Memories in the China Cabinet

No good deed goes unpunished, so the cynics say. Last week I decided that the glass doors of my china cabinet looked a bit streaked, so I decided to clean them. Unfortunately, that led to my actually looking into the china cabinet! Dust, dust, and more dust! Where did it all come from in a cabinet that's always kept closed?

Well, you know what happened. One job always leads to another, and before I had even made a decision to do it, I started taking things out. Three days and many, many dishwasher loads later, I finally finished!

But this isn't about a job that I clearly should have done sooner. It's about the precious memories that were lurking, nearly forgotten, inside that cabinet.

My mother's clear hobnail glass pitcher, for example. I washed that by hand, remembering hot summer Sundays, my parents' friends gathered on the lawn, the murmur of the adult conversation forming a reassuring background to the children at play. The glass pitcher was always filled with homemade iced tea, slices of lemon floating in it. For some reason, that was fascinating to a child. We kids didn't get iced tea, of course. There was lemonade for us, also homemade, served in paper cups. We scurried off, carrying our cups under the huge weeping willow in the backyard. The branches swept to the ground, and inside it was cool and shady. That willow tree cave was by turns a fort, a castle, or even a pirate ship, and willow switches made fine swords. I'd nearly forgotten those days, until a glass pitcher reminded me.

My mother-in-law has a place in the cabinet, too. She collected the amber depression glass, piece by piece, at a time when the economic future looked worse than it does today. She cherished those pieces, and I like to think each one gave her an extra bit of pleasure when she passed them on to her children.

The silver baby spoons aren't in my cabinet any longer, much as I loved them, especially the older ones that had been given to me by my mother and aunts. But when my grandchildren began to arrive, I knew it was my turn to pass on a memory. Fortunately there were enough...one for each grandchild as he or she arrived.

Are there memories stashed away in your china cabinet, too? I hope so. Our grandchildren are moving into a future that changes so quickly it seems impossible to keep up with. Family treasures, even small ones, can form a link, connecting them and us to our pasts.

If this inspires you to take a look, let me know what you find!

Blessings,
Marta

Free Novella!

I'm so excited to announce the release of an ebook novella in my Amish Suspense series. Even better, the novella is available free for a limited period of time!

LOST IN PLAIN SIGHT is set in the same community as MURDER IN PLAIN SIGHT and features an appearance by Geneva Morgan, a favorite character from the series. Here's a little about the story:

Leah Miller's peaceful life as a member of the Spring Township Amish church shatters when she's accused of theft from an Englisch home in which she works. Even if she is not charged, if the crime is never solved, she will live under the taint of the theft and may never be able to participate fully in her Amish community. Josiah King, friend of Leah's brother, is drawn into helping Leah—and discovers the ‘little sister' he'd always tolerated has grown into a strong, appealing woman.

But what future can they have together if suspicion makes Leah an outcast? As they attempt to learn the facts behind the accusation, danger grows around them. It's only through their trust in each other and the support of a faithful Englisch friend that Leah and Josiah can find their way through a tangled, dangerous maze to the truth.

An ebook exclusive novella from Marta Perry's The Brotherhood of the Raven series. FIND IT ONLINE STARTING MAY 2 AT WWW.EHARLEQUIN.COM

And here's a direct link to the story:

http://ebooks.eharlequin.com/013960F5-CC03-41CE-B322-477D56290A34/10/141/en/SearchResults.htm?SearchID=24293429

If you have trouble with the link for any reason, go to www.eharlequin.com, click on ebooks, and enter Lost in Plain Sight into the search box.

Let me know what you think!

Blessings,
Marta

Blooming

Remember the old saying, "Bloom where you are planted?" Right now, I'm thinking of something that's the exact opposite. Some twenty years ago or so, our local 4-H club was selling flower bulbs for a fundraiser, so of course I bought some to help out. Among the bulbs was a bag of tiny ones called Siberian Squills, which I popped into my flower bed along the stone wall and promptly forgot about.

Now, after all these years, the squills are still blooming beautifully beside the wall. But they've also become scattered throughout the side yard of the house and are rapidly advancing toward the front, as well! On these gray early April days, I can't tell you the joy I feel when I glance out and see the lovely little patches of bright blue here and there throughout the yard. They're a reminder that in spite of the gloomy wet days we've been having, spring really is coming!

The wandering squills link up with something else that happened to me recently, in that odd way that the writer's mind connects things. Recently I happened to exchange e-mails with a writer friend I seldom see except occasionally at a statewide writers' event. And she thanked me for an encouraging word I'd spoken to her many years ago, saying how much it meant to her. I didn't remember, to be honest. But something I'd said that day and as quickly forgotten had been just the word she needed to hear at that particular moment.

I can't help but believe, when something like this happens, that it's a little piece of God's plan. A casual word took root and grew for another person, spreading encouragement like the tiny blossoms of the squills. It humbles me, but in a way it frightens me, too. What about the words I haven't spoken? What about the fleeting impulses to extend sympathy or trust or encouragement that I didn't act upon?

So maybe this is about blooming where you're planted after all. Each day, there's surely a chance for each of us to say a kind word to someone. Isn't there? It's not important to know the result of that word. It's enough to do it.

Blessings,
Marta

Where are the bookstores?

Where are bookstores going? Does anyone know? I realized over the winter that several of my favorite booksellers in Hilton Head, where we spend the cold months, have closed. In fact, Barnes and Noble seems to be the only one left thriving. Don't get me wrong--I love Barnes and Noble! I can go in, browse to my heart's content through the mystery and religion sections, check out the latest juvenile books for my grandkids, and have a Chai Latte and an orange scone and eavesdrop on the latest comments from the quartet of older gentlemen who seem to spend all their time there, setting the world to rights.

But I love bookstores, and I hate to see any of them perish. The independent bookstores, in particular, have an atmosphere I cherish. Each one seems to reflect the personality of the store owner, and often the books have been hand-chosen to appeal to his or her clientele. Like B's Books in Punxsutawney, for instance. Punxsutawney is known for its famous groundhog, but the delightful small bookshop across from the park is a treasure, as well.

Or my own favorite hometown bookstore, Cloak and Dragon Bookshop in Bloomsburg. Right on Main Street, it allows you to take up a table in the front window, sip a cup of coffee or tea, read, and watch the world go by on the sidewalk outside. Cloak and Dragon is also "my" bookstore in another sense. Every author needs a hometown bookshop which will keep his or her books in stock, promote him or her at every opportunity, and handsell books. Here I am, with my eyes closed as so often happens when someone points a camera in my direction, with Sharon, the proprietor of Cloak and Dragon, at my most recent signing. This was such a lovely event, and I am always grateful for her support.

Of course I love online booksellers, too. Where would I be without Amazon? In need of a reference book for the work-in-progress? It's only a click away. Want to see the backlist of an author I've just discovered? That's there as well. And since I live in the country, there's a lot to be said for finding the books I ordered on my doorstep in a couple of days!

And then there's the e-reader. We now have a Kindle, and I've fallen in love with it, as well. When I'm sitting in my favorite chair in the evening, can't find anything worth watching on television, don't sense an appeal from the books in my "to be read" pile, a new read is just seconds away with the Kindle. Obviously I'm a devoted reader, and I'm sure you are, too. As far as I'm concerned, the more places I have to buy and borrow books, in whatever format, the better. And I don't want to lose a single one of them! How about you?

SARAH'S GIFT WINNER!

And the winner of the signed copy of SARAH'S GIFT is.......Kristie Donelson!

I'll e-mail you separately, Kristie, so that you can send me your mailing address.

If you weren't a winner, I hope you'll go out and buy your copy soon! If you'd like a signed bookplate for it, just e-mail me with your address at marta@martaperry.com and I'll be happy to send you one.

Blessings,
Marta

Book Giveaway

The latest book in my Pleasant Valley Amish series from Berkley Books, SARAH’S GIFT, will be in stores on March 1st, and I’m so excited about its release that I’d like to give someone the sole copy I have at the moment! (More should be on their way, I trust.)

SARAH’S GIFT is the story of Sarah Mast, a widowed midwife who comes to Pleasant Valley to join her aunt’s midwife practice. But things start to go wrong the moment Sarah arrives. Her aunt, the strongest woman Sarah has ever known, has become forgetful, and the birthing center which was supposed to be finished is barely started. Instead of the thriving practice Sarah remembers, her aunt is seeing only a few clients. With the choice of forging ahead or retreating to her former life, Sarah takes a step in faith, offering to pay for finishing the birthing center.

Aaron Miller, Aunt Emma’s neighbor, was glad when he heard the midwife practice might close. At least that would force women to go to the hospital for births, instead of dying at home the way his mother had.

Aaron’s emotions take a swing the other direction when he meets Sarah and learns she plans to expand the practice. He wants to stay as far away as possible from this disturbing influence in their lives, but when Bishop Mose asks him to take on the job of finishing the carpentry at the birthing center, he finds it difficult to refuse.

Thrown together with Sarah on a daily basis, Aaron can’t help but come to admire her strength and caring, even while he wishes she were anything other than a midwife.

The practice begins to thrive as the birthing center goes up, and Sarah’s hopes for its future rise, as well. With Aaron and his brothers a daily part of her life, she begins to care about them, but especially for Aaron. She has to deny, even to herself, that she feels anything more than friendship. Her marriage had faltered even before her husband’s death, when she’d been unable to conceive, and she won’t risk going through that pain again.

But life has a way of interfering with people’s plans. When an Englisch doctor tries to put the midwife practice out of business and Aaron’s sister goes into labor with no one but Sarah to help, both Aaron and Sarah are forced to confront their secret pain and longing. As trouble thickens around her, will Sarah’s confidence in God’s gift to her be enough to see her through?

I hope you’ll want to visit Pleasant Valley again. You’ll have a chance to revisit old friends and meet new ones, and I pray that SARAH’S GIFT will touch your heart.

If you’re interested in winning a copy, just comment below, leaving your e-mail address so that I can reach you. I’ll pick a winner on March 1st.

Hexel and Mummix and Pennsylvania Dutch

Ever heard of hexel? Or mummix? If so, I'd guess there's some Pennsylvania Dutch in your family tree, as there is in mine. And if you checked first thing on Grundsou Day to find out what Punxsutawney Phil said about Spring, I'm sure of it!

Hexel and mummix are used to describe what most of us would call leftovers--or rather, the dishes that are concocted from them. Being a thrifty people, the Amish and other Pennsylvania Dutch don't like to let good food go to waste, so they find different ways to get one more meal from leftovers.

The main staple of hexel and mummix is leftover meat--beef, ground beef, creamed beef, pork or ham. To the meat is added a variety of ingredients, according to the cook's taste. In other words, Hash!

Here's a simple and easy recipe to start you off:

Mummix:

1 lb ground beef or turkey or venison
1 cup of boiled potatoes, cubed
1 egg
1 small onion, chopped
2 T vinegar
1 T butter
1 T vegetable oil
Salt and Pepper

Heat the butter and cooking oil in a hot frying pan. Mix the other ingredients and add to the pan. Cook and stir until the meat is browned. Sprinkle with a teaspoon of sugar, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Enjoy for breakfast or supper.

Happy eating,
Marta