Darlene's Digest

Feasting With Friends, Florida Style Before we celebrated US style Thanksgiving in Florida (the Spaniards celebrated Thanksgiving at St. Augustine long before those latecomer Pilgrims set foot aboard ship) we had cane grinding in the autumn to share the work and feast with friends: From SMUGGLER'S BRIDE:      As the shadows lengthened, the men began gathering around the tables like wasps drawn to sweet fruit, cozying up to their women, and trying to talk them out of some of the food before the feast officially began. Ma Ivey ruled her dirt yard like an empress and wasn't above slapping a reaching hand with a wooden spoon when they drew too close. Finally though, the last of the cane was put through the mill and the syrup cooked down, and as the night sky filled with stars the feast began to a chorus of tree frogs and crickets serenading the workers. They lined up before the platters of roast pig and venison, quails, turkey, and doves. Even a possum or two join...

I have often heard other writers say that thinking about writing is not writing, researching is not writing, complaining about how your book is progressing is not writing.  Only writing is writing. Having said that, I freely admit that with the visit of my best friend (all the way from Australia!), Thanksgiving, and a family friend's son's wedding coming up, I'm not writing much this week. I am doing some thinking about writing my next book, researching the next book, and trying not to complain that I need to get started on my next book so I can talk about its progress. Once Thanksgiving and the weekend is behind us, I will be doing some writing.  I've done enough research to this point that I feel like I can gather my notes and get cranking.  In the meantime, if I don't get back to this blog sooner, have a lovely Thankgiving with plenty of good food and good times.

Image via Wikipedia Today is Veteran's Day, and Armistice Day.  I want to thank the men in my family who served, and fought, at Pearl Harbor, in the South Pacific, in Viet Nam.  I want to thank the ones who were in the Air Force, the Army National Guard, the Naval Reserves.  I want to thank the young man next door who baby-sat my boys, and when he was grown enlisted in the Marines and served in Iraq.  I tell my now-grown sons, "When your kids whine, say, 'You think you have it tough?  My babysitter was a Marine!'." So thank you, all of you who fight and serve for our country.  Our job now is to fight for you and ensure you get the benefits and help that are your due.

“I am not sure I should have to always do what you tell me to do, or not to do, Dr. Murray. I know you are a natural philosopher and learned, but in America they let men vote equally, the stupid ones as well as the clever. Not that I am stupid, I am just not as learned as you are. While we are here on this island, just the two of us, we should be voting as equals, don’t you think?” He looked at her in astonishment, setting down the gourd. “I am amazed, Miss Farnham, that a properly brought up Englishwoman would take the riff-raff in America as her model for appropriate behavior." --Castaway Dreams, Darlene Marshall (WIP) Be like Daphne.  Do the American thing and vote today.