It’s Sunday and that means blog day!!!
I hope you don’t get sick of what I have to say on Sunday, but it is important to me. Fewer possessions, more experiences is the theme this year. I’ve been cleaning jewelry. I discovered that my silver was tarnishing and that is when I realized it sat to close to the humidifier. Problem solved, jewelry in the process of cleaning. I am in possession of tarnished silver soon to be untarnished silver. I guess that’s my cleaning out this week.
I thought we’d discuss an Oklahoma fairytale I wrote, titled Glome’s Valley. It is a young adult novel for kids 12-15 years old, but you can read it too. I won’t tell.
Years ago, I discovered the Heavener Runestone in southeastern Oklahoma, and I fell in love with the place. The tall pines on Poteau Mountain are magical and I’m sure there is magic all around them. Standing on the hillside breathing the scent of pine and listening to the birds – you know you are in the middle of some kind of magic.
The first time I was there, a man with a preschooler came into the gift shop where my books now sit and asked about the book, In Plain Sight by Gloria Farley. He was working on his PhD in archeology and had his son with him. I later bought that book and it was the basis of the fairytale I titled Glome’s Valley. I thought what a charmed life that boy lived following his dad on archeological digs whether or not he knew it and that was when the story was born.
There are many, Gloria Farley for one, who believe that the sandstone monolith named the Heavener Runestone was carved by Vikings who visited Oklahoma long before Christopher Columbus discovered the new world. And that person claimed the valley as his own by carving “Glome’s Valley” into the stone. I was hooked.
Glome’s Valley is the story of Ethan, a young boy who is stuck in the forest with his dad during the summer while he studies the runestone. He’s bored without his friends to play with and begins hiking the area only to bump into another boy about his age – dressed as an ancient Viking. It is soon apparent that Glome isn’t a normal boy with a normal life. He’s a ghost who has inhabited the valley for centuries and his companions are fairies and wood nymphs in an eternal battle with the trolls who live nearby. He’s thrilled to have another boy to play with and Ethan begins to live the life of a Viking in the forest with his new friends. He’s thrown into an ancient battle while his father looks for him. Viking lore always included Thor and Loki and they make an appearance in Glome’s Valley, too.
Check out a copy of Glome’s Valley, https://tinyurl.com/ycxychjm set in Oklahoma. It is just about hiking time!
What are you reading this week?
My publisher, The Wild Rose Press, came to their authors in mid-January with an idea presented by one of their Australian authors. He suggested an anthology of short stories of every type and genre with proceeds going to the Australian Red Cross for wildfire relief. It didn’t take long for writers to send in short stories.
If you’ve cleaned out your closet this week and need a good read, check out Blooming Justice. It is a great experience. Curl up with a blanket and read. Spring is coming.
Sandhill Island is a place I’d love to visit. It is off the coast of Corpus Christi and big enough for trouble, fun, relaxation, and intrigue. And it is an island only in my mind. No, you won’t find it on a map. It’s like all the barrier islands in the Gulf of Mexico separated from the mainland by a small strip of water like Padre or Mustang islands. And a lot happens on this tiny island.
It’s cold outside! In case you haven’t noticed, it’s cold and windy – at least in Oklahoma. I long to take the dog for a walk. I have neighbors who dress up like Nanuk of the North and walk every evening, rain or shine. And they walk fast! They have to, it is cold. They are hardy and determined. Personally, I go to a gym. I attend my Water Aerobics class twice a week and Yoga once (three times a week, not every day like the neighbors) and call it good.
We talked last week about more experiences. I’ve been thinking of things I want to do and decided with my husband that once a month we’ll take a road trip around Oklahoma. I know that next month on my birthday we’re planning a trip to Waynoka to eat at Café Bahnhof restaurant 
This year on my weekly blog I’m planning to write about experiences, new and old. My plan is to incorporate what I’ve talked about for the last few years, doing more and possessing less.
I’ve come to some conclusions about life. No one gets out alive. I have a friend who hates it when I say that. But what I mean is death is inevitable. It is what you do in life that counts and it seems I’ve watched too many people run out of time this year.
Merry Christmas! It’s here whether you’re ready or not. Wednesday hungry mouths will descend on my dining room and I hope they all go away satisfied. I’m not going to a lot of trouble this time. I’ll cook a ham, potatoes, and dessert and then the family will bring dishes. There is no reason for one person to kill themselves trying to make the world jolly!
Yesterday I spent a few hours at Putnam Six Bookstore having a book signing. Chloe Fuxa has a lovely shop and it had a lot of foot traffic. It was Saturday and it was Christmas and people strolled in and out of Enid’s only bookstore. And since it was Christmas, I made cookies. As usual, I made too many and shared the leftovers with a couple of friends.
Peggy Chambers "Views from the Hammock" site 