My Redneckness

Having grown up in south Smith County, Mississippi, north of Cohay Creek where it flows through Hot Coffee, down in north Covington County...in the land between Sullivan’s Holler and Soso, Mississippi... in what my sister always called the sticks, I have redneckness that cannot be denied.

Certain gestures I’d like to remove from my existence, but in all the decades of my life, I’ve failed. One of them gets on my own nerves big time.  It’s sheer indelicate behavior. When I sip a mouth full of delightful Community Coffee, I have to (must or should) let out a big sigh. The same sigh emits from my lungs and mouth when I drink cool water or diet Coke. I think about it one second after I do it, and I say out loud, “This has to stop.”

The other night, I mean evening, my sweet husband took me out to eat supper, I mean dinner, to a place where the food was delicious, even though the fish was broiled instead of fried.  All dressed up, I wore my newest shoes. I’m so proud of these shoes, Isotoner Women’s Cable Knit Bridget Clog Slippers. I’ve always wanted some Isotoners, but he said they looked good except for the faux fur trim. That gave it away that they were house shoes. I disagree, but I see his point. He loves me with all his heart, but he doesn’t like to have me looking like a redneck. On a more sophisticated woman, they would have looked elegant.

He has a little redneck in him too, and we’re working on it. Today he decided we should eat our sardines and saltines on plates in front of the television. I brought a tiny piece of cheese from the grocery store (supermarket). The cheese cost $2.50, and it was very tiny.  So we drained the oil off our sardines, and he placed his can on his plate. Then he looked over at me and saw I’d poured mine onto the plate. He said, “What an interesting innovation!”

One of the advantages about being a Scots-Irish south Mississippi redneck woman is that I speak the language. So does my friend, Sarah Walker Gorrell, who lives on the edge of the Cohay swamp. Not that I’d ever say she’s a redneck...she’s a proper woman...but she understands redneck ways and redneck jargon. She and I had so much fun writing Travelers in Painted Wagons on Cohay Creek that it should have been against the law.  

Oops, I just had a sip of coffee and I did it again.  

Here’s our Travelers. In addition to the Romany Travelers, we have depicted Rednecks in their more primitive state, as they lived about a century ago. Travelers in Painted Wagons on Cohay Creek

 

 

 

Vanner Horse in Travelers in Painted Wagons on Cohay Creek

Vanner horses are specially bred to pull the wagons of the Romani people, mostly in the British Isles.

Milosh is Walthere Amaya’s horse in Painted Wagons on Cohay Creek. Walthere passionately loves his horse. Milosh looks like the picture on the book cover. (Photograph © March 15, 2014,binkski, I-Stock)

Travelers in Painted Wagons on Cohay Creek

To learn more about vanner horses, follow these links below. The horses at Stillwater Farm at Cashiers, North Carolina, are beautiful beyond imagination. You can read about the owners and their horses on Facebook and at their website. On you tube there are videos that will take your breath and warm your heart.

Stillwater Farm featured on Facebook

Amazon video

One of many videos on youtube

Vardo Resurgence: Painted Wagons Come Back

Do you ever watch the television shows about tiny houses? Living in a tiny house is a special art in that a tiny house dweller needs to make the surroundings aesthetically pleasing so the surroundings don’t look crowded and messy. It is a science in that the dweller must provide the essentials in an efficient way in a very small space.

The Romani people (Gypsies, Travelers) mastered this skill long ago. They knew how to make their traveling wagons all that. These homes are called vardos or vardoes. Although few people live in them throughout the year, these magnificent little dwellings are making a come back.

A vardo is a wagon that people live in. Sometimes it’s called a van or a caravan. The word caravan is confusing because it can mean a group of travelers or a single wagon.. 

Here are some interesting links with some amazing pictures of vardoes.

https://paleotool.com/vardo-links/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vardo_(Romani_wagon)

http://gypsywaggons.co.uk/

Our new novel,  Travelers in Painted Wagons on Cohay Creek depicts Romani people living in these little portable homes in the early twentieth century.

It's here!

Travelers in Painted Wagons on Cohay Creek, the latest novel in the Covington Chronicles, is now available in Kindle form. Paper copies are coming soon.

Please go here and check it out. We'd love to know what you think. In fact we're requesting reviews.

Travelers in Painted Wagons on Cohay Creek

Sarah's Front Porch

Sarah Walker Gorrell, my talented co-author, has featured the Covington Chronicles in her blog, The Front Porch, which she calls ramblings of a southern Mississippi woman from her front porch. It's a privilege to work with Sarah, and it's an honor to be featured in her blog.

From her porch she sees nature in its beauty as the seasons change She will make you hear the birds and the panther. Sarah has a fresh attitude about life, and she makes the mornings start better for her readers.

This blog is a great one to follow.

Travelers in Painted Wagons on Cohay Creek, the Latest Covington Chronicle

A family in distress receives help from a surprising source. Travelers in Painted Wagons on Cohay Creek uncovers the heart and soul of the Romani people, who have suffered injustices throughout time.

Travelers is a continuation of the story of Trudy’s friend Jeremy Smitherlin as he finds himself functioning as the adult in his home because his parents have emotional and physical illnesses. Jeremy first appeared in The Dream Bucket as the slimy boy who dipped Trudy Cameron’s braids into his ink well.

He struggles to be perfect so he can win approval. The more he tries to do the right things, the more he irritates Caleb, his papa. Jeremy wants his mother to live, but she moves closer to death. Travelers (Gypsies) settle on Cohay Creek, which runs through Caleb’s farm. Walthere, the captain of the Travelers, and his wife Rosalie become friends of the family. Some of the residents of the little town of Taylorsburg don’t trust the Travelers and aren’t happy that the Smitherlins have allowed Gypsies to live so close to town. This unrest causes additional problems for Caleb, Jeremy and the Travelers.

The beautiful and sexy Ruby Felty adds intrigue to the story with her love of good-looking men. Although Jeremy would like to live an innocent, carefree life, evil adults slam him into a grown-up world. He learns about gunfights, adultery, drunkenness, physical abuse, and sarcasm.

Sometimes, despite all his problems, Jeremy has adventures that are fun, such as ice cream at the Covington dining room and soda at a store in Soso or wading in the ice-cold water near the Spillway at Gitano, Mississippi.

The old Slave Cemetery and the Mayhew house, based on an actual home near the creek, both still exist.

---

Sarah Walker Gorrell and I hope to have our book available before this month is over.  We're all ready to go, and we're very excited. Right now we're waiting for Hurricane Matthew to move away from our publishing house so we can send it. 

When I look at the horrendous suffering and loss of the people in the path of this giant storm, I am sorry even to mention this little delay we are going through. We grieve for those going through this loss. 

Travelers In Painted Wagons on Cohay Creek. Guest Blogger: Sarah Walker Gorrell, From the Front Porch

Sarah Walker Gorrell and I have co-authored a new novel in The Covington Chronicles series. She wrote about it in her beautiful blog, From the Front Porch.

Sharing what Sarah wrote:

Travelers In Painted Wagons on Cohay Creek

It's ironic how families can become involved in one's life in one way or another. Back in 1941, when I was born - Myrtle Gregg was the midwife who assisted with my birth. She was probably the first to hold me when I saw the "light of day" in Smith County - all those years ago. She helped to give me my beginning.

And now her daughter, Mary Lou Gregg Cheatham Cooke, is helping to give me another beginning.

Mary Lou is a published author with Abi of Cyrene, Secret Promise , The Courtship of Miss Loretta Larson, The Dream Bucket, and Manuela Blayne which are all available on Amazon. (She writes as Mary Lou Cheatham.)

Mary Lou and I met on Facebook - even though we were both Smith County natives.  I'm not sure how our friendship began or who requested whom as a friend.

I grew up in the MS Delta but visited Taylorsville in the summers, while Mary Lou was growing up in Taylorsville and visiting - in the Delta.

On one of my many Taylorsville to Dallas trips, I contacted Mary Lou and we met for lunch - in Shreveport. Of course, we discussed writing. Mary Lou was a published author. I was a "wannabe"......someone who writes freelance articles. I had begun a book, and I discussed it with Mary Lou.

I'm not even sure how the "let's write one together" came about - but our connection to Smith County, Taylorsville (which is Taylorsburg, in our book), Cohay Creek and life in a small southern Mississippi community all seemed to make sense.

"Travelers in a Painted Wagon on Cohay Creek" was actually born in Mary Lou's head - but there is so much of this book that is a part of me and my life. Mary Lou had the ideas and would make suggestions, and I realized what she was thinking and dreaming about was also in my head! We knew we could do this together - it was as if our minds were one - in this venture.

We are thrilled to have completed the first segment of this journey. The manuscript is now in the hands of Beta Readers (or as one friend's son said...."Criticizers"). The cover has been designed, Bio's are being crafted, endorsements are being written, and soon - Travelers will head to the printer.

We have been absolutely amazed at the response from the Beta readers. One wrote: “....ought to be on television...loving this book...cried when I finished it...a great story line...”
#Gypsies #Romanies #CohayCreek

In Appreciation of the Women of Ransom Canyon Fellowship Church and Their Friends

Ransom Canyon Fellowship Church, Ransom Canyon, Texas, hosted a Woman's Conference last Saturday, September 24, 2016. It was a big success with a huge turnout.

To show my appreciation to my daughter, Christie Marie Underwood, who helped organize the conference and to all the others who worked hard and participated, I'm giving away some books tomorrow.

For one day, Tuesday, September 27, 2016,  only on Amazon dot com, these books will be available as free Kindle downloads.

The Dream Bucket, Manuela Blayne: Covington Chronicles III and IV

The Courtship of Miss Loretta Larson

Abi of Cyrene

The Dream Bucket cover is competing in a contest.

Cover the Words Contest

Please go to the link of the Yellow Rose RWA contest and vote for the cover of The Dream Bucket.

The Massive Flood in South Louisiana 2016. Do not self deploy.

The temptation is to load up the truck and head south, but this disaster is so massive it's better to work through some organization, such as your church. Here's the link to the national United Methodist relief organization:

UMCOR

UMCOR is collaborating with FEMA and other national disaster response organizations, including the American Red Cross, Lutheran Disaster Response, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, and the umbrella group, National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (NVOAD).


Rolling Hills Ministries
And here's a Baptist link. Rolling Hills Ministries, based in Ruston, Louisiana, is an efficient and compassionate source of help. It sends teams to help with disasters.

Race Relations

Today is the last day to download Manuela Blayne for free. It is a shocking little book about race relations.

Bruce Siegmund is the realtor who helped me sell my house in Ruston, LA, so I could move to Shreveport and marry my new love, John Cooke. Bruce  published the following on his Facebook page. With his blessing I'm sharing it with you.

The national racial discussions are unsettling to me. I don't hear anyone talking about what I've experienced. I've been thinking a lot lately about what God has done in my life over the years. I originally posted this 2 years ago, but God continues to show just how much more He can do. I am the offspring of His goodness.

I was born a white baby in the heart of Mississippi. God must have a sense of humor. When I was in the 6th grade they integrated the schools where I was living in Lafayette, La. I clearly remember my classmates, including Clara Green Gibbs. The kids from my part of town and the black kids that were brought in on buses didn't mix very well at first. We had very different backgrounds. That year I got in a fight with a black girl name Eunice. I had caught her with my stolen notebook and confronted her. She responded by chasing me down and taking a few swings at me even though I had run from her into the boys bathroom! I know, I was quite a wimp, but I was raised NOT to fight, especially girls. Why would someone hit me after they stole me notebook? I still don't understand.

There is one thing that I remember from that whole episode. I distinctly remember feeling sorry for black men. I reasoned that because they would have to marry black women. Look at my limited experience at the time. Nobody I knew was marrying outside of their race in the 1960's. It's funny the small things we remember.

Fast forward to 1980. I'm a student at La Tech and am leasing a large 7 bedroom, 3 bath house in downtown Ruston that summer. I plan on renting rooms to friends to make money while I live there. The landlord tells me that I can't rent to Blacks. I don't think much about it because we didn't mix that much anyway. Not too long after that, without thinking, I invite my friend Robert Egbi, a student from Nigeria to live with me. Oops, I did the right thing without thinking about it. The landlord later said it was ok, since he was African :). Not too much later I met another student, Larry Langlois, who happened to be black and was from New Orleans. He was active in the La Tech Chi Alpha Campus Ministry with me. He moved in as well. Oops again. I forgot what my landlord told me to do.

Larry was a Med Tech major and he invited one of his classmates to come to one of our Chi Alpha ministry meetings. Her name was Bren Jelks. She was also Black (There weren't any African-Americans at that time as they are now referred to). Bren didn't really want to come, but Larry was persistent and I guess God had plans. Reluctantly she came and God miraculously met her that day. She became a lover of Jesus.

I was a young campus ministry leader of that Chi Alpha group and I had a self imposed "no date" policy with the young women in the group. I just didn't think it was right for a guy to date someone he was trying to lead. I kept my distance, especially if she was cute! I sure enjoyed hanging out though with the new girl Bren. I wasn't worried about dating her since she was black. Nobody was doing that in the early 1980's in Ruston, especially if they were a Christian! We did however do a lot of group activities together which made for a great time for us to get to know each other.

Something happened though along the way. She became a best friend and then I kissed her! I fell in love with her and I really didn't know what to do. I was in the ministry, I shouldn't be doing that! We broke up and got back together 2 or 3 times in one week as we were both trying to be realistic. We really couldn't be separated though, we really loved each other. The leadership though of the campus ministry and the local Pastor had other ideas. They felt like it would harm the ministry of Jesus. Look people, we are still making dumb decisions today that we justify. We peacefully disagreed and parted ways, even though it hurt, I knew I had made the better choice. My identity was challenged, my dreams were shattered, but I had the one I loved and I had the support of friends and family. Many of you are reading this now. Thank you!

Fast forward to 1986 and I'm marrying Bren in Ruston at the same church that the pastor had opposed our relationship. A new Pastor had come and had embraced us and welcomed us. God loves reconciliation! Fast forward to the present and I now sit on the advisory board for La Tech's Chi Alpha Campus Ministry. Wow! God is NOT a God of judgment but of reconciliation. Mercy triumphs over judgement!

I could tell story after story of my marriage to Bren. Many of you already know the stories and have your own. Although I was worried about having kids with her at first, because of how hard "mixed kids" would have it in the world. Unless you were an adult in the 80's or before in the South, you don't know what I'm talking about. We decided to trust God anyway. Ooops! Six kids later in 10 years, God had blessed us abundantly. Bren even had a child while battling cancer. People thought we were crazy, but we had Hannah, our sixth child during that time.

In 1990 I was hired to teach Marketing at Grambling State University. I end up spending 19 years teaching and helping students there. I felt uniquely prepared by God to be there during that season of life. I could tell many stories. Many of you reading this met me during that time.

Bren's battle with cancer ended in March of 1999. The kids were ages 1 to 11 and were being home schooled at the time. So here I am, a white guy in Ruston, now a single parent with six mixed race kids. The ladies in Ruston never spoiled a man and his kids as much as they did me in 1999. They cooked for us, cleaned our house, kept the kids, loved on them, etc. I had to stop it before I got too fat and used to it!

Later that summer I traveled with Mark Boersma and a group from what was then known as Christ Community Church to Malawi, Africa with my oldest two daughters. Bren had insisted we go even if she died. During the two week mission trip, I did something that I didn't believe in, I fell in love with a young lady named Pamela that I was assigned to work with in the clinic that we were opening. I kept it to myself, but wrote her a letter upon leaving, letting her know that I would like to get to know her. Ooops! Seems like every time I did the right thing accidentally it brought about a great result!

The following summer I'm traveling to Malawi for a different kind of mission trip. I'm going to visit her and meet her family all over the country. That trip I end up getting engaged. So in the summer of 2000, Pamela and I get married in Ruston, La. So now I have an African (now African American) wife. Pamela is 22 years old at the time and I am, well, a few years older :).

We've made 16 years of marriage now. We've added 2 more children through extraordinary circumstances. I've been elected to the Ruston City Council by the good people of Ruston, La. I've seen many of my kids leave home for college and graduate. Two of them have married and another is engaged and they are blazing their own trails for God. I've seen them travel the world themselves and struggle to make the right choices in a world that is often time backwards and upside down in its thinking. We have all struggled! I am more in love with my wife than ever before and I am so proud of my children and the choices they have made to become the young women and men that they are today. All along though I have found the best way to understand a situation and learn about someone is to LISTEN. Give them a chance and give them space. Love them as they are and listen. After you listen to them, listen to God.

What does the future hold? I don't know. I really never expected to be where I am now. I do know that when I choose to follow however God leads, no matter how strange it feels, or how uncomfortable it is, He is always faithful. You may call me crazy but I see God revealing Himself to people these days. I see our community and cities turning things around and falling in love with the God that loves them! I've seen God do more miracles in my circle of friends in this last year than I had seen my entire life. If you are looking for a better way, He is the way.

Back to the race stuff. Have I earned the right to speak and give my opinion? First of all, I don't have all the answers and I don't feel like an expert, but I know a little bit. I used to ask my students at Grambling, "If a race war broke out, which side would you be on?" They usually got confused by the question, and maybe you are too. Everyone wants to defend their "family". But what if you're wrong? In the end, I am not participating or taking sides in this division. There are forces at work right now that want you to join "their" side. If you choose a side, you are wrong. We cannot fight a race war and be right. Right now there is too much hate being spewed out on both sides. It needs to stop, but it won't stop unless you stop it in your heart and in your mind. If you have hate in your heart, you are not going to receive what I am saying. We ALL have experienced bad stuff in our life where people have wronged us. I have experienced that too, but we have to forgive or we become captives to our own hatred!

Here is where I am going to upset many of you. It doesn't matter who is elected President, they are not going to solve our real problems. Our real problems are heart problems that cannot be solved by a political system or a religious system. Both those systems will try and promise solutions that they will use to try and control your actions. God wants your heart and He has a different kingdom that is greater than those other systems. I'm not telling you to not vote, but I want to remind you that there is One who is greater than the President. He wants to rule your heart so you can fulfill the destiny he created you for.

Do yourself a favor today, and the world a favor too. Go out of your way to show an act of love to someone of another race, political party or whatever difference there is, just because it's the right thing to do. In fact, I believe God is putting someone different in your mind right now that He wants you to reach out to. Stamp out some of the division that creeps into ALL of our hearts by loving someone different intentionally! If you can't do it or you don't feel like it, ask God to help you. It isn't always easy! But just maybe you will discover something that God does within you that changes your heart a little at a time. You just might like the change. We could all use a change.

Feel free to share my story, it's God's story. God bless you all!

We are Louisiana!

Melissa Dillon Seal has given me permission to share a post from her Facebook page in the Collard Patch. It's full of useful contact information. Melissa wrote:

We are Louisiana! Here's a glimpse of what is happening here. You may not have seen these images on your 6:00 news, but this is the nightmare we are dealing with. Humans & pets are displaced & lives and property have been lost. I have compiled a few links for anyone wanting to help. Many shelters & rescues are in need, so I also threw together an Amazon wish list in case you'd like to donate supplies and I will get them to those who are doing everything they can to save lives. 

(Alligator on Highland Road near LSU)

You can donate $10 to the Red Cross by texting "LAFLOODS" to 90999

Humane Society of Louisiana has rescued & transported many animals to safety, even by boating in to shelters who had no choice but to open kennels and let the animals loose to have a chance at survival www.Humanela.org

St Tammany Humane Society took in 20+ displaced shelter dogs https://bit.ly/2bqxHJ5

LSART has done many deep water rescues of animals, including livestock & gotten them to safety. http://lvma.org/lsartdonations

Tangi Humane Society received devastating damage to their shelter & must completely rebuild https://www.gofundme.com/2j453p7w

A general wish list of supplies that I threw together for people wanting to send supplies. Of course, any & every type

of cleaning supply, and pet items are appreciated. In case Amazon asks for my phone # 985-335-2780 and shipping address is 75181 Hwy 1083, Covington LA 70435
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/ls/ref=/154-2713553-1044733…

There are also many churches & organizations collecting toiletries, bottled water, food, clothing, hygiene items & putting together cleaning supply for people. I can get those links as well. If you'd like to donate in anyway, please message me & I can get you the needed info.

Melissa Dillon Seal can be reached through Facebook. Photos are from her Facebook Timeline. On her page she has many more photos that will tear at your heart,

The Great Flood of Louisiana 2016 is your flood, and it is my flood.

South Louisiana’s flood is our tragedy. We are hurt by it. The disaster in south Louisiana is our hardship to claim. We cannot look away. In the ways we are able, we must help.

Almost four hundred years ago, John Donne, an English poet, priest, and lawyer spoke these words:

For Whom the Bell Tolls

No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thine own
Or of thine friend's were.
Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.

In the year 1624, John Donne wrote, “No man is an island.”

In our time, as the Great Flood of 2016 sinks the fortunes of our fellow residents in what we call “down south” here in Louisiana, we are saddened. Whatever the floodwaters wash away is a part of our state, our nation, and our humanity. We, too, are diminished by the flood waters.

We are called by that which makes us human to extend help. “No man is an island.”

http://www.famousliteraryworks.com/donne_for_whom_the_bell_tolls.htm

Helping the flood victims

The Little Summer Grove Church in Shreveport, Louisiana-- 

HERE'S WHAT ONE LITTLE CHURCH IS DOING TO AID IN FLOOD RELIEF

STEP 1: Donating money.

Summer Grove United Methodist Church will be taking a special offering this Sunday, August 21st to support the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) and their efforts to help with much needed supplies for flood relief.

STEP 2: Joining with a larger church.

In addition, Summer Grove UMC will be teaming up with Broadmoor UMC in Shreveport to collect much needed items to send to South LA.

STEP 3: Donating personal items.

THIS WEEK AND NEXT, the church will be collecting the following:

travel size shampoo and conditioner

travel size body soap

travel size hand sanitizer

travel size deodorant

travel size toothpaste and toothbrushes

feminine hygiene products

baby formula

baby wipes

diapers

"Please bring your items to the church this Sunday or next Sunday, OR to the church office during office hours (M-Th 8 AM-1 PM)."

STEP 4: SHARING THE STORY.

I received this message as a text and in my e-mail. 

STEP 5: STAYING FOCUSED.

This project has a motto: Together we can make a difference.

One Day Freebie

August 18, 2016, for one day only the Kindle version of The Dream Bucket will be available at no cost.

Excellent News Coverage of the August 2016 Louisiana Flood

Looking for coverage of the flooding in south Louisiana? Let me suggest the Shreveport Times.

The newspaper has some informative human interest stories online:

Taylor Swift donating $1 million to Louisiana

Those without insurance may qualify for grants

The above links will take you to the Times, where  you can find more coverage of the flood.

Louisiana Floods, August 2016

"The Louisiana flooding is likely the worst natural disaster in the United States since Superstorm Sandy hammered the East Coast in 2012, according to the Red Cross,,,,

"As many as 20,000 of the parish’s 141,000 residents had to be rescued after the area endured 25 inches of rain in just three days [in Livingston Parish]. About 5,000 residents were in shelters." The Los Angeles Times 

In the news, this story is not as compelling as the presidential election or the Olympics, but it leaves us feeling sad, helpless, frightened.  

"An elderly man drowned after slipping and falling in high waters amid heavy rain in East Baton Rouge Parish. And in St. Helena Parish, a man died when his pickup truck was swept off a flooded highway and submerged underwater, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said at a news conference today. A woman was also recovered from the Tickfaw River....

"The governor and his family were forced to leave the governor’s mansion when chest-high water filled the basement and electricity was shut off. 

"The flooding this week also closed many schools in the Baton Rouge area, including Louisiana State University." Louisiana Floods, August 2016

Relief will come we hope, weary residents will go back and clean up their homes, eventually school will start.

Please go to this link Volunteer Louisiana

Illiteracy in Louisiana--Why Children Don't Go to School

The percentage of adults in Louisiana who cannot read exceeds the national average. Not only do we have people in our state who have to rely on pictures to order a hamburger and who have trouble passing the test to acquire a driver's license. We have parents who cannot help their children with homework. Embarrassed, these parents often hesitate to send their children to school. Or maybe they don't see the need.

(About the hamburger, have you noticed we use icons to communicate more and more these days? Maybe we are acquiring a picture language. Originally icons were used to tell illiterate church attenders about God.)

How does it hurt you personally if those around you cannot read?
How can you help?

Illiteracy in Louisiana Is Currently Worse Than National Average

The Value of Teachers

How many ways have teachers blessed you?

I don't know what I'd be doing today if my teachers had not inspired me.

Columnist and author Judy Christie interviewed me recently. I told her a little story about Ms. Hegwood, my fifth grade teacher, who was the first person to show me I could write and that writing could benefit my life.

Judy published this article in the Shreveport Times:

Fifth-grade teacher inspires writer’s journey

Why Children Don't Go to School Throughout the World

This month the privileged children of the United States will lug their backpacks stuffed with pencils, crayons, notebooks, glue--whatever their lists demand--and head off to school. Most of the children will wear new uniforms, or gently used ones, or they'll wear stylish clothing. On their feet, they'll have new shoes that look special. It's an exciting time.

I have a new granddaughter who will be entering first grade. She brings memories of my first day at first grade--we didn't have kindergarten in Mississippi back then. I remember how precious my own daughter looked when she started to school. We took a picture of her holding her pencil box.

Education is truly a privilege and it is the key to maintaining the future welfare of our nation...and our world. But what happens if children don't go to school? So why don't they just go to school?  I read an interesting article about why children throughout the world don't go to school. Here's the link:

10 reasons why children don’t go to school

(I am an author. One of my constant concerns is the lack of opportunities for an education among the underprivileged. Today you are invited to read for free Manuela Blayne, a novella about a young girl who didn't get to go to school.)

Why Children Don’t Go to School

It’s time for school to start again—August 2016.

As a former teacher in Mississippi, I’m concerned about the educational opportunities of children. I’ve presented the pathetic situations in Mississippi schools about one hundred years ago. In The Courtship of Miss Loretta Larson, Loretta quotes statistics about inadequate schools for African American youth. She also exposes the lack of opportunities for Italian immigrants to attend school.

In The Dream Bucket, white children struggle with the dread of going to school when they should stay home to help their mother keep the house warm to protect the baby.

The novella Manuela Blayne paints the grim picture of pathetic schools for African American children.

Sarah Walker Gorrell and I have a new novel in progress, Travelers in Painted Wagons on Cohay Creek. We are showing a group of children who were unwelcome in any schools because of their ethnic differences.

School attendance and the resulting illiteracy is still a major problem in my beloved state. In 2012 statistics showed that 20 percent of the adults in Mississippi could not read.

http://hottytoddy.com/2012/12/31/fighting-illiteracy-in-mississippi

By showing conditions a century ago, I hope to call attention to the lack of education in our own time.

Googling The Dream Bucket

Ever google yourself or maybe a book  you wrote? I wrote a novel about a simple family saving money in a dream bucket. I took a look to see what I could find about it. I found an interesting blog article explaining the concept in modern times. You might enjoy reading this. (I don't know the person who wrote it.) Here's the link:

http://www.wife.org/why-you-deserve-a-dream-bucket.htm


And here's a link to The Dream Bucket on Amazon: The Dream Bucket
I hope you'll enjoy reading it. The novel applies the principle of sensible saving.

Oh, don't forget to google yourself.

Manuela Blayne, sequel to The Dream Bucket, is a compelling novella. At least that's what readers say.

Manuela Blayne, my most recent book in the Covington Chronicles, will be one of the books sold in the Country Store Saturday, July 16, 2016, at the Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival.

Manuela Blayne depicts undaunted optimism in the face of unfairness.

Despite a legacy of inopportunity, Manuela sees the hope of a bright and sparkling future. Like any other thirteen-year-old, she plays childlike with her neighbors. Adulthood comes early in a harsh manner though. Manuela has reached the age of understanding that Jesus loves her, but she must decide whether she can trust him to hold her hand through the darkness.

Although eleven-year-old Trudy spends her time trying to be all she thinks she should be—a good daughter and sister, a sixth-grade scholar, a mischievous kid—she finds herself brooding about the inequities surrounding her.

Manuela Blayne is not a memoir. It’s a work of fiction, and yet it has the bittersweet reality of a place where a young girl bleeds pink and eats clay. Even though I can never understand how it feels to be Manuela Blayne, I want to take you deep into her world. 

Allow me to introduce myself. See you at the Natchitoches-NSU Crafts Festival.

July 16, 2016, my books will be for sale in The Country Store at the Natchitoches-NSU Crafts Festival. Here's my bio:

Given the name Mary Lou Gregg at birth, I grew up in Smith County Mississippi, south of Taylorsville and north of Hot Coffee. My father’s farm was less than a mile from Leaf River swamp. Down the stream, my Uncle Newt Knight established the Free State of Jones during the Civil War.

I received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Southern Mississippi. My late husband, Robert Cheatham and I taught in the Greenville, Mississippi, schools.

Eventually we moved to Ruston, Louisiana, where he taught music at Louisiana Tech University and I taught part time while taking care of our daughter Christie. I received an Associate Degree from Tech in nursing and worked at Lincoln General Hospital.

After his death in 2002, I devoted my time to writing and traveling to see my daughter Christie Marie Underwood, who is a dairy nutritionist with Purina-Land of Lakes.

The day after Christmas in 2015, I married John Cooke a retired petroleum land man. John and I are living happily in Shreveport.

My books include a novel Solomon’s Porch, two story cookbooks, three nonfiction inspirational books, one first-century Christian historical novel entitled Abi of Cyrene, and a series called the Covington Chronicles. The novels in the series are Secret Promise, The Courtship of Miss Loretta Larson, The Dream Bucket, and Manuela Blayne. Each book stands alone. They are about life in the early 1900’s in and around an imaginary south Mississippi town called Taylorsburg. Abi of Cyrene, The Courtship of Miss Loretta Larson, and The Dream Bucket have won awards.

Currently I am co-authoring a novel with Sarah Walker Gorrell, a Taylorsville, Mississippi, resident. She maintains blogs and writes in a column in the local Taylorsville paper. Our new book will be the fifth in the series.

Up to now the Covington Chronicles have been family-style novels that adhere to the standards of Christian publishing. Some of the subject matter in the current book Sarah and I are writing requires a few graphic details and depiction of violence to tell the story. We are writing it as tastefully as possible.

I like to explore social issues while evoking strong emotions and trying to entertain with enjoyable stories. Abi of Cyrene deals with some issues women have always faced, such as taking care of a family while the father is away. Secret Promise depicts domestic abuse and the oppression of African Americans during Reconstruction years. The Courtship of Miss Loretta Larson delves into discrimination against impoverished Italian immigrants. The Dream Bucket portrays spousal abuse. Manuela Blayne is the story of a young African American girl, who has been deserted by her mother and left to live with her grandparents, who were slaves. She faces discrimination and abuse from many angles.

I keep pinching myself to see whether I'm dreaming. On July 16, 2016, I'm signing at the Nathitoches-NSU Folk Festival. The Dream Bucket, Manuela Blayne, Abi of Cyrene, and The Courtship of Miss Loretta Larson will be available in the Country Store. If you go to the Festival, please come by to see John Cooke and me at our table--the one with the red-checkered cloth. This looks like a bunch of fun. I've never attended, but John has gone to it before and he loves it.

TOLD THROUGH YOUNG EYES FOR ALL AGES

The Covington Chronicles by Mary Lou Cheatham: Secret Promise, The Courtship of Miss Loretta Larson, The Dream Bucket, Manuela Blayne, and a work in progress about Trudy’s boyfriend Jeremy Smitherlin. Sarah Walker Gorrell is co-authoring the w-i-p.

Fiction in Bible Times: Abi of Cyrene.

Some of my point-of-view characters are young adolescents. Most readers who comment love the characters, some ask why, and a few readers dislike looking at the world through young eyes.

In the famous poem, "The Rainbow,"William Wordsworth used the expression, "The child is father of the man." This expression means that all our positive and negative traits are established when we are young. http://quotations.about.com/b/2009/04/06/child-is-the-father-of-man.htm

Although I frequently write through young eyes, I seldom write just for children. I seek to develop situations in which those who read can see their own inside thoughts or those of others.

Reading on different levels is one of the delights of enjoying novels. Think of some of the books about children or written simply enough for children to comprehend the vocabulary. These have not been merely children’s books just because they may have appeared as such when examined lightly.

Here are a few “children’s books” relished by adults: (I’m not recommending or denouncing these. I’m merely saying some books are written for readers regardless of age.)

Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

The Red Pony by John Steinbeck

Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling

Animal Farm by George Orwell

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Quoting William Wordsworth's Poem:

The Child Is the Father of the Man

My heart leaps up when I behold

A Rainbow in the sky:
So was it when my life began;
So is it now I am a man;
So be it when I shall grow old,
Or let me die!
The Child is father of the man;
And I could wish my days to be
Bound each to each by natural piety

http://quotations.about.com/cs/poemlyrics/a/The_Rainbow.htm

---

Domestic Violence in The Dream Bucket

Exposing deplorable abuse of wives, daughters, and girlfriends is one of the reasons I write novels. Without spoiling the story, a reviewer makes some excellent observations about abuse in The Dream Bucket.

Follow this link to an interesting review of The Dream Bucket:  I enjoyed the book (dated March 30, 2016) You will need to scroll down to find this four-star review.. 

Here is my response:

Thank you for your excellent review. I don’t make a practice of responding to reviews, but your comments need to be noticed by other readers. I’d like to discuss the issues you have mentioned.

First, let me say I’m opposed to domestic violence. Readers will find depictions of various forms of domestic abuse in Abi of Cyrene and each book in the Covington Chronicles. In Abi of Cyrene, Abi’s father brutalizes her. In Secret Promise, Caroline is a pathetic victim of physical abuse from a parent figure, Loretta in The Courtship of Miss Loretta Larson receives some physical abuse and horrible emotional abuse, Zoe in The Dream Bucket suffers in silence, and Manuela in Manuela Blayne receives the worst abuse of all.

Thank you for saying you were uncomfortable reading it. Writing it was painful. Women who have read Manuela Blayne scream in outrage. I try to address these abusive situations accurately as I show how the culture has accepted mistreatment of helpless victims.  Without giving away any endings of my books, I’ll just say I want readers to feel the indignation that you expressed.

In the real world domestic abuse has been glossed over and often accepted. Until a few decades ago, many men well-respected in their communities claimed the right to spank or slap their wives as punishment. I recall comedies filmed in the fifties and sixties in which men spanked their women. These scenes infuriate me. My goal as a writer is to show how conditions have been. I try not to rewrite history but to depict it realistically.

As The Dream Bucket begins, Trudy is a spoiled girl with an unrealistic admiration for her father, who is a scoundrel. He remains a central character throughout most of the book. Billy Jack’s character develops further in Manuela Blayne. I’d love to hear your response to that book.

Get your free copy of The Dream Bucket and Manuela Blayne in one e-book. This free offer ends March 16, 2016.

 During the last twelve months The Dream Bucket has sold so well that American Christian Fiction Writers classified me as a QIP (Qualified Independently Published Author).

As an independent publisher, I placed Abi of Cyrene in the Carol Awards Contest. The Carol Awards are ACFW’s recognition for the best Christian fiction in the previous calendar year. Having published two novels last year that qualified for the Carol Awards Contest, I selected Abi of Cyrene, a historical novel about the time of Christ.

Meanwhile I'm giving a combination Kindle version of The Dream Bucket and Manuela Blayne. Readers are busy buying the Kindle version of The Dream Bucket instead of downloading the free version of the same book with the sequel, both free for a limited time. I'm sorry. Maybe I haven't publicized this freebie enough. Here' the link:

The Dream Bucket, Manuela Blayne.

Hold Me Close at the Jonquil Jubilee

Hold Me Close

Marguerite Martin Gray and I lived in the same town, Ruston, LA. I don't know how we missed each other. We met electronically in an ACFW critique group. We gave each other advice about writing.

She has released a new book, Hold Me Close. Recently I read this inspirational historical romance and reviewed it on Amazon: A Bright Star Rising on the Horizon.  The novel is  a delightful read.

Tomorrow, March 5, 2016, Marguerite is having a book signing in Giblsand, LA, at the Jonquil Jubilee. Click here: Video about Jonquil Jubilee.

I'm really excited because tomorrow I plan to meet Marguerite, who now lives in Abilene, in person in the quaint little Jonquil Capitol of Louisiana. John, my new husband, is excited about seeing the jonquils and the blacksmith shop.  We hope to see some old friends in Giblsand and make some new ones.

Some of the Attractions

Two Guest Blogs

ACFW.COM , the Internet address of American Christian Fiction Writers, contains helpful information.  Although joining the organization provides useful material for writers, anyone can go to the site to read blogs, learn about authors, and find new fictional releases.

On March 3, 2016, and February 29, 2016, ACFW posted two guest blogs I wrote. Sharing:

Valuable, Accessible, Untapped  How can you sell more books?

Confessions of an Auditory Learner How can you convert most books to speech presentations?