4th of July 2024 Musings...

What does the 4^th of July mean to me?  A lot. 

 

One of my earliest memories was my parents and family going down to the bi-centennial parade in Manchester, NH. I was just a kid, but it was impressed on me that it was a big day and I wouldn’t experience another milestone like this. I have a few pics from that day, but they’re a bit faded now.  I often think back of my family walking up from my house to Deerfield Park in Manchester to watch the fireworks.  Fireworks bring out the little kid in me. They capture an “awe factor” It’s a reminder of Freedom to me and having an appreciation of that freedom. 

 

Growing up when I did in NH, civics was important. I learned a lot about NH government as well as the nation’s. I think the one of the lasting impressions I have from that period is that “Fair” means a lot.  And it’s important to me that I’m a fair minded person. 

 

In 1986, I entered military service on 8 July.  Not quite the 4^th, but I remember the spirit of patriotism was soaring high in the nation. It was the time of Reagan, and I was very proud to serve under Reagan as a president. 

 

Between 1986-to about 2005ish, the 4^th meant a time to relax, enjoy the lazy summer day, BBQ, fly your flag and tip your hat to American’s birthday with a fireworks display.  Then in 2005, our family went to Avalon, CA on Catalina Island for the 4^th.  It was amazing.  Nothing said “home” California style than the golf cart parade and the USC marching band.  After a BBQ on the beach, we went and saw the fireworks on the beach in Avalon. We went to Avalon from about 2005 to 2012. It was a memorable time for us and the boys. They still have warm memories of the 4^th.  So to all the founding fathers – thank you. 

 

Home of the Brave and Land of the Free. 

We have a Republic. Let’s keep it. 

Happ 4th to the USA!!

 

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

 

 

Fun Facts: 

 

John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, 2 of our founding fathers, died on the same day - 4^th July 1826.  50 years after the Declaration of Independence. 

 

200 copies of the Declaration of Independence were drafted, but only 27 are accounted for.

 

Congress declared the 4^th of July an official holiday - in 1870!

 

The Star Spangled Banner was inspired by the War of 1812. A poem put to music, it became the USA's official national anthem in 1931.

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My story, Arrow Through the Heart takes place in New Hampshire around the 4th of July.  Logan & Ella have a fun celebrating, but danger surrounds Ella. Can Logan help to keep her safe?

Buy Arrow Through the Heart

 

 

 

Welcome to July 2024!!

I just want to welcome the Blog followers to July! The 4^th of July is just around the corner, and I bought tickets to see the fireworks show at Ventura college. We’ve gone before. It’s nothing special, but it feels more special than just staying in Santa Clarita and watching the fireworks at the mall.  I love Santa Clarita, but fireworks at mall is a tad crowded and there’s too much asphalt. 

 

We’ve gone to Ventura a couple of times, now. It’s at the college and we get to sit down on the grass and bring items for a picnic. We can bring in coolers, lawn chairs, blankies, but there’s no alcohol, no pets, no smoking/vaping.  There will be food trucks, which are kinda’ neat.  I think I got an ice cream from them last year.  When the boys were little, they went and played on the bounce houses.  This year we just have Boy #2, Joey, who is 17. Boy #1, Andy is on Catalina Island at Camp Emerald Bay during the 4^th doing his Boy Scout thing.  The only thing with Ventura is that it can get a little cramped feeling. Boy #2 has never been big on fireworks, as he’s also sensitive to loud sound. The vacuum cleaner drove him crazy when he was younger. 

 

For a long time, we used to go to Avalon on Catalina Island for the 4^th of July.  What started out as a 2-3 overnighter turned into a week-long event.  And trust me, you can pack a whole week of 4^th of July fun on Catalina.  We usually rented a condo on Hamilton cove and drove the golf cart everywhere. There’s BBQ’ing, fishing, relaxing, and the fireworks in the harbor were very memorable.  There’s the golf cart parade and the USC marching band. 4^th of July on Avalon was something special, and I think we did it from 2005 to 2012 when the boys were little.  We stopped because the in-laws started coming and honestly, 2012 was not as pleasant as it could have been. 

 

We might go back next year.  Boy #2 suggested we go while on vacation and Hubby and I are seriously considering it – no in laws. We’re putting our foot down. I think Joey, heck - we all do - have great 4^th of July memories on Catalina and we’d like to go back.  The 4^th of July isn’t the same when we’re not in Avalon. 

 

This year I bought some fun decorations at Walmart and Dollar tree to spruce up the lawn. I’ve got beads and headbands.  I want to bring Popeye’s chicken to eat on the lawn in Ventura. Last year Hubby made sandwiches and they were okay, but it was too much.

 

What do you have planned for the 4^th? 

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Summer vacation and the Fourth of July brings Ella to New Hampshire while participating in a tennis competition. Logan is resident who bumps into Ella and invites her for an ice cream. Attraction flares and they enjoy spending time together.

As things heat up between them, each evaluates their plans for their life. When Ella is confronted by a stalker, Logan comes to her aid, but can a summer attraction truly become a lasting relationship?

Buy Arrow Through the Heart

The Adventure - Self Publishing #1

Background - My Why 

Just recently the small press publisher that held my titles, Journey of the Heart, Night of Magic, and Mr. Christmas Elf downsized and I received my “Revision of Rights.”  I was bummed to have this happen, as they were great stories which were well received. Journey of the Heart had been my best seller over the years and had over 59 reviews. 

 

That said, I’d thought I’d do a mini blog series on Self-publishing. Honestly, it’s not something I saw myself doing. I’m confident in my writing skills and I wanted to get my stories out.  Back in the day I still had some growing to do. In the aughts I queried a lot of traditional publishers and didn’t hear anything back. So, I went back to the table to grow and really fine tune my writing. I joined Writing.com, got a subscription to Writer’s Digest, bought a couple of books on self-editing and the writing process in general, and fine-tuned my stories. Mind you, I could probably talk about this process, growing as a writer, which maybe I will in the future, but today, I just want to give you some background as to what led me to self-publish. 

 

In 2010, my first novel came out “The Hungarian” with a small press. I thought I’d go the way of small press after honing my craft because they responded to my queries. Kindle on Amazon was just getting big about that time. Small press in the teens was a big rage. Also around this time, a lot of independent writers were exploring the self-publishing market.

 

I’d say the self-publishing market has a had a “bad rap,” but with advances and more care, you can find a lot of good stories and great products these days.  Mind you, you can still get a self-publishing book or story that looks very amateurish, so it’s important to follow the process, take your time, and make sure every step is polished. 

 

Well, my small presses went out of business in 2018. Another small press picked up 3 of my Amazon kindle titles, but then told me they weren’t going to pick up any more and recommended I self-publish.

 

So, there I was. In 2019 I found myself looking at self-publishing. I knew my stories were solid.  I had pretty good reviews for my stories, and several had been recognized by Reader’s Favorites and other small press magazines that had recognized small press writers. 2 of my short mainstream fiction stories had placed 8^thin the Writer’s Digest Annual competion. 

 

The big question was – where to start? 

 

I think the first thing was knowing my limitations and understanding I needed patience. My limitations included being committed to the boys, their schooling, and scouts. Time would be limited. I decided to respect that. 

 

I also decided I would focus on the short stories that I had published with Victory Tales Press first.  They were mostly between 10,000-20,000 words and would need a light edit. I had coordinated to buy most of the covers when they went out of business, so that was one worry that I didn’t have.  Mind you, I had a bunch of titles. They were:

 

Christmas in Bayeux

A Polish Heart

Journey Through the Heart

Feast of Candles

Night of Magic

Gifts

Young Witchcraft

Mr. Christmas Elf 

Arrow Through the Heart

 

I’d work on my Desert Breeze titles after that. At least that was the plan.  Journey of the Heart, Night of Magic, and Mr. Christmas Elf were published with my “new” small press Prairie Rose Publishing. 

 

First up, I decided to tackle Christmas in Bayeux. It was a short story, about 12,000 words, but when I re-read it, I wanted to expand it and make it longer.  That would take time and patience. 

 

Next: The Process

Check out my Amazon Kindle story: Arrow Through the Heart:  Can Logan save Ella from a stalker?  Buy Arrow Through the Heart

Looking for Sarah Palin #2

The Rugged Outdoors

 

 

 

Skagway is a town near Glacier Bay. It’s in the southeast arm tucked in the Inside Passage.  It has a Gold Rush history. Prior to 1887, Native Americans (Tlingit tribe) lived in the area and established the Chilkoot trail. This was a steep trail which began at sea level and climbed several thousand feet into British Columbia. They used it as a trading route to Yukon. 

 

The Chilkoot trail was very steep and not recommended for animals. It was a 33 miles trail from Skagway, AK to Bennett, British Columbia. When Gold was discovered in the Yukon Territories, many a gold rusher would take this steep trail.  You can still hike this trail today. 

 

A less steep, trail, White’s Pass, was developed as thousands to gold rushers flooded the area seeking their fortune.  Soon, in the early 1900’s the White Pass and Yukon Railroad was built, making passage that much easier but the route is a narrow gage rail and there are many tight curves.  There’s no more gold rushers, but the railroad still takes tourists up the twisty and curvy route. 

 

Who knew? 

 

Well, I got up at 7 am and walked to my balcony and discovered the cruise ship was snuggled up against a granite cliff. We had the whole day in Skagway. 

 

We got off the ship early and walked on over to Skagway proper. There was a lot to do in the middle of the town/tourist area and it was swamped from 3 or 4 cruise ships.  There was no gang plank, so we had to take a shore boat to the docks.

 

The Klondike Gold Rush National Park was down there, but none of us realized it. We just followed the flow of the crowd. Soon we discovered the Red Onion Saloon. In 1897, it was brothel, but now it was just a place to eat and drink with a lot of ambience. We didn’t go in because the line was loooong. We continued to walk around town, and I found the Alaska Christmas store.  I just had to go in. Who doesn’t love Christmas?

 

Sorry, no pictures inside but they had some awesome ornaments, and I must have bought at least 4! 

 

After that, Andy and I found the Fry Dough place.  Again, another line out to the door, but it went fast, and we really wanted to try to the Fry Dough! It was delicious. Brent had some coffee from the local place next door. 

 

I got some sticker souvenirs, and we made our way back to the Train station. We must have waited for about 30 mins before it was time to get on the train.  We were going to ride the White Pass train to the Canadian border and then come back. It was a 2.5 hour ride. We learned how the railroad was built alongside White’s pass. The train went from sea level to 3,000 feet and there were lots of twists and turns. It was a nice ride.  The views were amazing and I’ll share a few here. 

 

We finished around 5 pm and got back on the ship. We had dinner at the Italian specialty dining place which just blew me away with its selection. I had veal cutlets. Afterwards I went to the cabin and relaxed. The sunset around 10 pm which was wild to me. 

 

I would definitely go back to Skagway again and spend a leisurely amount of time checking out the shops and the area . Believe it or not, when Sarah Palin was just a few months old, her family moved to Skagway and she spent a good amount of her childhood in Skagway before her family moved to Anchorage. After seeing the woods, the water, and the hills of Skagway, I can definitely see where Sarah Palin gets her “outdoorsyness” from.  I didn’t find her in Skagway, but there was time…

 

Next:  Glaciers. 

**************

My summer romance, Arrow Through the Heart is avail on Amazon Kindle. 

It's the 4th of July and Ella is in town for a tennis tournament. She meets a young man, Logan, and the sparks fly, but she is stalked, can Logan keep her safe? 

 Buy Arrow Through the Heart

 

Great summer read: Arrow Through the Heart - 99 Cents on Amazon!

Arrow Through the Heart

Summer vacation and the Fourth of July brings Ella to New Hampshire while participating in a tennis competition. Logan is an innkeeper's son who bumps into Ella and invites her for an ice cream. Attraction flares and they enjoy spending time together, but each has their own plans for their life. Then disaster strikes Ella. Can a summer attraction truly become a lasting relationship?

Excerpt:  Ella and Logan meet

Ella strolled along the boardwalk next to the lake, exploring the shops. A store that sold beach gear caught her attention. Outside the door were several flyers and brochures in a display. After studying the flyers, she picked one up, and began reading it. Ella gnawed on her lower lip. Could she steady herself enough to allow the parachute to lift her? She stared at the parasailing brochure. The man on the front made it look easy, but if it was one thing she learned about life, it was that nothing came easy.

"Hey, you want to try it?" The deep, masculine voice startled Ella. She placed her hand over her chest to steady her heart.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you." He walked around to her side so she could see him. "I'm Logan Donovan."

Ella's breath jammed in her throat. Logan's wide smile and kind sky-blue eyes sparkled in the sun. Tall, broad-chested, and well-muscled, his stance radiated confidence. Men rarely snuck up on her, but Logan had, and he'd taken her breath away.

"Are you all right?" Concern hinted in his eyes.

Ella cleared her throat. "Sorry. I'm Ella Perchekov."

"Arrow Through the Heart is a contemporary sweet summer romance found on Amazon.com. 

Link:

Buy Arrow Through the Heart 

Made in America - Warpath Coffee

Made in America – Warpath Coffee 

 

Product:  coffee

 

What is it: beverage 

 

Address: Mailing: P.O. Box 1344, Cheyenne, Wyoming, 82003; 401 W 19^th St., Suite 301, Cheyenne, WY. 

 

Owned by:  Tej Gill, Family owned, veteran operated, Doug Juelfs is the registered point of contact for the company. 

 

From the Website: 

 

Founded by Navy SEAL combat veteran Tej Gill, we are veteran owned, and we are family operated. We take great pride in being coffee connoisseurs who don’t like to compromise.

Our crew consists of passionate coffee lovers who would fight even Davy Jones for an aromatic cup of coffee. We are veterans, NYPD, wives, and a 30+ year coffee roaster. 

Taste and stimulation. Whether you're a coffee enthusiast or a casual drinker, you will be blown away by our blend’s smooth-as-silk flavor, intoxicating aroma, and rich body. But don’t worry. It’s not all just bells and whistles.

When it comes to stimulation, our blend is unrivaled. You will find no acidity, no bitterness, just raw, pure coffee energy that will get you through the day.

Taste is #1

We are on a mission to make gourmet coffee a part of your daily routine. Every single bean is roasted in the United States using traditional roasting methods with a single goal; make every cup unique.

Warpath Coffee is meant to be drank black. Our coffee is perfectly roasted so there is never a bitter or acidic flavor, you don’t need sugar or milk with Warpath Coffee. Drink it black, be healthy and enjoy the perfectly roasted coffee is this bag.

Roasting Beans:

We small batch roast, meaning we do batch by batch, old school style Jabez Burns roasters were around since the civil war, the original civil war roasting style. Perforated drum, no tipping going on (burning the tips of beans). It's the historic American way of roasting. Hot air goes through the beans and escapes through the perforated holes in the side of the drum.

We roast to caramelize our beans, that's why is tastes so good black. Most roasters carbonize(burn) their beans, that's why you need milk and sugar with other roasters.

 

My comments:  I found Warpath Coffee through an online recommendation.  As I love coffee, I was game to try it.  One of the benefits for me was that Warpath was American made and I have a passion to buy American so that was a nice little incentive. 

 

They sell beans whole, ground, and k-cups. I can do any of the above but prefer k-cups.  

 

TASTE: I love the taste. When they say never bitter or acidic, they mean it. Honestly, this is the best tasting coffee I’ve had in quite a long time. 

 

 

SHOPPING:  You can buy direct from the website. You can also find Warpath products on Amazon as well, but I buy direct from the website.  

 

Currently, I have a bag of ground beans - Medium Breakfast Blend which I recommend.  Also, I have subscription to the Med Breakfast Blend K-cups. Now usually, I don’t subscribe to products, but I like to take the K-cups to work and brew up a cup right at the beginning of my shift.  Honestly, my shift isn’t right if I don’t have my Warpath K-cup.  I’ve no issues with the subscription.

 

PRICE:  I think the price is reasonable for being a company where most sales are from the internet.  The price for my K-cups are $12.99 (you can find K-cups in stores ranging from 6.99 to 12.99), so perhaps a bit on the pricier side, but I’m willing to pay it because the quality is there. 

 

OTHER PRODUCTS: They also sell coffee mugs on their website. They also sell gourmet coffee such as maple bacon, maple bourbon, and dark chocolate. 

 

WISH LIST:  I wish they sold bumper stickers, hoodies, and t-shirts.  I’d definitely buy some. 

 

 

I did not find where they made donations to any charities online. They are a newer company, with a start up date in January 2022, as far as my research can tell. 

 

I highly recommend Warpath Coffee. The coffee is one of the best tasting coffees I’ve ever had and I’m very happy with the subscription to the K-cups.  Honestly, I can’t give this company a better recommendation and they’re Made in America! If you need stars, this is 5 stars out of 5 stars from me! 

 

 

References:

https://www.facebook.com/Warpathcoffee/

https://twitter.com/CoffeeWarpath

https://warpath.coffee

**********

Check out my Summer read: Arrow Through the Heart!  Only 99 cents on Amazon. Avail in ebook. 

BLURB: Summer vacation and the Fourth of July brings Ella to New Hampshire while participating in a tennis competition. Logan is resident who bumps into Ella and invites her for an ice cream. Attraction flares and they enjoy spending time together.

As things heat up between them, each evaluates their plans for their life. When Ella is confronted by a stalker, Logan comes to her aid, but can a summer attraction truly become a lasting relationship?

Review: 5 Stars:  This is a a delightful, warm novel of a new friendship that turns to love.

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Arrow-Through-Heart-Stephanie-Burkhart-ebook/dp/B0C5ZWD28D/ref=sr_1_1?crid=YNEPU6GYZYTT&keywords=stephanie+burkhart&qid=1691858466&sprefix=stephanie+burkhar%2Caps%2C147&sr=8-1

4th of July 2023

Happy 247^th Birthday to the USA.  Boy, that’s a lot of candles! 

 

It’s challenging birthday as well. Gas prices are up, Food prices are up.  Home prices are up. And there are more controversial topics as well, but this 4^th I wanted to strike a patriotic note.  Yes, we live in challenging times and if we don’t stick up for the values the founding fathers fought for, we may loose some of those of those things that make America unique. That said,

 

If you love this country, own it. Be proud. Fly your flag. Sing those songs – God Bless America! Be proud of the patriots who have fought in past wars and the patriots now who fight for freedom. Never forget what makes this country special and step up. Never be afraid to say “God Bless America.” 

 

Fun Facts:

 

The 13 original colonies are:

New Hampshire

Massachusetts

Connecticut

Rhode Island

New York

New Jersey

Pennsylvania

Delware

Maryland

Virginia

North Carolina

South Carolina

Georgia 

 

There were 2.5 million Americans in July 1776.

 

56 people signed the Declaration of Independence.

 

The first 4^th of July parade was in Bristol, Rhode Island in 1785.

 

In 1941, the US Government declared the 4^th of July a Federal holiday.

 

In 1776 Dunlap printing printed 200 copies of the Declaration of Independence Only 26 remain. 

 

Blue Fireworks are the hardest to make because the balance in chemicals has to be just right. 

 

 

This Independence day is low-key for me.  We’re heading out to Ventura to enjoy a picnic dinner before watching the fireworks at the college.  

 

Past traditions including visit Catalina Island and watching the 4^th of July golf cart parade and the USC Marching band. Baking a blueberry pie and decorating it like a flag has been something we’ve done before. Buying 4^th of July flowers and flying the flag has been something we’ve done.  We’ve visited Pismo Beach and Cayucos California because there’s nothing like fireworks over the coast. One year, we went to see a Dodger Game on the 4th. In 2021 we traveled to New Hampshire and had a warmhearted friends & family get together complete with BBQ and pie! 

 

How do you spend your 4^th? 

 

From the Declaration of Independence:

 

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. 

 

 

References:

https://wallethub.com/blog/4th-of-july-facts/22075

https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/10-fascinating-facts-about-the-declaration-of-independence

https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript

https://selecthealth.org/blog/2016/06/7-things-about-fireworks

https://www.energy.gov/articles/5-facts-about-fireworks

 

From my Summer 4^th of July story, Arrow Through the Heart 

 

BLURB: 

 

Summer vacation and the Fourth of July brings Ella to New Hampshire while participating in a tennis competition. Logan is an innkeeper's son who bumps into Ella and invites her for an ice cream. Attraction flares and they enjoy spending time together, but each has their own plans for their life. Then disaster strikes Ella. Can a summer attraction truly become a lasting relationship?

EXCERPT: 

 

They finished their meal and he collected their trash. Glancing at his watch, he discovered it was eight-thirty. Logan frowned, knowing he had to leave.

 

"Thank you again for everything. I had a nice day, despite finding my room trashed." The corners of Ella's lips tipped upward.

 

God, that smile was like an arrow through his heart.

 

"I had a nice day, too." He paused, looked away for a second, suddenly nervous, then back at Ella. "I'm busy tomorrow at the inn, but I plan on watching your meet." 

 

"You don't have to, if you're busy—"

 

"I want to." He drew in a breath. "Maybe we can spend the evening together? Go for a boat ride? I'll show you some of the islands in the lake. We could have a picnic dinner and watch the sun set."

 

"All right." Her voice was soft and low, and her emerald eyes sparkled in the subdued room light.

 

He stood and walked over to the door. She followed him. His jaw tensed when he turned to look at her. He wanted to kiss her, but it was way too soon. 

 

"I'll see you tomorrow," she whispered.

 

"Good night," he said.

"Good night."

 

BUY LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Arrow-Through-Heart-Stephanie-Burkhart-ebook/dp/B0C5ZWD28D/ref=sr_1_1?crid=26UOXJLEPU6XI&keywords=stephanie+burkhart&qid=1688498861&sprefix=stephanie+burkhar%2Caps%2C167&sr=8-1