Ojibway Park

Good Tuesday morning!

When I was thinking about the way the Sandwich Towne area was almost two hundred years ago, I think of the way Ojibway Park is now.

In my story, the principle characters live on farms surrounded by a thick woods. Here is an excerpt from my story:

Hope this 'teases' you to find my book!
Under The North Star - the Underground Railroad in Olde Sandwich Towne

It's on Amazon, Kobo, and www.freisenpress.com/bookstore

If you live in the Windsor area The Windsor - Essex Authors Book Expo on November 23, 2014 (10am - 5pm) at The St. Clair College Centre for the Arts 201 Riverside Dr. W. Windsor Ontario (the Old Cleary).
For more info see www.windsoressexauthors.com

Have a great day

Phoebe Brown

Berry's Cove

Here's me at the cove in Olde Sandwich Towne, you can see Detroit in the background.

HI!! Hope today is great for you!
I'm going to talk a little about my book, Under the North Star - the Underground Railroad in Olde Sandwich Towne.

I really don't know the name of this cove, but in my book I call it Berry's Cove.

Here it is, it's located on Russell Street, just west of Mill Street in Sandwich Towne in West Windsor. I used to spend lots of time here thinking about how the story in my book would develop. I still do come here, it's a good quiet place to think and read, and just wander. While thinking about my story, I thought it seemed to be a good spot for the refugees from slavery to arrive on Canadian soil.

Here it is in the summertime.

When I thought about the storyline in the book, I thought about the people who lived in this area at that time. There were lots of Christian churches, of several denominations, so I thought they were 'people of God'. I figured the Canadian people in the story should be reflective of the time. Except for the people of the First Nations, everyone at that time could trace their roots back to, mostly England, Ireland, Scotland, France or the United States. Now the population of Sandwich, and all of Windsor are reflective of many nations from all over the world.

In my research, I learned that along the coast of the Detroit River the residents, black, white and First Nations, all helped the people who landed here. I wanted my story to reflect that also. I also learned that there were those who were against the welcoming of the refugees, and they actively worked to help the Southern landowners from The United States.

I hope you get a chance to read my story!

You can get it by e-book or soft or hard cover at Amazon or cheaper at the publisher:

www.friesenpress.com/bookstore

Have a great day!

Phoebe Brown

Under the North Star - The Underground Railroad in Olde Sandwich Towne

I just received my link to a preview of my new book!

Check it out!

Under the North Star

Have a great day!

Phoebe Brown

Friends, Family and Loss

Picnic in a local park.

One Sunday after church several of us decided to have a picnic at one of Windsor's several parks. It was a wonderful, relaxing day and one of those times you can look back on with pleasant nostalgic memories.

Within two years from when this picture was taken, three of these people had passed on to be with Our Lord. Two of them, suddenly. This year, I lost two people in my family, an Aunt, and a cousin, both I loved dearly, and will miss.

As I look back at old photos, I think about how precious life is, and how blessed we are to have family, and friends who are family, in our lives. When I look at this picture, and the many others in my albums, I thank God for granting me fun and relaxation in my life. Remembering these days give me the strength to soldier through the hard times.

I also think of how precious life is, and after the stories on the daily news of war, bombings, massacres, and unnecessary police shootings I think, as a people, we are missing our humanity. I don't long for the 'old days', I long for something that has been missing from our culture all through the history of this world. PEACE.

Some fine ladies from my past.

Well, there's my rant for today,

Have a good and peace-filled day

Phoebe

Walking in Ojibway Park

Hi!

I have been having a wonder-filled day today! Yesterday I received an e-mail from the publisher that my book has gone to the 'next stage' of publication. I'm hoping it will be out by the summer!

This morning, after a physical wrestling match with Tom, who does NOT like the new ear infection medication, I escaped with my friend 'Moonchild' to hike in the local bush area. (Not good for Tom, who likes to chase the wildlife, which causes the 'birders' to be angry.)

Here are some of the pictures we took:

Have a great day!

Phoebe Brown.
 

Beginning the trail.

I liked the arrangement of the logs, like for a meeting.

Taken from the pond railing.

Me on the trail.

.

Moonchild on the bench by the pond.

If you look hard, you can see the frog!

Near one of the many streams which disappear in the heat of summer.

I call this my bridge! It has been replaced, the old one was kind of rickety.

Getting Closer!

I finally finished my book! The proofreading is done and I'm now talking to publishers! I plan to make my decision by next week. The book won't have all the illustrations I have done, but one will appear on the cover.

Last Sunday (in the cold and snow) My friend Shmoo and me went to the river, at the cove, where much of the action in my story is located, to take pictures. I wanted one of me by the cove. It was a very cold day, and one picture had to be discarded completely because of the 'chilled' look on my face!

Here's the cove, you can see Detroit in the background.

Here's the cove in the summertime. The summer growth gives the cove shelter from the main stream of the river.

My book's final title is "Under the North Star - An Olde Sandwich Towne Story" I'm using my real name as the author - Joanna Bullard.

I'll keep you posted!

Have a great day!

Phoebe Brown

Lap Dogs

I have been told by many people that my dogs are NOT LAP DOGS. Now just what is a lap dog? My thought on the subject is any dog that will sit in your lap, is a lap dog. It also doesn't necessarily have to FIT in your lap. The dog doesn't necessarily have to be under 15 pounds (I am Canadian, but am old enough not to have fully converted to the metric system, so deal with me).

This is how to start to bring up a lap dog.
 

This is Cleo with my sons when she was a puppy. Note how she is invited to the family lap, she eventually grew to be about 60 pounds. I don't have pictures with my sons when she was bigger, but I didn't take as many pictures back then.

Later we had Dina. she was rescued from the local Humane Society at just over a year old and mostly a Rottie, but she found her way onto laps.  I think if you have a dog, they should be part of the family.



Dina was comfortable wherever she went.

Sometimes when you need a friend, and you just have to hug someone who will not judge, or have a pre set opinion on your life or problems of the moment. A dog is the perfect companion. They will love you, and be a loyal friend as long as you feed and brush them!

I'm sure over the years, my dogs have learned more about my sons than I will ever know! I know my dogs have learned more about me, than anyone else in this world, even my most trusted friend, Maggie.

Sometimes, without even previous notice, they will spontaneously jump in your lap to join in the picture! That's okay, it's part of the charm, you see, you have to a special kind of person to fully love a dog! You have to put yourself aside, and learn to let life in! Sometimes life throws you a curve, a job doesn't turn out the way you planned, a person you counted on lets you down. It may be that you or someone you love gets sick. I think God puts dogs in this world to show us, He loves us, and cares about us. Dogs help us cry, and make us laugh, they steal food from the table, and still love us when we yell.

 

Now we have the smallest dog I have ever owned, Tom is not as 'layed back' as the larger ones, and seems to be more mischievous (or maybe it's my age) but we love him, and contrary to some of my friends, opinion, at 40 pounds, he's a lap dog too!

 

  I've posted pictures of Tom and written about him here before, but he's part of the family, just like all the wonderful dogs before him, each dog has his own personality, and we have loved them individually. Tom likes my granddaughters, (a necessity), and he likes to steal things. I have been having some work done on my house, and he thinks since  the tools are right there, he should take them for his own. Well, it's just another 'river to cross'. He will learn!

 

 

Have a Great Day!

 

Phoebe.