I’ve been working on this project for quite some time and finally have a cover to share. This may or may not be the final cover. Let me know what you think.
This is the blurb for You Can Take The Girl From The Prairie
A collection of short stories inspired by growing up on a prairie farm in the fifties and sixties. Some humorous and others sad, but all heartfelt. Stories about family life, cowboy wisdom, immigrant grandmothers, an inspiring teacher, and the arrival of a new sibling are part of this collection of tales from another time and another place. Proof that you can take the girl from the prairie but you can’t take the prairie from the girl.
I am hoping to publish this collection of short stories soon. Watch this space.
Canada in the fall is gorgeous with such a variety of landscapes. I started my recent trip on the east coast, in Prince Edward Island, travelled to British Columbia on the west coast, and ended my journey in Alberta, one of the prairie provinces. I want to share with you some of the fabulous scenery I encountered.
Taken as I was landing on PEI. The rich farmland is depicted with its famous red soil. Even the beaches of PEI are red.There are many wonderful rugged beaches on Prince Edward Island.Typical countryside scene on Prince Edward IslandAn amazing natural archThe view from the deck of my favourite place to have lunch in Ladner, BCOn the way to Gabriola Island by ferry. Nanaimo, BC is in the background.Overlooking the islands from Gabriola IslandRowing to Mudge IslandA peaceful walk on Mudge Island, BCThe view from my daughter’s house on Mudge IslandWouldn’t you love to live on Halibut Hill in the forest?On Vancouver Island near ComoxGoose Spit Regional Park on Vancouver IslandAmazing sunrise in White Rock, BC, seen from my bedroom window!A typical fall prairie scene in southern Alberta has its own beauty.There is nothing like a prairie sunset. Trees turning colour in Calgary, AlbertaOne of many beautiful gardens in Calgary, Alberta
I was only in three of the ten provinces of Canada, but you can get an idea of the diversity in the landscape from one coast to another.
The second Monday in October is Canadian Thanksgiving, typically a time for family. Although I’m thankful every day, this is an opportunity to reflect on the many blessings that I have in my life. Since I just returned from a fabulous visit to Canada, I am especially thankful for my many friends and family. I thought I would share some recent family moments with you in honour of Thanksgiving.
You can click on the images to enlarge them.
Spending time with my daughter on her island in BC is always special.
Spending time in Alberta with my son and his amazing family is always fun!
Always great to see my brother in Calgary
And then there are the many cousins I was delighted to see, as well as a dear aunt and uncle
Yes, I am blessed with many cousins and these are just a few of them.
I am so happy and thankful to have a huge, loving and supportive family.
My blogging friend, Beetley Pete, has been running a series of posts featuring photographs from post-war Britain. They are fascinating, a great look back at another time and another place. I would suggest you check them out here.
I love old photographs and am so pleased that my family is a family of picture takers. Over the years I have accumulated some wonderful old pictures from the Canadian prairies. So I thought I would post a few of them from time to time as others may enjoy them too. Many will be of family and some will be poor quality. The following are from the 1950s.
This four-generation picture is one of my favourites. Seated is my great-grandmother, and on the left is my grandmother holding little me (and teddy). My mom is on the right. These three women were a huge influence in my life. The shadow of my dad taking the picture makes it even more special.
Another favourite with special women in my life. From left to right, my aunt with my cousin, Mom holding my little brother, me (with teddy), my paternal grandmother, a close family friend I called Aunty and her two children (who I’m still friends with).
Now here is one I just love. I am on the right with my aunt and my brother. We were playing wedding and needed a bridesmaid so we put a dress on my younger brother. He looks so happy because we actually let him play with us. We look a bit guilty, I think. He is not fond of this picture but has forgiven us. I think he looks so cute!
Two farm kids from the 1950s at Hilda, Alberta. One now lives in Thailand, the other in Spain. Who would have thought?
Here I am on the farm with my brother and a snowman we had just built; our dog lurking in the background.
My next little brother with my mom’s teenage sisters, my dear aunts. Another favourite picture.
There you have it, six pictures from another time. I have more to share later.
Thanks for joining me on my trip down memory lane.
I was gifted a set of special postage stamps from a long-time friend. The stamps feature members of her family who immigrated to Amber Valley, Alberta over one hundred years ago. How special to have your family featured on a postage stamp. I am delighted to own a set.
I will let my friend´s daughter, Gillian White, tell you about the history of her forefathers.
Last year my Great, Great Grandfather Jordan Murphy (he’s the handsome one in the middle) and his two grandchildren were featured on a Canadian stamp for black history month! Such an honour!
I’ll share with you a little bit of the history of Black Canadians and my Great Great Grandfathers Journey.
In the early 1900s about 1000, African American’s moved from the United States to Western Canada in hopes of finding a better life…..Canada was offering small sections of land for a very little amount of $10! This applied to many African Americans looking for freedom.
My Grandfather was one of the few looking to escape racism, prejudice, Jim Crow (forced segregation between blacks and whites). It was a very dangerous time for Black people, especially where he was from in Oklahoma.
My Great, Great Grandfather Jordan Murphy made the long trek to Amber Valley, North of Edmonton and this settlement is believed to be the most Northerly all-black community that has ever existed in the world. It was a long journey, by train, horse and buggy and then lots of hardship breaking ground and building a new life – while still facing adversity, discrimination and marginalization.
I’m so darn grateful for my grandfather’s bravery and perseverance because of him, we live in a country with so many opportunities and freedom.
written by Gillian White
Check out Gillian´s website, podcasts, and newsletters which are full of inspiration, music and recipes. I look forward to them every month.
I also found this wonderful video, narrated by descendants of the original homesteaders.
Winner of the 2018 Canadian Screen Award for Excellence in Digital Storytelling; About 100 km North of Edmonton is Amber Valley, one of the first all-Black settlements in Canada. Arriving in 1909, the pioneers of this community battled the elements and racism to not only survive but thrive.
I am so pleased to know this family and learn more about their rich heritage, an integral part of Canada´s history.
I am very happy to present a guest post from the lovely Darlene Foster. Blogger, and published author of the popular ‘Amanda’ series of books, Darlene is from Canada, and lives in Spain.
Babies and Blizzards
By Darlene Foster
I remember when my brother, Timothy, was born. It had been a typical cold and snowy prairie winter with blizzards creating impassable road conditions. Mom expected the third member of our family to arrive in early February. Dad was concerned that the inclement weather might stop him from getting her to the hospital sixty miles away, when the time came. So he took mom and my younger brother, Lorne to stay with our grandparents in the city well before her due date. Since I had school, I stayed with my great-aunt and great-uncle in the small town near our farm.
I was excited about this as I loved Aunt Elsie and…
You can imagine how excited I was when my friend suggested we take a drive to Banff, about an hour and a half from Calgary. The excitement grew as we drove through the picturesque foothills and came closer and closer to the majestic Rocky Mountains of Canada.
Foothills outside Calgary with Rocky Mountains in the distanceGetting closerWow! I had forgotten how incredibly amazing these mountains are.
We parked the car and went in search of a good place to have lunch when we encountered a gathering of Stony-Nakoda First Nations people preparing for a traditional dance performance. I am always amazed at my luck when ever I happen upon these cultural events. We were treated to an incredible performance by many members of the Chief’s family. This made my day!
Adorable in a jingle dance dressPerforming the jingle dance
I was delighted to see a jingle dance performance as I mention this dance in Amanda in Alberta: The Writing on the Stone
A gorgeous traditional dress with intricate bead workAn impressive performance by the Chief’s grandsonThis splendid dance took my breath awayAnother beautiful traditional dressSome family members keeping the dance tradition alive for us to enjoy today.
The importance of family was highlighted when we were privileged to witness a baby naming ceremony for a great nephew, recently born.
A traditional baby naming ceremonyI was honoured to have a picture taken with the chief and his granddaughter in her jingle dance dress
Banff is Canada’s first national park, established in 1885. It is the most visited park with over three million visitors a year. The town of Banff has many wonderful museums, craft shops, and restaurants. We had a great lunch at Nourish Cafe. Although some say it has become too touristy, I feel Banff still retains its mountain village charm.
The town of Banff nestled in the mountainsWe had coffee at the impressive Banff Springs HotelAnd visited the original Cave and Basin hot springs where hot water filled with minerals seeps from the rocks Every where we went, we found incredible views.
And on the drive home, the mountains seen from another view.
Thanks so much Sheila for this wonderful day. A day to remember!
After two long years, I finally made it back to Alberta, Canada. As I landed in Calgary and saw the prairies unfold below me, I burst into tears. It was so good to see my family and friends again. I was given comfy beds to sleep in, yummy meals, pets to snuggle and great conversations. Four generations of women spent valuable time together at my granddaughter´s place. We celebrated mom’s life at a local park by talking about her life and how much she meant to each of us, and by sharing food, conversation and laughter. She would have liked that. Here´s just a few photos of the trip.
Mom’s sister and brother along with my brother and I celebrating mom´s lifeThree generations of amazing women, all mine!Grandkids and grand dog. Love them to bits. With number one daughterWith number one sonMy excellent chauffeur in Medicine Hat, the youngest grandson with his first car.
And I woke up to goats outside my window!!
Goats on the prairie. Wiener, Pickle and BeanWith my grand goats
I did a book signing event at a wonderful bookstore in Medicine Hat, called Unlimited Characters.
A book signing at Unlimited Characters in Medicine Hat, Alberta. A great turn out.It was so great to see the prairies
A good friend took me to Banff for a day trip. What a treat. I had forgotten how amazing those Rocky Mountains are. I will do another post just about Banff soon.
The road to BanffWith a good friend at Bow Falls, she treated me to a fabulous day in Banff. Those Rocky Mountains make a great backdrop.
And I got to see cousins I hadn´t seen for a long time.
Cousins are the best!A dear cousin in her lovely back yard. She gave me a place to sleep and drove me around Calgary. And I found the most amazing outhouse! I need to put this in a story somewhere.
It was time well spent and I have all these wonderful memories to keep me going.
I enjoy following Jennie Fitzkee, a preschool teacher in New England. I have featured her here on my blog. She believes in the power of reading out loud to children of all ages, including reading chapter books to preschoolers. Jennie recently posted about the books she read this summer, which included great picture books as well as some chapter books. And guess what, she included Amanda in Alberta: The Writing on the Stone! I was delighted that she enjoyed the story and wrote a good review. I’m included with some pretty awesome authors too.
This is part of what she wrote:
Amanda and Leah see the Calgary Stampede (a rodeo), go on a cattle drive, visit Buffalo Jump, and the dinosaur museum. These adventures are intertwined with a mystery- Amanda finds a stone, which people seem to want, one cowboy in particular. Amanda is curious about the markings on the stone and is determined to learn more. She is the modern day Nancy Drew, and her sleuthing proves to be both dangerous and exciting at times.
Darlene Foster's Blog 