2025: Garden Redos and Summer

Posted on June 1, 2025 by peggylchambers

Last year I did a major redo of my front flower beds to make it easier on this poor old body to weed and take care of things. The large bed is rock with shrubs and some statues, etc. Then I took the perennials out of the big garden and put them in the small garden on the other side of the sidewalk. I just couldn’t throw them out. (some jonquil bulbs went into the trash, and they probably decorated the landfill this spring) I didn’t know how the transplant would work. The small garden doesn’t get as much sun as the larger one. But I thought, the small one might turn into rock too. Oh, how I was wrong!

This year I only bought one Hosta to fill in a spot that was bare in the small garden. My Cala Lillies and Easter Lillies (never blooming at Easter) are budding out and the moss that covers the front of the garden is full and beautiful. The ornamental grass looks better than ever. You can’t keep a good garden down.

It was a major remodel but has worked out well. The perennials cover the small garden, and the rocks and decorations cover the large garden. I have a lot less work and they look good.

Now we’ll see how they handle the hot, dry, windy Oklahoma summer! We installed a sprinkler system too. So that will help. I’m getting old and lazy. But I love gardens.

The herb garden out back is doing well. The basil is up, and the mint is trying to take over as usual. I have garlic starting to curl that I need to use. It’s going to be a good summer.

What are you reading, writing, growing, or creating this week?

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2025: Memorial Day

Posted on May 25, 2025 by peggylchambers

My parents grew up in the Ozarks during the Great Depression—large families and not a lot of opportunities. But Dad got his career training during WWII. Otherwise, he would have been a poor dirt farmer like his father.

He wrote this before he died and asked me to type it for him (then tried to pay me) and it along with some handwritten notes are attached to a globe showing where he traveled in his life complements of the US Army Air Corp. It is a brief explanation of his involvement in WWII.

I was born at Walnut Ridge, AR on January 16, 1923. I entered the military services May 19, 1943. I took Basic Training at Amarillo, TX then Aircraft and Engine Maintenance a Keesler Field, MS on B24 bombers then to B-24 factory at Detroit, MI (or Ypilanti, MI, close to Detroit), then to B-24 Gunnery School at Harlingen, TX. This was to prepare me for Engineer-Gunner on B-24s.

. . . gunnery training came to a halt and many others at Harlingen. We were dispersed to other areas to become aircraft and engine mechanics. I was sent to Guadalcanal to be a part of the Air Transport Command. I became an aircraft general mechanic shuttling out and back from Guadalcanal to many islands to maintain many aircraft of many types. I finally transferred to the Philippines and soon to Guam.

We were involved in repair of C-54 aircraft out of the China, Burma, India (CBI) that had been in rough use. It was production maintenance; however, each aircraft was the same type as the last one. You would almost know what parts would require replacement. As the aircraft was removed from the dock, they would be loading sick GIs (military); crank up and head for the United States and another entered that dock.

I used that schooling after I left the military to obtain nine certificates for my purposes and for me and my family’s living. One of those certificates was for a pilot license and the other eight was authorized specific maintenance, inspector’s training, certifications for many mechanics who become certified to become a qualified mechanic and inspect and certify aircraft after crash, etc.

Dad was one of many soldiers who worked to keep us safe during the war, some with a gun, others with a wrench.

It is Memorial Day weekend and a time we remember those who sacrificed, some ultimately, for their country. Thank you all for your service and our freedom.

What are you reading, writing, celebrating, or creating this week?

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2025: Smugglers of Sandhill Island

Posted on May 18, 2025 by peggylchambers

I finally finished the Sandhill Island series. If you haven’t read them, they are available at bookstores everywhere and online. I tried to come full circle including a few of the old characters and tied up their lives as they have lived them along the way.

I you’ve read them; you know that Sandhill Island is a small tourist island off the coast of Corpus Christi and the characters are varied. They live their lives fishing, operating a business, teaching school, growing a garden, or singing in a local restaurant.

This book, Smugglers of Sandhill Island, is about the relationship between siblings; one hard working, the other not.

Dani Brown grew up poor and hard working. Her brother, Cody, only grew up poor. Always wanting the easy way out, Cody ran drugs and lived his life on handouts. When they were young, Dani and Cody were inseparable, now Dani only sees him if he’s desperate. The drugs he samples and sells have started to rot his brain.

 This time, Cody owes some big money, and the only person he knows to help him is his sister. When the cartel realizes she owns a boat that could run even more drugs for them, she is torn between saving her brother and living her life. The final Sandhill Island story pits sister against brother in a life-or-death struggle.

I have a great love and respect of water. So do the main characters of Smugglers of Sandhill Island. And they know that water can protect you or kill you, depending upon its current attitude. But Dani and Cody make their living off the water and don’t plan to die in its arms.

Smugglers of Sandhill Island will release worldwide on June 30, 2025. I plan a release party on July 12, at St. Matthews Episcopal Church, 518 West Randolph, Enid, OK at 7:00. Come by for food and drinks and a copy of the latest book. Save the date and join us for a fun evening and a great book.

What are you reading, writing, or creating this week?

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2025: Happy Mother’s Day

Posted on May 11, 2025 by peggylchambers

I became a mother at barely 20 years old. It was not in the plans. But it was in the cards. And I played them. And I loved them. College could wait. I eventually got back to that goal.

Marrying your high school sweetheart at a young age and never living anywhere else was not what I had in mind for a life. I wanted to see the world. My husband had other ideas. He was a homebody. And besides, being poor will keep you close to home. So, we stayed.

By the time we were 25 we had two kids and a mortgage. But we lived in that little house for 20 years and the kids called it home. They could walk to the grade school, their friends were nearby, Boy Scouts met in my kitchen, if they weren’t on the ball diamond, and I taught most of the town to swim at the city pool where I worked. Babies played on that living room floor and eventually had their own rooms. A big dog helped me raise them and keep them safe.

We traveled some with the kids, but mostly we camped out or rented a cheap cabin. There wasn’t a lot of money, but there was love and we vacationed together.

I finally convinced my husband to buy a newer, bigger house about the time the kids moved out. And then we built a dining room which has now become the meeting place for the holidays, where I set up to feed 15 people. My two children went into the world and came back with more to love.

Motherhood was something I always wanted, but it came to me much more quickly than I planned. The best things in life are often that way. If you wait until the time is right, it might never be. I’ve loved being a mother and now a grandmother. Those travel plans came and went, but they didn’t compare to the experiences we had at home. Motherhood is to be celebrated and embraced. Sometimes it was tough, but we survived and were stronger for the tough times.

Thank you to my two children for making me a mother.

Happy Mother’s Day to you. What are you reading, writing, visiting, or creating this week?

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2025: Evant and Salado, TX

Posted on May 4, 2025 by peggylchambers

We took a weekend trip with cousins from Texas last weekend. We always have a good time, and this was no different.

We rented a vacation home and traveled to two different cities near Austin: Evant and Salado. It’s wonderful to have a local driver (cousin) who thinks nothing of zipping up and down I-35 and if he misses the exit, there’s always another.

Evant, Texas is a small community, but it has a nice drive-through nature preserve and a petting zoo. Animal lovers, all, we enjoyed the drive. I had never seen a Watusi (not the dance or the culture, but a cow.) Their horns are monstrous! But he looked docile though he never approached the vehicle for feed. He had plenty where he stood.

An ostrich chased a for a while. And an emu tried to come home with us, as did a buffalo. They loved the feed in the sacks inside the vehicle and tried to climb in after it.

The next day we traveled to Salado, Texas. It is a touristy kind of place with artists, breweries, wineries, glass blowers, and tons of food. We watched a glass blower make a glass bowl from scratch until it became too hot to stay and watch. We finally found the mermaid statue that is a legend in the area. An Indian princess was turned into a mermaid in a land-locked state. I didn’t quite understand, but the statue was lovely.

We drove to Georgetown for their annual Poppy Festival and had no idea what we were in for. Texan’s take their poppies seriously—like their bluebonnets. We couldn’t even find a parking place and there were red poppies growing everywhere. They were beautiful and maybe I’ll go back to Georgetown another time.

But the weekend was fun, and we’ll do it again sometime. There’s always someplace fun to go if you look hard enough. Get out and try something new!

What are you reading, writing, visiting, or creating this week?

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2025: Feed the Birds

Posted on April 28, 2025 by peggylchambers

We have a bird problem. Or maybe it is a human problem. You see my husband spends lots of money feeding the birds from a suet feeder in the backyard that is attached to a shepherd’s crook. The little winged creatures eat at the speed of light. He makes runs to the hardware store to buy feed and they polish off the suet cakes before he can even get back. He is now repairing the feeder that was once more knocked to the ground probably by a squirrel (or angry bluejay). I don’t know if they broke it this time or not. Hopefully the repair will not take a lot of time.

Now for the saga of the front yard. My wonderful cousin brought me a blooming basket and I hung it on a hook on the front porch. I knew better, but it was lovely and such a nice gesture. I’ve had hanging baskets before and quickly bird’s nests take over. They build nests and then feed their babies all the while, I can’t water the pot. The flower dies while the birds go on to grow another generation of winged beauties. Sigh.

As my husband runs back and forth fixing the bird feeder and putting up wire to try to keep the birds out of my flowers, the birds continue eating, procreating, and leaving droppings everywhere.

The question is why? Why do we do it? We even have a book of birds and binoculars by the back window so we can identify the little rascals and call each other when the beautiful red cardinals and woodpeckers arrive.

Maybe it would be less hassle to go back to feeding hummingbirds. But I remember that meadowlarks, wasps, and ants like those feeders too.

Nature.

What are you reading, writing, feeding, or creating this week?

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2025: Annual Enid Author Fest

Posted on April 20, 2025 by peggylchambers

Yesterday the Public Library of Enid and Garfield County hosted the seventh annual Enid Author Fest. It is unbelievable that it has been going on this long. I remember helping Margo Holmes when she came up with this nugget of an idea in 2017 and she has grown it from the first time. Authors from all over the state come to read and sell their works. It is a time of camaraderie and a time to meet the public.

I sat at a table with the Enid Writers Club, and we spoke to people who were interested in the club. Some were interested in writing but had no idea how to start and others, who taught the art, were interested in being with like minds.

There was a raffle of donated books at a table and as numbers were called, books were given away. What a wonderful gift to anyone in a library. Books! Many came away with treasures for free and the ones they purchased.

It was wonderful to see old friends and make new ones. There were authors from first-time newbies to award-winning novelists who had been writing for many years. We were all on the same journey.

I look forward to many years of the Enid Author Fest and meeting new people. Thank you, Margo!

What are you reading, writing, or creating this week?

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2025: Annual Enid Author Fest Next Weekend

Posted on April 13, 2025 by peggylchambers

Saturday, April 19, 2025, is the annual Enid Author’s Fest at the Public Library of Enid and Garfield County, 120 West Maine, Enid, OK from noon to 4 pm. Authors from all over Oklahoma will be selling, reading, and signing their books.

I always enjoy meeting new authors and getting together again with those I’ve met before. The entire downstairs level of the library will be covered with tables and the talent will be flowing. I’m sure you will come away with something great. Bring the kids. I know they will find a book just for them.

For many years, the public library in Enid has held an annual author fest. It is the day before Easter this year and I have a great idea for an Easter Basket stuffer. Books!

The weatherman says it may be raining so what better day to stay indoors and read. And if you don’t have a good book, come find one. Oklahoma has tremendous talent in the arts and literature is one of them. Come meet the authors and come away with an enjoyable book and a great adventure.

Enid Author Fest is from noon to four at the Enid Public Library on Saturday April 19.

What are you reading/writing/creating this week?

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2025: The Snow That Didn’t Happen

Posted on April 6, 2025 by peggylchambers

I thought I’d write about the snow this morning. The last one of the season—that was to happen in April. And then I got up to find the sun shining and 40 degrees. It’s Oklahoma. I’m not griping. I am done with winter.

I dug out some jonquil bulbs that I thought I got rid of last year and gave them to a friend. My Hosta is up and so is my Clematis. I’ve got to clean out the grass around the iris before they start to bloom. And I pulled the dry basil seeds off the dead branches so they will sprout. We’ve got to have basil!

We went to a party yesterday and renewed some old friendships. There were people there I hadn’t seen in a long time, and it was fun to see them again. We put on our boots and sweatshirts and braved the cold to go out. I am so glad we did. I got to play with their dogs. Since I don’t have one anymore, it was fun to pet a new one.

I have a busy spring schedule with travels and conferences, but I’m still writing and will still be blogging so everyone can keep up with my boring life. I’d love to see what you are writing and what is growing in your garden. Send me pictures of your flowers and spring garden. Maybe it will encourage me to plant something new.

Spring is a time of renewal and the resurgence of old things. I hope you grow like the flowers in your garden, and you will feel renewed with the season.

What are you reading/writing/creating/growing this week?

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2025: Smugglers of Sandhill Island

Posted on March 30, 2025 by peggylchambers

I am so excited about the third and final novel in the Sandhill Island series, Smugglers of Sandhill Island. The edits are final, and the beautiful cover is complete. I am waiting for a release date. You’ll be the first to know when I learn that exciting news. Then we’ll party! I’ve loved getting to know the residents of Sandhill Island and they have become good friends. No, more like family. I wish them well and know they will have more adventures.

Dani Brown grew up poor and hard working. Her brother, Cody, only grew up poor. Always wanting the easy way out, Cody ran drugs and lived his life on handouts. When they were young, Dani and Cody were inseparable, now Dani only sees him if he’s desperate. The drugs he samples and sells have started to rot his brain.

This time, Cody owes some big money, and the only person he knows to help him is his sister. When the cartel realizes she owns a boat that could run even more drugs for them, she is torn between saving her brother and living her life. The final Sandhill Island story pits sister against brother in a life-or-death struggle.

 Cody has been kidnapped by the cartel and when the cigar boat they are piloting blows up, he is the only survivor—floating alone on the ocean miles from shore.

He remembered very little about the blast. But he remembered surfacing finally. Saltwater makes a body buoyant—another lesson from Dani—and she was right. He was lying on his back and breathing and that was everything. His ears rang and he might never hear again and the skin on his face, neck, and hands burned like fire in the salty water. He felt the bandage that had covered his neck flopping in the waves, and he thought of blood in the water. Sharks were attracted to blood. But the wound had begun to heal in the last few days. Then why did it burn like fire in the salt water? He must be bleeding again from his neck and maybe his face and hands. He didn’t need to attract any predators. Sharks were the last thing he needed tonight. Those things terrified him. Having lived next to the ocean all his life, he had never gotten used to them. He knew they were out there, and he knew they were continuous eating machines. He didn’t want to become someone’s dinner.

He stared into the night sky barely conscious but breathing. He was in the middle of the ocean without a boat or any means of flotation. He finally had that night alone on the ocean he’d dreamed about.

When something large bumped him from underneath.

Smugglers of Sandhill Island will be released soon, and I hope you love it as much as I do.

What are you reading, writing, or creating this week?

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