Romance and New Story In Progress

My soul lives in a world where romance rules

is this a chromosome thing

something young girls dream about

dressing as a princess or fairy

slowly maturing with age

from make believe dresses and crowns

to the words

penned so carefully of romance and sorrow

for yes in a good story

romance is something that must crawl

through the briar patch

to be judged and weighed

before the appreciation of happiness rests

upon your heart.

My in-progress story has

risen from the characters of "When the War Is Over"

picking up the story of Josie's daughter, Abigail

as she deals with life and her dreams

taken from a wholesome upbringing and life

where acceptance and love

is part of her self-confidence and strength

into a man's world of monarchs

money and infidelity

in 1885

Abigail's past and all she knows

is shaken by a series of events that should bring

her to question everything

how will she deal with so many emotions

as love sweeps her off her feet.

barb

Life Leads to Death

Both death and life

spin a web

from conception to the grave

dust to dust

ashes to ashes

we come into the world

simple and free

plunged down into the web

tangled in a world

created and made

by those who come before

making choices and ultimate decisions

on the road

to the final curtain call

Life is not always beautiful

but it offers

more than most grasp

and Death is not always

painful

even to those still in our web.

barb

Free Kindle Download on Saturday and Sunday

Romance, death and disappointment fill my stories.

"When the War Is Over" is the 3rd story of the John Ellery's Daughters but it is a stand alone story not requiring you to read John Ellery's Daughters or Secrets of the Isles.  It involves some of the same characters along with a lot of new characters.  The story takes placed during the Civil War as Josie Younger leaves her farm in the Shenandoah Valley in search of her husband.

"My Wild Irish Rose" is a story about a young orphan who returns to Boston in the early 20th Century as she comes of age and into her inheritance.  Having grown up in a school for girls, she has to put aside her feelings of being abandoned and find her place in the world.


My Books on Kindle


Barb

No Photos! What Happens in Vegas...

Yep...what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas unless you write about it.

Went to Vegas for a Glass Art Show which despite what you never knew

or even thought is a lot of work and my least favorite thing

to do in life...I know if you are an artist you must sell your art or your house

becomes overflowing with your work.

What I love about this show is the old friends.

What I don't like about this show is that it is in a casino

where the smoking makes me hoarse.

This year there was a horse show of Stallions so it

was filled with young cowboys, spurs and cockiness.

Always, always revel in your youth.

The other event was a bowling tournament so there

were people going up and down rolling their balls and wearing their

shirts with their leagues embroidered for being on TV

one must look their natty best don't you know.

We had a great show, enjoyed a lot of good food

a party around 'artistic shot glasses' done by so many good artists

trading with friends and catching up on the year

but the social life of an art show is tiring especially when it

is so good.

On the way home we enjoyed the hills and valleys

of blooming wildflowers or weeds depending on your view

and decided to stop in Winslow for a Chicago Dog and a little time

with the Eagles...

Only to come out to find a flat back tire.

The Winslow tow truck driver filled it before

leading us to a local tire store where they confirmed it was not fixable

so we had to put on a new tire.

Winslow has great, friendly helpful people

but it was a fairly new [expensive] Cooper tire with

a slash too close to the sidewall.

Came home to cold weather

the house is upside down with dirty laundry and show stuff

I have spent the morning opening up my Etsy Store

getting a new Square Reader since ours is not holding a charge

and just chilling out with mindless tasks.

I did finish Echo Volume 3 and was not disappointed

in the continuation of the Sci-fi story

I didn't open my laptop while gone so my new story

is just sitting waiting for me to get back to it

the refrigerator is empty, the empty house got dirty while I was gone

and that I don't understand.

So I am going to just take some time off

and enjoy my brain not in operation mode.

barb

That Old Bucket List

Music either is part of your life or not

notes and words mingled

singled out in a mixture capturing

the ancient instinct

the metronome calling for clarity.

It is that "bucket list"

another thing in which to stress over

lost is the dreams and thoughts

that fleetingly flutter

then return from whence they came.

You never get to the end

the paper begs the pen

what do you want in the little time

that is on your expiration

what is it you want.

So many dreams are impossible

financially limited

with time never on your side

distance eating away at the belief

that there's always tomorrow.

Most who know my heart

that beats rhythmically

that is marked with a song

that can retrieve a stored memory

heartbreaking or not.

An optimist I believe

life will find the path of rightfulness

but the times of pain

the times in which I promptly lock away

magnified by song.

Memories are for the making

fulfilling the bucket list

should be driven by the heart and soul

carnal needs are part of your journey

clues to your life.

Elton John

was he on my bucket list

did I strive to see him life in concert

the opportunity arose so suddenly

so see him I did.

A memory to tuck away

a pleasure that became so very apparent

as I watched his face

to love your life to love your world

is priceless.

The bucket list

isn't written by our hand or mind

the bucket list exists like a mindful monk

the lesson elusively hidden

an anima.

Open your instincts

become the tiger deep in the reeds

today the hunter of the questionable answers

tomorrow a memory

live life

with the knowledge that

you will soon be a forgotten memory.

barb

ps...Elton John was great.

Face to Face

Coming face to face

time stopped literally in place

the sun continued to shine without notice

the happy birds

watched unknowingly as I

came face to face

with the fleeing burglar.

His expression froze

taking in my presence in the path

of his escape

weighing with complete care

the necessity and the possibility

that I was a threat

to his freedom to enjoy the day.

Seconds dragged beyond

the possibility that days or minutes

or even years did not

pass by in that space of time

fear did not have a seat

at the table of this meeting

while curiosity took the microphone.

Not a word was uttered

not a single thing was said

but the acknowledgement of the moment

the burglar and me

quietly weighed all options

as he fled by me

soundless and in a hurry.

Over the wall

one hand on it as he hurtled it with ease

landing with a hard thump

leaving deep footprints in the dirt

before he sprinted

to the taller wall leading to freedom

from his ill-gotten plan

to gain entry.

Young and fit

he ran as though the devil

was laughing in his left ear

telling him his tattoos were ill-advised

for the doorbell

captured him in such clarity

alerting the owners of his evil plans

to destroy and steal.

A crime of convenience

a need to obtain that he doesn't own

money for another day

facing the wrong end of a bullet

is swept out of his consciousness even though

it is a real possibility

we stood face to face

quietly the burglar and me.

The alarm was turned on

the house was eerily quite empty

the bars on the windows assaulted for entry

glass covered the ground

broken shards of anger and pain

video notifications

and yet not enough to stop.

Face to face

a young man risking all in the world

to take what isn't his

to destroy the peace and security

every day of every week

breaching the quiet afternoons

a wanted man

who will one day face death

as quietly as he did me.

barb

Prospecting in the East Mountains

There is gold in them there hills...

Our newest adventure in an otherwise normal life

is taking up prospecting.

Granted I don't care that much about gold

as I do about the history of those

who came before modern technology.

Describe our world today - spoiled!

and I believe it is continuing

to head to a society of machines that make

life easy, enjoyable and spoiled.

East is machines that help grow and deliver our food

enjoyable is anything that makes us well enjoy life

and spoiled is because we are losing

appreciation of hard work.

I love technology

like I am using it all the time in both my writing,

reading and art but I have this need

to understand the great challenges of before 1900s

to just feed, protect and have a good life.

We live in the Rio Grande Valley

where there are mountains to the east of us

and high desert to the west

divided by the great Rio Grande River.

All things considered

we have joined a group with "claims" near our home

some are well only passable by donkey

and mostly deplete of easy gold

for in the 1800s and early 1900s

big mining companies were all over the mountains

so we bring home dirt to pan for gold.

Is it here?

Yes it is and it is very pure but unless you have

the 'technology' of modern equipment

it is a lesson in history.

Personally, I am interested in the rocks

the animals and the trees

but at the moment I am clueless as to what is there

except the 'guys' say always carry a gun.

Nice...if I am eaten by a bear

at least I'll make the news.

barb