LOOK! IT'S A BOOK! MY LIFELONG ITCH TO PUT A COVER AROUND MY WRITING By Judy Fowler

 In her book The Artist's Way, Julia Cameron wrote that every artist has their own idea of True North. That's their "I have arrived" moment. Seeing my writing between two covers with a spine has been my True North since third grade. 

That's the year my teacher tasked us with writing a report on a country. Ugh. Tedious.  Then she said our reports had to be bound in a hardcover binder. The uphill assignment suddenly took on the wonder of a trip to Disneyland. 

I could hardly wait to get home, choose a country, pull out my brother's World Book Encyclopedia and get down to some shameless cribbing.

Okay, I cared a little about the content of my report. First, I wanted a country no other eight-year-old Glen Cove student would pick to write about. Second, the nation had to be manageable in scope. Switzerland and Germany were out. 

My choice was Ruanda-Burundi, a photo of which I'd seen in a National Geographic.

In nineteen-fifty-eight, kids used two-hole ruled paper and printed neatly on sheets of it in pencil. My teacher asked for the reports to be sectioned into Customs, Culture, Social Groups, Arts, Clothing, and History. Luckily, Volume R of the World Book had those bases covered.

But I was working toward that cover. For the blissful moment when I'd place my penciled pages of paragraphs into the black hardcover binder my mother let me purchase from the school supply section of Newberry’s (yesterday's Dollar Tree).  

I glued a large red and white paper label (used by Mom to mail packages) on the front cover and boldly wrote on it with red pen: 

 RUANDA-BURUNDI

by Judy Fowler

I sat cross-legged on the floor and held that covered beauty in my hands. I peeked inside to look at those penciled pages snuggled up inside it. True North. 

Holiday card-making exposed the same compulsive urge to cover the "Roses are Red" dreck I'd written for my parents and grandparents. It wasn’t a card until I'd nestled it inside a homemade envelope, even if the card never saw a mailbox and only had to go upstairs on a tray. 

A few months ago, a story of mine became downloadable in an anthology titled Rock, Roll, and Ruin, edited by Karen Pullen of North Carolina’s Triangle Chapter of Sisters in Crime. The stories are fantastic, but what I wanted to see most? The e-book cover.  

Most manuscripts I read to my colleagues leave me less than thrilled until I get them covered. I love the magic of Fiver. They take my ideas and in two days a cover appears. I can even tweak it and get it back again in a few hours. It's an itch my discretionary income allows.

So, whether my story appears alone or last or eighth in a manuscript's batting order, I’m just happy to know it's inside something.  I judge a book once it's covered.

 

 

 

JUNETEENTH-- THE ELEVENTH U.S. FEDERAL HOLIDAY by Sheryl Jordan

JUNETEENTH – THE ELEVENTH U.S. FEDERAL HOLIDAY by Sheryl Jordan

 

The History

For some people, Juneteenth is just another day off work or school, but there is so much more behind the holiday and its history. It is an important part of U.S. history, which changed America in many ways. The freedom it represented for so many was astounding.

Juneteenth is short for June Nineteenth, the day in 1865 on which slaves in Texas were officially freed. On June 18, 1865, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas. I'm sure the people of the city were wondering what was going on. The following day, as Major General Gordon Granger walked through the town and informed the community about President Lincoln's signing of the proclamation, I'm sure some folks were not happy about it. Some enslavers were probably pretty sure being slave owners would be part of their lives forever. Perhaps some of the slaves thought they died and went to heaven!  Some may have been scared and not sure they were hearing the news correctly. Although Emancipation Proclamation was issued two and a half years prior, enslavers were held responsible for telling the enslaved they were free, and some ignored the directive. Major General Gordon demanded Galveston locals comply with the proclamation. This was a day that changed many lives forever.

Juneteenth did not end slavery. The Emancipation Proclamation ended slavery in Confederate states during the Civil War but not in Union states such as Maryland, where people were still practicing involuntary servitude. Only through the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution did emancipation end slavery and involuntary servitude in the United States,  signed on February 1, 1865, by President Lincoln. 

The former slaves rejoiced in their new freedom. They began celebrating through prayer, song, and dance. One can only imagine the encouragement and feelings of empowerment the former slaves experienced emotionally. They must have had the euphoria after two hundred-plus years of African Americans being enslaved and suddenly, they were free!

Texas being the last state in which the proclamation was announced, was the first state to recognize Juneteenth statewide. The annual holiday to commemorate the official day enslaved African Americans in Galveston were freed began in 1866. When African Americans migrated from the South, the holiday spread across the country.

Juneteenth is also known throughout the world as Jubilee Day, Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, Black Independence Day, Cel-Liberation Day, and Second Independence Day. Congress passed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act in June 2021, one day after the Senate unanimously passed the bill. It became a federal holiday when President Joe Biden signed the Act on June 17, 2021. After the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, Democratic Senator Ed Markey first introduced the Juneteenth Bill in 2020, however, it didn't get passed.

"Today’s Senate passage of our legislation to commemorate Juneteenth as a federal holiday will address this long-ignored gap in our history, recognize the wrong that was done, acknowledge the pain and suffering of generations of slaves and their descendants, and finally celebrate their freedom," Markey said after the bill passed on June 17 of 2021. (USA Today, 2022)

The Flag

Did you know there is an official Juneteenth flag to honor the day which represents the history and freedom of the American Slaves and their descendants? It was designed by Ben Haith, founder of the National Juneteenth Celebration Foundation (NJCF) in 1997, and other collaborators Lisa Jeanne Graff, illustrator brought the group's vision to life.

The white star in the center represents “Texas, the Lone Star State” and the freedom of African Americans in all fifty states.

The burst outlining the star is inspired by a nova, meaning a new star.

The arc extending across the flag's width represents a new horizon - a new freedom, a new people, new opportunities, and promises that lay ahead for Black Americans.

In 2007, the date June 19, 1865, was added commemorating the day the enslaved African Americans in Galveston were told of their emancipation.

In addition to the official flag, many communities also include the PAN-African flag during Juneteenth celebrations. The flag’s colors are red, black, and green. Per the Pan-African Alliance:

Red represents the millions of Black men and women who lost their lives while enslaved, as civil rights leaders, and those unjustly murdered.

Black represents the melanin of Black people, the rich soil of the Nile valley, and the unification of the African diaspora.

Green stands for fertility, productivity, and prosperity and is the fertile cradle of Africa.

Celebrations

Juneteenth is celebrated in many ways around the world which include:

Flag-raising ceremonies.

Cookouts

Parades

Festivals

Block parties

Church services

Ceremonies to honor community service

Red color food and beverages – symbolize the bloodshed of enslaved ancestors due to the transatlantic slave trade. 

I attended Jubilee events at Powderhorn Park in Minneapolis, MN as a teenager with my sister and friends and later with my husband. Although I didn’t really know the history of Juneteenth during those times, I always enjoyed the festival. I love the unity of people honoring the importance of Juneteenth. I felt connected with fellow Americans, of all races in attendance and the celebrations.

This year I plan to attend various Juneteenth events with my family. My husband and I discuss each holiday's history and its significance with our grandchildren. Trust me, we will be discussing Juneteenth with them again this year. We want to ensure they understand the holiday and why it is an important part of history to be celebrated as other holidays they are familiar with.  

Juneteenth celebrations can be small and personal or huge and elaborate. Have you celebrated Juneteenth in past years? Will you celebrate Juneteenth this year? If so, how?

Not sure how to celebrate Juneteenth? You can find suggestions and listings of 2023 Juneteenth Events near you on the internet.

References:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2022/06/15/juneteenth-us-federal-holiday/7582744001/

https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/17/us/juneteenth-flag-meaning-explainer-cec/index.html#:~:text=The%20red%2C%20white%20and%20blue,became%20Americans%20under%20the%20law

https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/13th-amendment#:~:text=The%2013th%20Amendment%20to%20the%20United%20States%20Constitution%20provides%20that,place%20subject%20to%20their%20jurisdiction.%22

Related Articles and Videos

https://www.pbs.org/wnet/african-americans-many-rivers-to-cross/history/what-is-juneteenth/

https://www.juneteenth.com/history/

https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2022/06/17/nearly-half-of-states-now-recognize-juneteenth-as-an-official-holiday/

https://www.history.com/news/what-is-juneteenth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBtIHTcDfYg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8EY9e7Vjis 

THE HISTORY OF SWEET TEA by Teresa Inge

    

As summer heats up, Americans will be looking to cool down, and what better way than with a cold glass of refreshing sweet, iced tea.   

It’s been called "The House Wine of the South," by Dolly Parton in the movie Steel Magnolias, which was never a truer statement. Talk about the South and sooner or later sweet tea comes to mind. In the South, tea is appropriate for all meals, and all occasions, and you start drinking it before you can walk. Sweet tea makes Southerners think of home, tradition, picnics, and hot afternoons “sippin” sweet tea on the front porch. Southern girls are taught how to make it by their mama’s thirst-quenching recipes.    

First Sweet Tea Recipe - Green Tea Leaves

Until the 1900s, iced tea was made from green tea leaves rather than black tea leaves. The oldest recipe in print was when sugar was first added by a housewife and socialite named Marion Cabell Tyree from Charleston, South Carolina. Her recipe was published in the cookbook, Housekeeping in Old Virginia in 1879.  

While sweet tea remains a Southern delicacy, originally Southern-style sweet tea was made by dissolving cups of sugar in batches of boiling water in which green tea leaves were steeped. Once the water cooled and the leaves were removed, the tea was ready to be served. 

But depending on the amount of sugar dissolved, the original sweet tea of the 18^th and early 19^th centuries had a sticky—simple syrup taste that was too sweet. That’s when alcoholic “Green Tea Punches” became popular among the British aristocracy. Then southerners created a “Planter’s Punch” made of sweet green tea with pineapple, and citrus juices, and cut with near-lethal amounts of rum, whiskey, and bourbon to tolerate the sweetness.

By the late 1820s, America’s love affair with a “strong drink” began to cool as a growing number of Americans began identifying as “Teetotalers,” advocating against alcoholic beverages. Iced tea was at the top of that list and the South preferred sweet tea sans the alcohol.   

1904 St. Louis World's Fair - Cold Black Tea Takes Center Stage       

Thanks to the 1904 World’s Fair, there was a lift-off in the popularity of iced tea as patrons searched for a cold beverage due to the summer heat. That’s when Englishman, Richard Blechynden who was selling hot black tea at the fair realized no one was buying his drink due to the intense heat. So, he began running the tea through iced lead pipes and served the beverage to people walking through the fair. Because of this, it changed the way Americans thought of tea, thus popularizing black tea in everyday households.   

World War II - Tea Importation Cut off

A British soldier with the 2/7th Middlesex Regiment shares a cup of tea with an American infantryman in the Anzio bridgehead, on Feb 10, 1944. 

During World War II green tea importation was cut off leaving Americans with British-supplied black teas imported from India. This impacted the switch from green tea to black tea leaves.

This was due to the British government making an unusual decision in 1942 to purchase all the black tea on the European market to help their soldiers' morale and comfort during the war. With 60 million people losing their lives, soldiers witnessed more death than any human ever should and they suffered severe psychological trauma and nervous breakdowns. Since the water was transferred to the frontlines in oil cans, tea masked the flavor and brought comfort in chaotic times. It kept the soldiers hydrated, refreshed, and energized due to the caffeine in the black tea. 

Eight decades later, black tea is still the preferred version in America.  

Tea Stats - Over 1,000 Varieties   

Today, there are over 1,000 varieties of tea, most classified as white, green, oolong, and black. Tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world next to water and can be found in almost 80% of U.S. households. It's the only beverage served hot or iced, anytime, anywhere for any occasion. On any given day, over 159 million Americans are drinking tea and 75-80% of it is iced.               

        
Aside from a frosty beer, no drink quenches a thirst like a glass of iced tea. In the South, it’s served sweet and unsweetened. But in the Northeast, Midwest, or West iced tea is usually served black—meaning unsweetened.  

National Sweet Tea Day & Iced Tea Day

As we approach National Iced Day on June 10 & National Sweet Tea Day on August 21, rest assured that Southerners will be drinking it with plenty of sugar and by the gallon. Whether using black leaves or green leaves, iced tea will flow freely this summer, helping Southerners to cool down from high temperatures.

Tea Fact Sheet 

WHAT'S IN OUR BEACH BAGS? by The Sand in our Shorts Gang

Who would have thought? It's been almost a year since we started the SAND IN OUR SHORTS blog! What fun! 

When we started out, the original group of contributing authors worked together on an article, "What's in Our Beach Bags?"  We never published it.  We'll, here we are a year into this adventure, and on the cusp of another summer. So we thought, "Why not publish it now?" And here we go! A special mid-week post! 

As we all get ready to head to the beach for a little R&R (that's Reading and Relaxation, which is what writers do), we asked each what they have in their beach bag. Here are their answers:

Michael Rigg:

My beach bag has lots of sunscreen (I like the spray-on kind)—with as many SPFs as you can get—a big-brimmed straw hat, sunglasses, binoculars, and a small cooler with cold soda and water. Maybe I’ll throw in a bag of munchies, if there’s enough room. I’ll also need to bring an umbrella because I’m not supposed to get too much sun. I don’t do well reading in the sun, but I’ll bring a copy of Virginia is for Mysteries III to impress everyone around me! The final thing in my bag is a beach towel. Oh, and my iPhone. Along with my umbrella (which probably won’t fit in my bag), I’ll have a nice folding chair. Maybe instead of a beach bag, I need one of those beach carts with the humongous wheels.

 

Jayne Ormerod:

I've got a lot of sand in the bottom of my beach bag. Lots and lots of sand. Could almost start my own private beach in my backyard. That's testament to frequent trips to the beach to watch the sailboat races, enjoyment of which is augmented while sipping a glass of wine at sunset. This requires that I also keep wine glass stakes in my beach bag. They are posts that are shoved into the sand close to my chair. They have a little knob at the top in which to slip the stem of my wine glass, holding it upright throughout the evening and thus preventing spillage. Wine spillage is a class-one felony at my beach. Cheers!

GETTING BEATEN UP! By: Kimberly Thorn

I am still hard at work researching another awesome writer to share with you how they helped make the pen mightier than the sword.  While I work on that, I felt you needed to have some fun. I know I do at least. Until next time, when I introduce a new timeless writer, I hope you enjoy the following!

***

Starting something new can be exhilarating but it can also be scary. Although I have written smaller pieces of prose, I have dreamed ever since I was a child that I would become a famous published author of novels. Specifically, that I would be listed on the New York Times Bestseller List. I am fast realizing that my dream is not going to be an easy one.  Writing a novel, any novel, but especially the first one is a tough job. It can be a big struggle. There are several reasons why. First, characters do not always do what you want them to do. Second, the greatest novel writers say that there should be a theme weaved into the novel. Third, writers need to know when to and when not to reveal certain information to the reader.

PICK YOUR POISON: TIPS FOR A "PLANT BASED" MYSTERY! by Yvonne Saxon

 

You see "plant-based" options everywhere: in grocery stores, in restaurants, even in fast food establishments. But unless you want to end up as a real-life victim, you'll want to pass on the following plant-based offerings and use these tips in a mystery instead!

1. Don't eat your vegetables! Did you know there's such a thing as "death by lima bean"? Raw lima beans contain extremely high levels of cyanide. How you get your character to ingest them is up to you, but for those you're keeping alive, thoroughly cook the beans, uncovered, so that the poison escapes as gas. Drain the cooking water too, unless you're "offing" more characters!

NAMING YOUR CHARACTERS by Maria Hudgins

 

I feel like some writers give their characters random names. Maybe they throw darts at a phone book or something. But this system would now be obsolete. (What's a phone book, Daddy?) But in fact one famous writer did just that. Allegedly. Somerset Maugham is said to have named a couple by the phone book method and chosen their address from a street map of London. It is said that Maugham was threatened with a lawsuit when a couple with a similar name actually lived at a similar address and took exception to Maugham's version of the shenanigans going on at their house.