Author Archives: 2elderpreneurs

A Wife Worries as Her Husband Hurries

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Imagine living in a southern state in the US during the 1930’s, when your husband; “beastly in his dealings with all God’s creatures,” and “particularly harsh with those that didn’t meet his criteria; paradigms so narrow as to make most diehard WASPs cringe”; hears that a woman in town has been attacked by a black man, and sets out to bring the ‘criminal’s’ life to a quick end.

That’s the situation Hazel Ponders, today’s character in another First Acquaintance post, found herself in, while living in the town of Drewsport in 1939. Read on to find out how she dealt with the situation.

Avril Ponders slammed the receiver into its retainer.  His flushed, jowly face drawn into an angry, leering grin.  As he whirled to face the empty room, he yanked a huge bandanna from the hip pocket of his overalls and bellowed, “Will!  Eben!”

With a snarl, he brought the red kerchief up the back of his short, thick neck, over the shinning pate; and down across his boar like face; then, called a second time…”Get your damn butts in here!  NOW!”

Avril was about to call again when the clatter of running feet sounded on the back porch. Their cadence was briefly interrupted, then the door burst open, and the two boys, rushing past their mother, came to a halt before the squat, bear like figure of their father.

“‘Bout time!” He roared. “You two git the shotgun and rifles! We goin’ huntin’!”

The older boy beamed. “Huntin’! We goin’ for squirrel, Paw?”

“No, damn it, boy! We goin’ for coon, the two legged kind.”

The younger boy drew back, while the older began dancing about the room…”C’mon, Eben, we gonna have us some fun, we gonna shoot us one of them black boys.”

For Will Ponders, being included in this sacred mission was a thrill and challenge beyond his wildest fantasies.  Countless were the hours he and Eben had played at hunting black fugitives. 

Will punched his younger brother on the shoulder. “C’mon, dummy! This time it ain’t no game!”

The younger boy withdrew even farther.

“Eben!  Come on! 

The boy shook his head, pressing against the wall.

“EBEN!”  His father thundered.  “Git your gun, boy, you comin’ with us!”

“No he ain’t.”  The quiet voice came from the kitchen doorway where Hazel Ponders stood eyeing the three.  “I got things for him to do ’round here.  Ain’t no need for him traipsin’ off with you two.”

Quotes taken from pages 57-60 of Bluebell

The exchange between Avril and Hazel, about their youngest son, doesn’t end there, though I can tell you that she won and didn’t suffer physically for her victory. For more about the Ponders family, you’ll need to wait until I get “Bluebell” published. And speaking of that…

Some Ways to Help

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Keep Your Head in the Game

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Wise people protect others by using wisdom and compassion when making decisions. That’s what we learn from Tog Ericson in today’s ‘How-To’s‘ post.

“Does Mister Tanksley really do magic, Uncle Tog?”

Tog chuckled. “Not the kind you saw at the Halloween program last year; but when it comes to fixing broken machinery, Struther does do some pretty magical things. So, in that way, he is a magician.”

“Oh…”

The answer had not fully completed its mission, but the advent of a more interesting alternative allowed it to suffice. “If the tractor isn’t fixed, can I ride Skipper?”

Skipper was a registered palomino gelding, one of several saddle horses owned by the Ericsons. Out of Tog’s own purebred mare, he was the result of an arrangement with the owner of a champion stallion, which would give them a purebred foal. The second birth, a filly then named Lollipop, had been the cause of the mare’s death, and came into the world with little more than lineage as her claim to greatness.

Because of their loss, the stallion’s owner had insisted that they keep Lollipop. Any regrets were soon forgotten, as the Ericsons cared for the wobbly-legged curiosity. She broke beautifully to become an ideal mount for Christine; and her gentle nature made her the perfect choice for what Tog had in mind.

“Skipper? Well, probably not for awhile, but I think you could ride Lollipop, um…there in the coral.”

“OH, Uncle Tog!” The child, unable to control her exuberance, threw her arms about Tog’s neck, trampling her sister who was sitting between them. “Could I, honest?”

Quote taken from page 8 & 9 of Bluebell

Just because someone wants to do something doesn’t mean it’s necessarily in their best interest, and discerning the difference, as Tog clearly does in today’s post, is a ‘How-To’ worth practicing.

Some Other Things on the Horizon

Kind, Giving and Loving

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Love doesn’t care about your sex, wealth, color, education, or any other ‘who you are’ category, and it’s what I’m talking about in today’s Graphically Said post.

From dad’s book, “Bluebell”, we learn that the “grandson of a slave, Willis Jefferson’s severe, but relatively happy childhood had ended in its ninth year.” He deeply loved his parents but it didn’t keep them from dying.

And then, only three years later he nearly died himself on the plains of Kansas in a terrible storm. Had it not been for Rowena Kramer, his rescuer, he would have perished and we wouldn’t have dad’s book.

Following the rescue, as Willis awoke in his new ‘home’, we hear his benefactor say…

“Well, what’s this?  Do you mean that the brave young man who was out in that terrible storm, all alone, is afraid of me?” There followed several quick, light steps, and the bed dipped as she seated herself beside him.  “Come now, I really can’t believe that!”  Gently she tugged at the blanket.  “Why-why don’t you tell me about it?”

Slowly, apprehensively, he let the covers slip from his grasp, and peered up through half closed lids…it was her hair that he saw first.  It fell down over her shoulders and about her face…her beautiful face. It had never occurred to Willis that a white face could be beautiful, but then, he had never seen one filled with love and compassion.  As these thoughts raced about his mind, it came to him that he’d never considered white folk as anything more than something to fear and avoid.”

This is the woman, linked with his own mother in the following quote, that enabled him to be a man of care and concern, when confronted with a situation that would alter his future terribly, yet exactly as he imagined.

A Few More Steps to Ponder

The Eyes See, The Heart Interprets

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Truck drivers are tough, hard working folks who get the job done. You won’t find them getting all emotional over some ‘silly’ memory…or will you? In today’s ‘Bits of Bill‘ post, I’ll look at a bit of reality that my dad came face to face with.

As relayed in a ‘unique’ bio penned by my dad, he was born in his parent’s home in Pasadena, CA in 1926. A few doors down and across the street, was where my mom came to live after being born a little less than three months before my dad. Their proximity had much to do with the relationship that developed but that’s a tale for another time.

About fifty years after the McIntyre family had left their Steuben Street home, dad returned, although, according to his own words, without prior planning. In ‘A Tree for Tomorrow’, one of his many short stories, he tells us,  “It wasn’t my idea, you know.  Major construction had the freeway tied up, so I exited a few miles before my regular off-ramp.  That’s it, nothing else!  Well… okay, the last two blocks were out of my way, but I really didn’t plan it!”

What he found was his birthplace and childhood home being prepared for demolition. As it was late in the day and no workmen were on site, he went inside to investigate. Though dealing with some apprehension, several things he saw brought vivid, satisfying memories, which I include below in his own words.

  • Fireplace: “Several bricks bore the stains of melted crayon, while crumbling mortar and gaping holes were the only evidence of others long lost.  Although the years had done no favors for the once proud mantel, nothing could dim my recollections of that first Christmas when I was allowed to hang my stocking there.”
  • Kitchen: “A doorway had been moved to make way for additional cupboards.  But the sink was still on the east wall beneath the windows.  It was from there that my mother had watched my play while she worked.”
  • Master Bedroom: “My memories were of stormy nights when I would rush to cuddle safe and warm between my parents in that wonderfully enormous bed.”

When his visit had ended, and it was later recorded in ‘A Tree for Tomorrow’, dad had this to say about the experience…

“Tomorrow, the house will be reduced to rubble, the tree will fall, and both hauled away to be burned or buried.  In a matter of months, weeks or even days, all evidence of the former will have vanished.  I will sense the loss, but the sun will rise and set in its usual manner, and I will go about my life much as before.  I will find comfort in the assurance that this house, and its memories, will live forever in the hearts of those others who, like me, became a part of it.”

Actually, there was more to the story than the preceding quote and that brings me to my final thoughts…

  1. Read ‘A Tree for Tomorrow’ – A little over a year ago I started giving away one of dad’s short stories to anyone who wanted one and if you request this story, you’ll get to read the ‘surprise’ ending.
  2. Get Three Free Stories – Just subscribe to my email updates and select from six stories of dad’s available. Spoiler Alert – One of them is ‘A Tree for Tomorrow’
  3. Learn More about My Project – Find out some of the things I’m doing to get dad’s historical novel, “Bluebell”, published.

Moving To America

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Tog Ericson has getting a lot of press here but today, in this edition of Character Confessions, I get to grill him about something that he might wish he never did.

Scott: Thanks for agreeing to meet with me Tog.

Tog: You’re welcome Scott. I know some of your Character Confessions articles have been a little confrontational but I trust you after reading the three posts I’ve already been featured in.

Scott: I’m glad you’re feeling comfortable speaking with me today. So which of the those was your favorite?

Tog: That’s easy…How to Do Those Things You Love. I really enjoyed giving people some tools to enjoy life. Though being one of the first characters introduced in Bluebell’s Top Ten was pretty cool too and giving me a chance to show my logical side in Interpret the Facts Carefully made me feel good.

Scott: Wow, if I didn’t know better Tog, I’d think I paid you to mention those articles to help promote interest in this blog. So “Bluebell” takes place in and around Drewsport, but that wasn’t always home to you, right?

Tog: I guess you’ve done your homework Scott. Shortly after Christine and I married, we left Sweden to join others from our homeland that had settled in Wisconsin.  For several years I worked for my uncle on a large dairy farm.  Continuing in the frugal, hard working tradition of our families, we soon had our own small farm.

Scott: But something else happened during those first years in America. Can you tell me about it?

Tog: We “attempted several times to bring an heir into the world, but each pregnancy ended disastrously” for our child.  “Following two such incidents, in which Christine nearly lost her life; the doctor” advised us to avoid future attempts.

Scott: Oops…my journalistic talents must be slipping. I just realized that Drewsport isn’t in Wisconsin, so what prompted leaving your new home and heading here?

Tog: “With the realization that she would be unable to bear children, Christine was beset by periods of deep depression.  This seemed to greatly aggravate what had been only a minor bronchial condition.  After consulting numerous doctors, it was decided that Wisconsin winters offered little opportunity for improvement.”  So, overriding Christine’s adamant objections, I sent her to live with my uncle, “leased the farm to a young couple newly arrived from Sweden, and went in search of a place wherein to start anew.”

Scott: So you left family and the home you’d built and went searching for another place to live. How did you determine where to look?

Tog: “With the aid of the U. S. Weather Bureau,” I “chose an area, west of the Mississippi River, which promised temperatures and humidity readings closest to those the doctors had recommended.” 

Scott: I love that you cared so much for her that you’d give up what you’d created in Wisconsin. How did Drewsport become your destination?

Tog: The final decision came down to topography. “The low wooded hills offered the only break” I “had seen in the otherwise, rather barren landscape.  Not being a particularly prosperous part of America,” I “was able to purchase two adjoining sections of choice land at a very depressed price…erected a fine house near the small stream that wandered amiably through the property, and went east to bring Christine to her new home.”

Scott: And then, after all that, you had the terrible experience of being with your God children when you discovered their mom had been beaten. I guess after all that’s happened, you and Christine probably wish you’d never left Sweeden?

Tog: Actually Scott, it’s just the opposite. Moving here, we met Doc Ferguson and without him, Christine might never have gotten the medical help she needed. And how we came to be God parents is a story that almost seems too good to be true. We love our home.

Scott: And it sounds like you’ve just made a pretty successful pitch for a follow-up interview. I’ve got a lot of other characters to talk with Tog, but if time allows, I think we just might speak again.

Tog: Works for me. “Bluebell” is a pretty long book and I’m not going anyplace soon.

Well readers, Tog is my 4th Character Confession post but there are lots of characters in “Bluebell” so don’t be surprised when you see the 5th edition soon. And speaking of what’s to follow, here are a few ideas…

Visiting the South

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When an author sits down to write a historical fiction book, they need a place for the story to unfold. In “Bluebell“, dad chose the fictional (?) Southern town of Drewsport but didn’t tell us which state it was part of.

In today’s “Counterparts in Literature” post, that won’t be an issue because each of the five novels below take place in a recognized Southern location. All you have to do is match story to state and then head over to my answer page and learn how well you did.

My thanks to BookRiot and Mary Kay McBrayer for the article I used to get my five selections from, 8 Great Southern Historical Novels. Now I’m just hoping they’ll update it soon with one more great story, “Bluebell”.

Before You Leave

Broken Child to Healing Woman

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Willis Jefferson loved and respected Rowena Kramer as if she was his own loving mother. It was her influence in his life that enabled him to be the man of courage we find in this excerpt from “Bluebell“. But you might not have expected the child introduced in Dad’s book, “Rowena”, to grow into this remarkable woman.

It was early in the Fall of 1886, as the opening pages of “Rowena” unfolded, when this scene took place…

The coach was comfortably warm, but, huddled next to the large, glowering man, the child’s appearance suggested that no amount of external warmth could dispel the chill that gripped her.

As the train neared it’s next stop, the little girl…shivered and glanced up furtively. “Garwood, Papa?”

With the man’s brusque nod, offering nothing more than annoyed acknowledgement, a second tremor gripped the tiny body; and, drawing her knees tight against herself, she moved closer to him.

Glaring down, he snapped: “Don’t get so close, child, you’ll muss my suit!”  He cuffed her leg with a huge hand.  “And get your feet off the seat.”

Blinking back the tears she obeyed, and sought to become one with the cushions.

Garwood was the small town where Rowena’s father left her at the train station, because his girlfriend didn’t like having the child around, to be picked up by a a man he’d never talked with or met.

Fortunately, Rowena’s childhood years were mostly good but her adult life could largely be described as tragic. Yet when she appears as a character in “Bluebell”, we hear nothing but great things about her.

Willis was not alone in his special feelings for Rowena Kramer; there were many others.  They came and went in a seemingly endless parade, some staying only for a meal, some for a day, a week or longer.  They were young, old, and in-between.  Mostly, they were men and boys, but occasionally a member of the fairer sex was taken under Miss Rowena’s wing.  No matter the gender, problem or need, however, all shared a common bond: No one leaving her was ever less than better for the experience, nor was that separation ever complete.  Within her spirit was that which engendered, and exacted, love from every life she touched.   

Often, the human spirit is known for it’s tenacity and toughness, yet also for generating tenderness and tranquility. Miss Rowena seems to have been capable of all of those.

What About You?

  • Tell us about a person showing Miss Rowena-isms in your life
  • Visit other QuotaBill articles
  • Take a Chance (Spoiler Alert: Could be something free in your future)

Bluebell’s Top Ten – Part 3

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It’s time to unveil the Bottom Two of the Top Ten! You’ve been introduced to the eight characters in “Bluebell” with the most mentions by name in the book, if you’ve read this article or the one that followed it, but you still haven’t met Dr. Bill Ferguson or Jeremy Claymore until now.

Our doctor character makes his first appearance on Page 16, in what soon turns out to be, perhaps, the worst emergency he’s ever dealt with.

          “Mary Lou!  Tog Ericson.  This is an emergency!  Get me Doc Ferguson! NOW!  And stay on the line!”
          Considerably less interested in gathering or spreading gossip than most of Drewsport’s party line wags; Mary Lou Trimmer was a competent, conscientious operator.  Having read the urgency in Tog’s voice, the line was ringing before he had finished speaking.
          The first cycle was complete, and the second started, when Bill Ferguson’s familiar voice answered:
          “Doc Ferguson.”
          “Bill…”  The name, in English, was recognizable; what followed would have made no sense, to anyone not fluent in Swedish.
          Bill Ferguson’s surprise was obvious.  There were a few seconds of silence; then, “Tog, is that you?”
          Additional seconds ticked by as Tog tried to coordinate his thinking and speaking.  Finally, he broke into English.  “Y-yes, Bill, it-it’s me.”  He drew a deep breath, in an effort to regulate his breathing and marshal his thoughts.  “I’m at the Watkins’ place.  Charlotte’s been badly injured.  I’m taking her to our house.  Can you get there right away?”

While Dr. Ferguson’s introduction to the tragic event was more direct, soon after we meet Jeremy Claymore, it becomes clear he too had knowledge of the attack.

Per the instructions of their parents, Edith Bergdorf and Jeremy Claymore had attended the early show.  As they exited the auditorium, the darkened lobby and lack of people entering the theatre surprised them.  Outside, finding the box office closed and marquee lights out added to their confusion.
          Edith glanced up at Jeremy.  “Wonder why they closed early.”  She looked about, and shivered apprehensively.  “It seems awful quiet.”
          “Yeah,” Jeremy said quietly.  “I wonder; they weren’t great movies, but… um, they always have two shows, ‘specially, Saturday night.”
          Both young people had heard of the attack, but because the defining words, beating and rape were not used, and neither was close to the Watkins family, news of the incident had held their interest only briefly.

Well, that does it for our Top Ten but there are a lot more characters in “Bluebell” to introduce you to, plus I’ll be revisiting some of these in future Character Confessions posts so stay tuned and see how you answer my three questions below.

  1. Have you read the “Bluebell” excerpt?
  2. Know how to get 3 Free Short Stories by my Dad?
  3. Want a great page to share with friends?

How to Do Those Things You Love

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Tog Ericson, a character in “Bluebell” who I’ve introduced in three previous posts, must have taken the the following quote from Elsie, the Richly Rooted blogger, to heart; “It’s important to create space for the things that make you come alive.”

As chapter two of “Bluebell” opens, we find it was Tog’s practice to drive slowly, but more importantly, we learn why in today’s ‘How-To’s post.

“Driving slowly served a dual purpose for Tog Ericson.  It kept the dust at a minimum, and gave him a few extra minutes with his two charming companions.

When Claude and Charlotte Watkins had asked that he and Christine be the godparents of their two children, the Ericsons were thrilled; and through the years they had come to love the girls as their own.  Their regular visits were a joy for all, but in particular Tog and Christine.  So it had come as a disappointment when it became necessary to relinquish their charges earlier than usual.

“Uncle Tog.”  The older girl was speaking.  “I wish we could go to Carver with you.”

“Well, I do too, Christine, but I’ll be getting such a late start that it will be way past your bed time before I get home.  We’ve had almost two whole days, though, and there will be next week.”   The child nodded, only minor disappointment showing in her lovely eyes.

Drive (or live life) a little slower than normal to allow more things you love into your days. Now that sounds like good advice to me and if you’ve got a bit more time you can spend at Read My Dad’s Stuff, here are a couple of other things to consider.

Race: By the Colors

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I’m posting in one of my favorite categories today, Graphically Said, and with it, and a very brief excerpt from dad’s book, “Bluebell”, showing just how difficult caring for another can be.

Willis Jefferson, a young black man featured in “Bluebell” and several – recent – posts – on – this blog, had been taught to love his fellow human.  At a time when he least expects it, he hears a woman being beaten, and as he’s in the white section of a southern town, knows the race of the victim.  Black men didn’t rush to help Caucasian women in this part of the country during the late 1930’s yet these words from his ‘second’ mom, Rowena Kramer, beat like a hammer in his mind.

Like a First Responder, willing to put their life on the line for another but having to consciously  make that commitment each and every time they respond…

“Willis had no idea of how long he stood rooted in indecision, nor was he ever certain as to who or what ended his hesitation.  With a dread fear of what lay ahead, Willis hurdled the fence, and fixed his gaze on the door of the rear, screened-in porch.”

Next Steps