my current writing project while I waited - not an easy thing to do. On April 8th, I went into town for awhile and although I had my iPhone with me, I didn't have the volume turned up and didn't feel it vibrate. As soon as I returned home and entered the dining room though, I saw the light flashing on the Answering Machine. It was my agent, Mary Keeley, announcing that Guideposts wanted to buy my short story, Riding on a Christmas Wish. Wahoo!!! Before I became too excited however, Mary advised that the Guideposts Books editor had some conditions before the contract would be offered. She gave me his number, and after a few hours when I'd settled down a bit, I made the call. The editor said the main condition was that they wanted the story to be written in the father's point-of-view (POV) only. (He gave me the reason, but I won't say it here because that would ruin the story for you.) Would I be able to do that? I answered yes because several people had told me that I write guys well, and if that's what it took I was up for the challenge. The editor was also concerned that a big action scene would be lost because it was in the mother's POV, but I assured him that I could work around it and keep the action. (It gave me confidence that he liked the action scene.) With that verbal agreement, I got down to the business of writing. My new deadline to submit the complete 5,500-7,000 word short story (22-28 manuscript pages) was May 6. And I did, again with help from my Inky blog mates. What would I do without them? On May 10th, I received the Guideposts contract in the mail - all 3 copies. It was right there on paper that they wanted Riding on a Christmas Wish for A Cup of Christmas Cheer. Upon reading the contract, though, my joy was tempered by a sobering fact - that if the manuscript wasn't acceptable, the editor would ask for revisions once only. If the editor did not like my revisions, Guideposts would terminate the contract and I would receive a kill fee for my trouble versus the full payment. Gulp. But it wasn't enough to stop the joy from bubbling up again. In order not to give away the contract details, I whitened out much of this xeroxed copy prior to taking this self-portrait. Yes, that means I aimed the camera at my chair and set the timer . . . ran to my chair . . . held up the contract . . . and smiled. I shared the image on Facebook, etc, and got back to writing.
On May 31st I received my first ever revision letter. The Guideposts editor spared nothing in giving me his thoughts on my story and it looked bad at first, but it actually came down to one character problem and the tone of the story. The editor wanted the revised copy back by 9 am on June 10th, and after deep-thinking for a couple days, I started the revisions. On June 9th, I sent in my revised copy, and then sat on tenterhooks while waiting to see if the editor liked it. Was it good enough? Had I understood his revision requests? Had I conveyed on paper the tone I knew he wanted? Would it be rejected because of something I could have easily changed? The doubts lingered... Thankfully, he answered the next day - on June 10 - with a thank you note saying no further revisions were needed and the book would be out in October. That was it. Or was it? Although I'd signed the contract, I didn't have the final version with the whole contingent of signatures. You know, it's funny how your faith can flag when you allow doubt to set in. It's also the reason I didn't write this post sooner - the fear of rejection was very strong. It seemed better to wait and be sure my story had been accepted before making a big hoopla. So far, the only thing I had done was post the above photo on Facebook, and that was all I was going to do until I was very sure of publication. The thing is... the publishing world is changing so fast, an author can never be sure of publication until the book hits the stores. On July 15 however, I received an email from the Books & Such head office that the Cup of Christmas Cheer contract had arrived and was attached. You can bet I ran that attachment off pretty quick. :) And now I finally believe that I am going to be published - and soon too, because at this point, Oct is only 3 months away. Sure, things can happen between now and then, but faith in my writing ability has taken an upswing. I've been blessed beyond measure with this opportunity and so grateful to my agent, Mary, and my Guideposts editor, for giving me this chance. October you say? Yikes, I have to start planning how I can help promote this project starting with the Genre Dinner at the upcoming ACFW conference.... but that's another post. :) As part of my research trip for my Mountie series, I am following the 1885 Trails. Last year, when I made this same trip following a writer's retreat near Humboldt, SK, I went looking for the site of the Humboldt Telegraph Station since it's on the Carlton Trail. Both play significant parts in my story. When I visited last year, all I had was a spot on the map approx 5 km west and south of Humboldt, and some references in a couple history books. I didn't know what to expect. My hope rose as I found the site resplendent in flags and signs. It didn't matter that it was a secondary rural road on the open prairie. What mattered was that the spot was marked. I was standing on the Carlton Trail at the site of the original Humboldt settlement. As I surveyed the fields suffering an overload of spring rain, I spotted further evidence that someone was doing something there. My suspicions were confirmed when I saw the signs. Unfortunately, Humboldt is a 4 hour drive from my home, over mostly gravel roads, and although I was trying to cajole hubby into letting me take the family van for another day trip, the weather didn't cooperate. The commemoration went ahead while I stewed about the mucky Saskatchewan roads. Skip forward to yesterday. I hadn't heard any promotion for the site, so was anxious to see what, if anything, had changed. See for yourself... Each storyboard is a different aspect of the original site, such as the telegraph station, the family who ran the station, the Carlton Trail, etc. Very informative. I won't put individual storyboards here, but I'm creating a page under my research section for this topic. Back to yesterday, the archaeological dig was getting some action. On the other side of the 3rd storyboard from the left, two men were standing amongst a bunch of white markers. Curious what they were doing at the dig, I zoomed in on them. My eyes pricked when I saw them raise the Union Jack - a sight I hadn't witnessed since early grade school when the principal walked into our classroom to replace the familiar flag with a red and white one sporting a maple leaf. The Union Jack wasn't up very long before the men lowered and rolled it over a tube. With my photos taken, I drove over to where they were parked and waited for them. Something was in the works, and I needed to know what.
It was a dry run for the ceremony this Saturday, June 23rd which will include: - members of the Governor General's Horse Guard (tall bear hats, I believe) - the NorthWest Mounted Police in full uniform - dignitaries, etc And I'm going to miss it! I'll arrive home from my research trip on Wed or Thurs and I doubt I'll make it back for Sat. I wish I could be there - for the photo and video opportunity. But most of all, because I want to experience the pageantry as we pay tribute to an earlier time in Saskatchewan's history which benefitted the newly formed Canada. On May 14th, I carpooled with several other writers from the Regina area and headed north for the monthly meeting of the Saskatchewan Romance Writers. Usually the meetings are held in Saskatoon which is 1.5 hrs northwest of Regina (2.5 hrs from me). Twice a year however, the northerners come down and we meet at Keeper's Restaurant and Lounge in Davidson which is halfway between the two cities. Keeper's is a delightful restaurant as it appeals to all tastes. You walk into a small cafe area with the lounge on the left. But straight ahead is the restaurant part where the following photos were taken. Although we walk through this area to get to our meeting room, we once had a huge crowd and ate out here among the memorabilia. I really enjoy the atmosphere in this room. It wasn't always like this, however, but I'll show you what it used to look like after I show you what it looks like now. To orientate yourself, where I'm standing in front of the green-clothed table, our meeting room is through the door behind the hanging quilt, and the restrooms are hidden behind the wall along with a couple privacy nooks. Let's go for a tour starting on the far left of the above photo... Enter through the gate into an eclectric world of antique and vintage memories. From 19th century hatboxes to 1950 formica tables, the room has a soothing aura of simpler times. The standing cream separator with its cast iron base looks off-balance due to a missing a bowl, yet still adds character in the uncrowded room. On the wall, a bucksaw and sock drier. A melange of goods from an axe and andiron to a coffee pot and jug sit on the shelf. And artwork showing a motorcylist and his machine on the table. What a strange mix. Two 6 foot pews make up this dining area. Someone with a sense of humour tucked a young boy in the corner as if he misbehaved. On the right is the green covered table we saw in the first photo. This interesting little nook is hidden behind the interior wall. We pass it every time we leave our meeting room on the way to the restroom. Notice the hame hanging on the left wall as I'll refer to it later. If I turn around, I'm looking at this 2-sided nook which is located behind the military man you'll see in a bit. It's fitting that the articles on the wall - seen also in the photo below - are war memorabilia. If you're wondering about the article on the left in the above 2 photos, if I'm not mistaken they are aviator pants. In the above photo look for the hame hanging on the wall and you'll see what I mean about a nice little nook. And then there's the 'military' nook behind this uniform although I'm not sure to which airforce it belongs. Here's a close-up of the artistry above wall partitions. Made from sock dryers and the cast iron legs of old schooldesks, it's functional and very original. The quilt pattern eludes me at the moment, but I think it has something to do with a fan. I really like the way the colour of the ceiling is picked up in the quilt and the chairs. This table is to the right of the green covered table in the top photo, but I can see the set-up in anyone's dining room. There's also a table ensemble between this one and the quilt but it was occupied at the time I was taking photos. We're back at the green covered table again. The white-gated entrance is on our right and if you look ahead, more nooks. Don't mind the Christmas lights. I asked about them and other seasonal decorations and the server said the owner was too busy to take them down. Methinks the owner just likes Christmas. I think 'The Coal Bin' is my favourite nook of all because it's enclosed with 3.5 walls for that very private feeling. Although you can't see it here, a coal skuttle and scoop sits on the floor by my left foot. This nook has an outside exit, but they've closed it off and put an image behind the screen door to give you the country feeling. I actually feel like I'm on a verandah - what a great place to sit with an iced tea. And yet the things on the wall make me think of a kitchen. The Christmas lights spoil the mood, but overall, it's another great nook for a tete-a-tete. And this is the final corner because to the right is the entrance with the white gate. Have you figured out yet why it's called Keeper's? Now, if you liked what you saw, give credit to the owner because this is what it looked like when she bought the place... Not only is the ambiance of this restaurant unique, but the food is plentiful and delicious. I really enjoy our meetings because of those 2 reasons, but the people I come here to meet - the Saskatchewan Romance Writers. If you liked my little tour, let me know and I'll pass your comments on to the owner. I'd really like to let her know her effort is appreciated. If you had a chance to eat at Keeper's, which table or nook would you choose? I'm blogging over at Inkwell Inspirations today about the 4th and final post in my Sleighs and Sleds series. You can find the other parts here: Part 1 19th century adult and Santa sleighs Part 2 19th century children's sleighs Part 3 Royal Sleighs It's a Manitoba scene which is the prairie province to the east of where I live in Saskatchewan. I'd like you to note the sled behind the dog team, because this is very unusual and more reminiscent of the sleds called carrivales of Quebec. Actually, the sashes a couple of the men are wearing around their waist were worn by the Metis who were descended from the unions of French fur traders and native women. At the Inkwell, I'm also introducing the winter sports of snow canoeing, snow kayaking and snow cycling, although the latter one is more like a super kick sled, which I also talk about over there. So what do you think... would you like snow canoeing, snow kayaking or snow cycling to become Olympic sports?
This is Part 3 of my Inkwell Inspiration series on sleighs: • Part 1 is about 19th century adult and Santa sleighs. • Part 2 is about 19th centurychildren's sleighs. Today's post is about 18th and 19th century royal sleighs with a token humorous nod to the 20th century. Take this Russian royal sledge for example: This sleigh is housed in the Kremlin in Moscow, where we find the oldest of the royal Russian conveyances. It is from the 18th century and was one of many to carry the royal court from city to city. For example, when Catherine the Great (1729-1796) made her trip from St. Petersburg to Moscow for her coronation, she did it in 13 days in a sleigh similar to this. According to the book, Russian Imperial Style, by Laura Cerwinske, Catherine’s sleigh was a "palace on runners! It contained a salon, library and bedroom all warmed by porcelain stoves. It had six windows and was wide enough for 8 people to pass abreast! Behind her sleigh was a procession of 19,000 horses and 14 large sleighs and 184 smaller ones carrying the royal court." The questions for discussion over at the Inkwell today are: - Have you ever visited a foreign museum? - Which one and why? - Which one would you like to visit if you had a chance? I hope you enjoy your visit. Anita Mae. This is Part 2 of my sleigh series at Inkwell Inspirations and it's all about children's sleighs of the 19th century. Part 1 was about 19th century adult and Santa sleighs. This sleigh is my favourite. It's a carriole from Quebec being pulled by a goat and it's from Montreal's McCord online Museum: Part 2 at the Inkwell includes many photos as well as a video of a miniature horse pulling an older child's sleigh. And yes, of course there are sleigh bells. :) The questions for discussion today are... - Have you ever touched snow? - Do you live where it snows regularly or once in a lifetime? Last Monday I blogged about Heritage Turkeys at Inkwell Inspirations and mentioned it on our farm blog, Draper's Acres. I wasn't going to blog about it here because it seemed too far removed from writing. I was wrong. The post has dogged me all week because the emphasis wasn't so much on the turkeys, but that they were Heritage turkeys. Heritage equates to history. And as such, it should be mentioned on this blog where the emphasis is on history as much as writing. The links above will lead you to the posts where I talk about the efforts to preserve these colourful birds where at least one variety has gone extinct because it fell out of public interest for no particular reason other than human fickleness. And to get you started, here's a photo of my husband, Nelson with a pair of young Broad Breasted Bronze Heritage turkeys. Happy Thanksgiving
Yesterday, I posted about 19th Century Sleighs at Inkwell Inspirations. This Portland cutter is a very common design for Santa sleighs, mainly because it's of the light, cutter class built for speed. Check my post at the Inkwell for many other photos of 19th century sleighs and cutters.
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