Monday, May 18, 2009

the view from our backyard

This is the view from our backyard - well, almost! It's beautiful Lake Crescent, just a mile down the road from our house. We live on the edge of Olympic National Park and had such incredible weather this weekend, I thought you might enjoy a bit of Washington scenery. Glacier-fed, this lake is up to 900 feet deep in places and is very cold even in summer. Both our boys were baptized in this lake, as was Randy. Me, not being the hardy type, opted for the big, warm baptistry at a Baptist church in Lexington, Kentucky at age 12.

So now we're off to busy week with writing at the forefront as I do a little extreme manuscript makeover. Meanwhile, Paul has been fiddling his heart out. He packed up his fiddle and went down to the old general store near here on Saturday, opened his violin case as he heard street musicians in Seattle do, and made a whopping $3.00 in about 30 minutes playing a few tunes. Wyatt went with him as his "manager," he said. Not many people came by but he was thrilled. He can't wait to do it again but I don't know if our rural road can handle it. He's only 9, after all.

I finished a fascinating historical novel by Ann Rinaldi this weekend entitled, Or Give Me Death, about the family of Patrick Henry, the famous statesman. The author said it was the hardest book she'd ever written because, unlike George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, Henry left no paper trail. We do know that his wife, Sarah, had a mental breakdown and had to be confined to the cellar of their home in a strait dress where a slave woman cared for her. Legend has it that he would go down every day and feed her. By all accounts, Henry was a wonderful father to his 17 (yes, seventeen!) children. The author wove an interesting thread into the novel by suggesting Henry's wife, Sarah, begged him to give her her freedom or let her die. She did die in February of 1775 at the age of thirty-seven, just weeks before her husband gave his famous "liberty or death" speech. A very moving, intense novel.

On a lighter note, happy Monday!

10 comments:

  1. Let's see, 17 children and insane... I wonder which one preceeded the other...

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  2. I wonder, indeed! For historical accuracy I should say that poor Sarah only had 6 children, while Henry's second wife, Dorthea Dandridge, had 11! Patrick Henry was often away from home but my heavens, he had to have been there some of the time:)

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  3. sounds like a good book. I have an Ann Rinaldi called "The Coffin Quilt" based on the Hatfields & McCoys. I haven't read it yet, just picked it up recently at Goodwill.
    Beautiful lake!!

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  4. Lisa, That particular Rinaldi book is quite good! I'm a Hatfield and McCoy fan being a Kentuckian so I won't spoil the book for you by telling you how it turns out! You'll have to tell me if you like it:) By the way, our Goodwill here has great books, too!

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  5. Love the beautiful pic of Lake Crescent! You really do live in a beautiful part of the country. Hoping all is well with everyone. SO busy here as usual. Looking forward to your book soon! Thanks for the invitational card. :)

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  6. Rhonda, I was thinking of you today and know you are so busy there. Bet you are having good weather your way and the pool is open! Glad you got the book card. Not too much longer now:) Enjoy that NC sun for me!

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  7. Beautiful photo! Washington is one state I've always wanted to visit.

    I received my bookmarks in the mail yesterday! Thank you so much! I'm getting very anxious to read the new book!

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  8. I'm getting very anxious for you to read that new book, Bobbi! Praying you really like it and it blesses you in some way. Glad the bookmarks arrived. If you need more I can send those in future. Thank you for your support - it means so much!!

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  9. Hi Laura, I just wanted to let you know that I received a new CBD catalogue yesterday. And guess whose book was listed in the "recommended books" section? yours!!
    you probably already knew it was there, but I got excited because i "know" the author. Cool!
    Looking forward to reading it!... I've been watching your countdown.

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  10. Lisa, You are such a sweetheart! I haven't seen that catalog! But it makes my heart sing knowing you have and are sharing it with me. Thank you for your excitement and encouragement. You are a blessing to me:)

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