Reflections of 2014

As 2014 draws to an end, it's a good time for reflections. This has been an unusual year for me, and the publication of my first novel is responsible.

I wrote Cleared for Planting about four years ago. It took me about four weeks to write the rough draft, but I'd let it rest and then go back to proof and tweak it. It was actually my fifth manuscript. I have eleven now and am working on the twelfth.

In 2014, I attended a writer's conference in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and met with Sam and Tim Lowry from Ambassador International. They are a Christian publishing house with offices in Belfast, Ireland, and Greenville, South Carolina. Because I was taking some classes at Chowan University and had other obligations that required my time, I didn't get to go write the novel proposal and send it in until July. It was accepted and that began the process.

I wrote bits of information, like the author's bio and back cover copy; went back and forth with the editor until both of us were satisfied; and worked with the graphic designer on the cover. I finished my part around the first of October. Then, the waiting began, which turned out to be the most difficult part of all.

Recently, I discovered by accident that Cleared for Planting is already available for pre-order on amazon. Their site says it will be released on February 16. Hopefully, I'll hear from Ambassador that my copies are ready soon.

The publisher also asked me to blog. This caused another major change. I began blogging in August and have posted each day since then. I have enjoyed it and have been able to pull on my background as a magazine writer. However, the time required to do a daily blog with photos seems to take away from my time for novel writing. As you can see here, my blog is called "Reflections." It covers a different topic each day - things like history, folk culture, my writing, personal stories, and messages of faith. 

Now, as I look toward to 2015, I'm sure it'll bring even more new experiences and changes, as I try to promote Cleared for Planting and let people know there's a new novelist on the block. I'm hoping it will sell well enough that Ambassador will want to publish the next book in the Appalachian Roots series, Sown in Dark Soil. I also invite you to follow me to see what 2015 brings.

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The Cookie House

When I was a child and before gas prices escalated, my parents and I used to go for Sunday afternoon drives. One of my favorite places to go was Galax, Virginia, just over the state line from North Carolina. They had a huge Book Barn stuffed full with used books at cheap prices. Even then, I was a book lover.

On one trip there, we also stopped at a pottery place. I had a coffee mug collection too. Dad told me I could choose a cheaper item, but I couldn't find a mug that I wanted. However, they had this cookie jar shaped like house.  It even said, "Cookie House." We didn't have a cookie jar at home, and I felt we needed this one. Mom thought it cost more than she'd planned to spend, since I'd already bought books, but Dad said I could get it. For $3.50, we brought it home.

Later, as an adult, I became interested in antiques and collectibles. I discovered my cookie jar was a McCoy, and it ending up having a great investment return. I still have it today in perfect shape.

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A Glance at Pocket Watches

Pocket watches have almost become a thing of the past, but that can be good for collectors. The first pocket watches in America were handmade upon request and not stocked in stores. Even when factories took over production, American watchmakers dominated the world markets.

In 1936, the United States signed the Reciprocal Trade Treaty, which cut tariffs on Swiss watches in half. Swiss watches began to flood the market. Then, World War II hit. In the post-war economy, American manufacturers struggled with 
inflation, rising wages, and capital to modernize. Soon watchmakers here almost stopped making jeweled watches.

Modern technology is causing most watches to become things of the past. However, because of the relatively short period of time American pocket watches were produced, they are highly sought by collectors. And, as with most antiques, their value is only likely to increase.

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New Beginnings

When I taught school, I felt that each new school year was a new beginning for me and the students. Not many professions have that - a chance to learn from the past, become better, and start over.

"And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses" (Leviticus 10:11).

Writing is like that, too. With each manuscript that I've written, I've learned, and my writing has grown stronger. Certainly, I learned much from working with an editor on Cleared for Planting, my Christian novel, and the next in the series, Sown in Dark Soil, should be even stronger because of it. I expect each subsequent book will show growth. On each one, I get to start over.

"And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. This then is the message which we heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all" (1 John"1:4-5).

God gives us that chance with our lives, too. When we accept Christ as our Savior, the old persons we were are swept away, and we can start fresh with the Holy Spirit as our guide. And each time we fail, we are forgiven by God's grace and given new opportunities. Isn't it fitting that we celebrate the birth of Christ a week before we begin a new calendar year. In 2015 may we all follow God's plans for our lives and be the people He intended for us to be.

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17).

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Colonial Clocks

Prior to 1700, clocks were pretty unreliable, and sundials were often used instead. Short periods of time were kept with hourglasses. Most farmers and frontiersmen relied on the position of the sun. The long pendulum clock, introduced around 1700, was the first one that proved to be generally reliable, and it became known as the long clock.

In America, the first clocks were shipped from England or Holland. Then some clock makers immigrated, and many of them settled in Pennsylvania. The Lancaster area became especially noted for their clock makers. During the first half of the eighteenth century, grandfather clocks inlaid with hex signs and scrolls were common. 

The clock makers only made the clockworks, which is called a wag-on-the-wall. The people who wanted their clocks in a case went to a cabinetmaker. In many towns, residents relied on the village clock, which was often put in the church steeple. My, how times have changed!    

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Continuing Christmas

Sometimes, we come to the day after Christmas with a sense of gloom, of being let down. We've completed the shopping, listened to the Christmas music, attended the parades and programs, gone to some parties, done the extra cooking and eating, unwrapped the presents, and ended most of the extra busyness and hectic rush. Sometimes we've even missed the meaning of it all and failed to catch the real spirit of Christmas amid the hassles. Wouldn't it be wonderful, however, if we could continue the true spirit of Christmas all year long!

The true spirit of Christmas is a mixture of love, compassion, and giving. God gave us the greatest gift of all times in His Son, who came to earth, taught, died for our sins, and rose again. But God also loves it when we love all, witness, and have a giving nature. 

Statistics tell us that people are more likely to give to charities at Christmastime than any other time of the year. We should give of our resources, including prayers, time, and money, all through the year. It's amazing how much better we feel and how much more we enjoy life when we focus on the needs of others. Perhaps our New Year's resolution should be to develop a truly giving spirit, as God leads.

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Merry Christmas from Around the World

One year when I was teaching in December, the school had a door decorating contest. My class did "Merry Christmas Around the World," which included saying "Merry Christmas" in different languages. For Christmas day, I thought I would send "Merry Christmas" your way from some of the countries I've visited.

Spain and Latin America - Feliz Navidad

Venice, Italy

France - Joyeux Noël
                      
Germany - Frohe Weilnachten

Italy - Buon Natale

Turkey - Mutlu Noeller

India - (Hindi)  मैरी क्रिसमस                                

Greece

         
Philippines - Maligayang Pasko

Greece - Καλά Χριστούγεννα

Thailand - สุขสันต์วันคริสต์มาส

Morocco - Mboni Chrismen

Curacao (Dutch) -   Vrolijk Kerstfeest

Merry Christmas!

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An Early Christmas Present

Yesterday, I went to amazon to post a review, and I ran across Cleared for Planting. It is available for pre-order at a slightly reduced price and will be released February 16, 2015. I am delighted that something is happening, and this felt like a special Christmas present. The waiting has been hard.

My publisher still hasn't contacted me, so I don't know what's up with that. This is the first time I've felt they slipped on something. Of course, with the holidays here, things are hectic everywhere. However, I am interested to see how long it will take them to tell me anything.

The process has seemed long, but it hasn't really been. Most regular publishers take almost a year to get a book out. I had met the publishers at a writers conference in South Carolina. I went to their website, followed their guidelines, and sent in a novel proposal a few months later. Cleared for Planting was first accepted in July. I did a final revision on my manuscript and sent it in, and it was assigned to an editor. We began working through emails back and forth. I think I ended up doing about four revisions, most of which were pretty minor. We wrapped that up, and it went to the design department. After a couple of tweaks to the backcover copy, etc. , the graphic artist sent me a proposed cover. 

I liked the mountains above the title, because that was what I'd envisioned, but Emma in Indian dress surprised me. At first I wasn't sure about it, but the more I thought about it, the more I liked it. We ended up using this first design, and it has grown on me all the while. Since Emma is captured by the Cherokee, it does fit.

We wrapped all our design work in October. I had been first told the book would likely be released around Thanksgiving. When I later asked, that had changed until right before Christmas. The last I heard the date had been moved to January. Yesterday's find on amazon was the first solid date I've had. 

I will need to be very involved with marketing, and I'd really appreciate any help you can give. Word of mouth is really the best way to advertise. I'll be willing to come to churches, book clubs, libraries, and other groups for presentations or signings, too. All the profit from the books will go to charity, and I'm still finalizing those plans. However, this book needs to sell well, so the next ones in the series of four will be published. Pray that things go well.

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In Search of Santa Claus

Tales, legends, folklore, and history have interwoven until it is hard to trace Santa Claus. Our modern version may have come from the Dutch Sinterklaas. However, this may have been a dialectal pronunciation of Saint Nicholas, the Greek bishop who was known for giving gifts around Myra (in present day Turkey) in the 4th century. He became a patron saint of both Amsterdam and Moscow. His remains have been found and preserved in Italy today. German traditions of Kris Kringle also added to the idea. The name, Santa Claus, was first used by Americans, however.

The American and Canadian image of a short, fat man with white hair and beard, wearing a red suit trimmed in white comes from a 1823 poem, "A Visit from St. Nicholas" by Clement Clarke Moore. Cartoonist, Thomas Nast, also drew caricatures with Santa Claus looking like this around 1880. The 1923 song, "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" further solidified the image.

Norman Rockwell Santa

There have been controversies about whether or not it's good for parents to carry on this tradition. Some see it as deception, but others point out that giving without taking any credit for it can be a good thing. It may be true that Santa Claus has helped take the commercialism of Christmas to absurd levels, but there may be something about the little figure that embodies the spirit of Christmas.

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A Birth Day

The daylight grew dim, and Geneva clutched at her back. She hadn't thought she'd overdone today, but her body felt like it. The baby moved, a hard kick, and she automatically moved her hand to cover her belly. A good night's rest is what she needed.

The wind whistled around the corners of the house her husband had built for them after he came back from the war. He'd broken everything she'd had that said "Made in Japan." He'd seen enough friends brought down by Japanese bullets when he'd been stationed in the Pacific he'd said.

She smiled to herself. Gene might just be more excited about this baby than she. He'd been working hard to try to make this small farm work. Still, money was tight now, but they'd be all right. She knew how to scrimp and be saving. She'd been on her own since her mother had died when she was eleven.

She looked outside. The night fell quickly in the winter, but something looked different. She put her face closer to the window. It was snowing, and the wind whipped the flakes like twirling ballerinas. A blizzard! She hoped Gene got back from the barn soon.

The first pain hit just as he walked in the back door. "Is it time?" He looked frantic.

"I think it might be. I haven't felt good for a while." 

"I'll walk up and get Raymond to take us to the hospital. Will you be okay?" Raymond was his older brother. Gene didn't have a car yet, and North Wilkesboro was about ten miles away.

"I'll be fine. Don't worry. It'll be a while yet."

He was gone much longer than she expected. Finally he burst in followed by a gust of wind and covered in snow. 

"No one's car will start in the cold. I even walked down to Daddy's. I'll have to go to Roaring River and see if I can get someone, but I hate to leave you."

"Go, it's fine. The contractions aren't coming close together yet. Hurry, though, just in case."

She felt bad about him walking the mile to Roaring River in this weather, but he was strong and fit. She assured herself that he would be fine.

This time he was back quicker than she expected and in a car. The owner of the hardware would take them to the hospital. 

On December 22, Janice was born in Wilkes General Hospital to Eugene and Geneva Cole. Geneva would always declare it was the best Christmas present she ever got.

(Since Mama is in heaven now, this is a slightly fictionalized version of the story I remember her telling. Today is my birthday.)

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Taking Christ from Christmas?

Maybe there's something naive about me, but it makes no sense to me to try to take Christ from Christmas. He's the very reason we celebrate. Without Christ there would never have been a Christmas. You can say "Happy holidays" (which means holy day, by the way) or "Season's greetings" all you want instead of "Merry Christmas," but it still doesn't change why we celebrate.

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:11).

Christmas is not just a modern holiday. In fact there's evidence that Christmas was celebrated on December 25th as far back as the mid-300's. It's not just an American celebration either, but it's celebrated all over the world. "Merry Christmas" rings out in almost too many languages to count.

Some say they have changed the word so they won't offend other religions. I don't think this is a valid argument. I have taught people of other faiths, and they were not offended by my Christmas or Easter, just as I wasn't offended by their Hanukkah, Ramadan, or whatever. I sat at a Hindu family's dinner table in India, and the head of the household asked me to say grace before we ate, because he knew it was what I did.

I don't see how we can take Christ from Christmas. It's part of the name. The calendars I see in the stores still mark December 25 as "Christmas Day." If someone chooses not to believe in Christ, let them not celebrate Christmas, but don't try to take Christ out of Christmas. That's impossible.

"Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ?" (1 John 2:22a).

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Memorable Christmases

Isn't it odd how we remember the things that went wrong or turned out to be funny better than those things that went well? The same is true for the the Christmases I remember most.

I especially remember the first Christmas after I was married. My husband and and I were spending Christmas with my parents. When I picked up the package he had put under the tree for me, he said, "Don't shake that toaster." I tried to ignore his slip, so I wouldn't make it worse, but the third time he called it a toaster I burst into laughter. I couldn't ignore it any longer. It became a joke in the family for a long time.

Another Christmas that stands out is the one where we threw away our money. My mother often added some cash in her gifts to us. After all the presents had been unwrapped and we'd cleaned up the mess, I went to get the envelope with the money, and it wasn't there. We looked everywhere. Finally, in desperation, we went to the dumpster near our house where we'd thrown the garbage bags of wrapping paper and trash. Sure enough, after sorting through more than we wanted to, we

found it.

Yesterday, I wrote of being in the Philippines until right before Christmas in 2001. What I didn't tell you is how cold it was when I arrived in Charlotte and had to leave the airport, and I didn't have warm clothing or a coat, since I didn't need those for the semester I'd spent in Davao. A wonderful surprise, however, was that both my children were there to meet me. My son had driven from

Tennessee just to do so. Their smiling faces were an extra-special Christmas present.

What are your Christmas memories?

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The Story of the Candy Cane

You may have heard the story of the candy cane, but it bears repeating:

Many years ago, a candy maker wanted to make something special for Christmas that would be a witness to his Christian faith and show symbols of Jesus. He began with a stick of pure white, hard candy, because he thought white would symbolize the virgin birth, and the hardness would remind everyone that Jesus could become their rock-solid foundation. He added red stripes to show the scourging, beating, and blood that Jesus shed for mankind.

The candy maker fashioned the stick of candy in the shape of a "J" to stand for "Jesus." If turned the other way, it also represents the Good Shepherd's staff that He uses to reach down into the ditches and ravines of the world to rescue those who call to Him.

Over time, the candy cane has lost much of its original meaning. Too many see it as nothing more than a sweet treat or a piece of decoration. But the sweetest part of all is when it is used to witness to the wonder of Jesus' great sacrifice and love.     
  

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Christmastime in the Philippines

I have been blessed to have traveled the world. I've been to all 50 states and at least 35 other countries. In all my travels and mission work, however, I've always made it home to be with my family over at least part of the Christmas holiday.

In 2001, I spent fall semester teaching missionaries' children in Davao, in the southern Philippines. I taught high school English at Mindanao International Christian Academy (MICA). In fact, I was there during 9-11 and the terrorist attacks, but that's a story for another day. 

December in shorts

Although, I flew home after the semester ended and I got my grades turned in, I was still there for the pre-Christmas activities. Temperatures had cooled just a little by December, but it was still pretty warm and muggy. With temperatures in the eighties, it didn't seem like Christmas to me, and the palm trees seemed out of place. However, the city, stores, and many people still put out traditional Christmas

decorations and played Christmas music. For the Filipinos and the missionaries living there long-term, this was normal. 

The school even held a progressive Christmas dinner and a Christmas program, which included a play and music. These months provided important lessons and special blessings. I treasure the time I spent there, but I was still glad I was able to come home for Christmas.

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The Legend of the Poinsettia

Poinsettias are native to southern Mexico and Central America. When Jim and I were missionaries in Oaxaca in deep southern Mexico, it amazed me to see them growing wild there and how big the bushes got. Sometimes, they seemed more like trees.

Joel Roberts Poinsett (for whom we named the flower) brought the flower to America and made it widely popular. He had been the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico in 1825. He transported the flower to his South Carolina plantation in 1828 and grew them in his greenhouses there.

An old Mexican legend tells how the poinsettia became associated with Christmas:

Pepita, a poor Mexican girl had no present to take before the baby Jesus at her local Christmas Eve services. As she sadly walked to the chapel, her cousin, Pedro, tried to cheer her up. "Any small gift given in love will please Jesus," he told her. Thinking about his, Pepita picked some weeds from the side of the road and made a bouquet. She carried them to the front of the church and reverently knelt down and put her offering below the manger.

Suddenly the plants burst into bright red flowers, and everyone there knew they'd just witnessed a miracle. From that time on the flowers have been called "Flores de Noche Buena" or "Flowers of the Holy Night".

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