Ramey Channell's Blog, page 3

Stratonice Speaks to Antiochus on His Deathbed

Erasistratus the Physician Discovers the Love of Antiochus for Stratonice - Painting by Benjamin West



Stratonice Speaks to Antiochus on His Deathbed                    What else could I promise you,when all you asked with your deep silenceand your deep silent eyesand your precious breath, too dear,was the thing I would have kept?The sky, the clouds, the air, I would have gladly given.“These are yours to keep,” I would have said.
My kiss upon your skin,my breath upon your face,the silver moon and the golden molten sunand all the heavens, these were mine to give,with wind and sea and tides and deep secretsto match your deep silence and your deep silent eyes,and your precious breath, too dear.
All the world, and worlds unknown, and great treasuresI would have promised.But my heart I would have kept awayfrom your deep silence and your deep silent eyes.That one part of universe and space and timewas your only claim, your one request,in payment for your precious, precious breath.


©Ramey Channell

Evergreen: The Beautiful Witch of Moonlight Ridge

Evy steered Willie T. and me over to the fireplace and we sat on the ancient looking cane bottom chairs, gazing into the dancing fire. The fire sure felt good after being nearly froze to death, tromping around out on the mountain all day. I could have gone sound asleep sitting up, right there in the chair. Willie T. kicked his legs back and forth, tapping the chair rungs with his feet. “We need to get out of here and head home, you know it?” he whispered nervously.“We need to take Erskine with us and skedaddle. Thangs is gettin’ weird.” 

Evy looked at me, then at Willie T. “Wait a bit,” she said in a soft, quiet voice. “I tell you a story.” 

Erskine made a noise behind us, and I turned around and saw that he had his clothes on and was sittin’ on the side of the bed, pulling on his brown leather work boots. When he saw me looking at him, he smiled and said, “I feel a little light headed, yet.” He stood up and ran his hands through his hair, causing it to fall into its normal uncombed arrangement. He stretched his arms over his head, then laughed and said, “Now people’ll be sayin’, ‘Erskine, you act like a tree fell on you!’ ” 

Willie T. twisted around and glared. “Everybody’s been sayin’ that already!” he chuckled. 

Erskine joined us in front of the fireplace and stood behind the chair where Evy was sitting, and you could have knocked me out of my chair with a feather when he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek!

 “So, then! Tell us that story,” he said.

 Evy drew a slow deep breath, and spread her hands like she was showing us the scene where her story took place. “It snowed early, that year. Cold moon, high in d’ sky, Harvest done come, and de witchin’ season about. An’ de man come ridin’ up in the moonlight, jus’ like always. Horse hooves clatterin’ on the hard road. Horse named Beauty, and de girl he love named Bessie. Daughter of ol’ Solomon Penny, landlord of th’ stage coach stop. Man on de horse a white man, highway robber name’ Tom Weaver, come ev’ry night to give his sweetheart a kiss . . . and sometime silver coins and jewels he stole off de stage coach.” Evy paused and touched one of the ruby earrings she was wearing. “Snowflakes be fallin’ soft on the mountain, early. This time, when Tom Weaver ride up to de place, militia be waitin’ for him for the bounty on his head. Bessie, standin’ at the window, see him shot dead on de groun’. Ol’ Solomon run out de house, hold up his hands to stop ‘em from shootin’. Dey shoot him dead right beside Tom Weaver.


“Militia mens take the body of Tom Weaver away, to get they bounty money from the governor. Leave ol’ Solomon Penny there on the ground in th’ bloody snow. “ Evy sighed. “Bessie bury him herself, behin’ the stage coach stop, an’ she carryin’ Tom Weaver’s baby. Tore de ruby earrings from her ears, thowed ‘em on the bloody snow. Leff’ the stagecoach stop, move up here to de bluff where nobody dare to touch her, evermore. Talk go aroun', said Bessie a witch. Ev’rybody ‘fraid to bother her.”

 Evy sighed again and sat up straight in her chair, smoothing her skirt with her hands. I felt like a big empty hole had come up, all of a sudden, in my chest. “Man led the militia, Holbert Tucker. Clyde Tucker’s mean ol’ great-gran’daddy.” Willie T. and Erskine and I all looked at each other. “Huh!” Erskine huffed. Willie T. was busy wiping his cheeks on his coat sleeve. After a while, Evy continued. “Clyde Tucker ain’t no bad man. But Safina Weaver? No … she won’t forget.” Erskine looked like he was studying the situation. “Well, I’d say that was a long time ago,” he said. 

“Long time ago,” Evy agreed, nodding her head. “But de memory still in de blood.”


Excerpt from
The Witches of Moonlight Ridge

Photograph from the Hugh Mangum Collection Used with permission from David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library Duke University

Happy Thanksgiving from Moonlight Ridge

Thanksgiving Day came, cold and bright. Our little kitchen was crowded and cozy, everything smelled right spicy, and everybody was in a holiday mood, talking and laughing over the delicious feast.


Recipes from
"The Witches of Moonlight Ridge"

Hoppin’ John
½ pound bacon, diced 1 medium onion, chopped 2 stalks celery, chopped 2 cloves garlic 1 tsp chopped parsley Black-eyed peas, cooked and drained Salt to taste (1 tsp salt for 2 cups dried black-eyed peas) Cooked white rice
Sauté diced bacon, chopped onion, and chopped celery until onion and celery look translucent. Drain grease. Add garlic, parsley, and cooked black-eyed peas, simmer until peas are tender but not mushy. In a large pot or bowl, gently combine peas and cooked rice, or serve peas separately over mounds of cooked rice. Note: Before cooking dried black-eyed peas, sort through them thoroughly for tiny pebbles or other debris, then rinse and drain. Note: Cooked ham, chopped, can be used in place of bacon. 


Raisin Biscuits
2 ½ cups unbleached self-rising flour 1 egg (optional) Small pinch of salt 1/3 cup butter ¾ cup milk 1 tbsp unbleached sugar 1 ½ cups raisins
Preheat oven to 450°. Sift together flour, pinch of salt, sugar. Cut butter into the flour mixture. Beat egg and add to the milk, stir into flour/sugar mixture. Add raisins. Turn onto well floured board, knead gently, using more flour if necessary for a smooth dough. Cut with small biscuit cutter and bake at 450° for approximately 15 minutes.


Persimmon Pudding
3 cups persimmons 2 cups buttermilk 1 stick plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 ½ cups unbleached sugar 3 eggs 1 ½ cups unbleached all purpose flour ½ tsp salt 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp cinnamon ½ tsp nutmeg ½ tsp ginger
Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 4 x 8 x 12 inch pan with 1 tbsp butter. Puree 3 cups persimmons, which will yield 2 cups puree. Combine puree with buttermilk. Beat stick of butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. In a large mixing bowl, stir the puree into the butter/sugar/eggs. Sift all dry ingredients together and fold them into the persimmon mixture. Fill baking pan with mixture, place the pan into a larger pan and fill the larger pan halfway with warm water. Bake uncovered for 1 ¼ hours or until the pudding is firm in the center and has pulled away from the sides of the pan, and a knife inserted into the center of the pudding comes out clean. Serve hot with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
How to puree persimmons: Remove skins from ripe persimmons. Persimmons can be mashed through a colander, and seeds will be removed and left in colander. If using a food processor, remove seeds before processing.

Moonlight and Witches at North Shelby Library

October 24th at the North Shelby Library

On Tuesday evening I was honored to present a Moonlight Ridge program at the beautiful North Shelby Library. We had a lively discussion about magic, mysteries, childhood adventures, and Halloween happenings. It's always such a pleasure to connect with readers who find delight in Lily Claire and WillieT.'s extraordinary escapades and recall unique childhood memories of their own. 
Thanks to Michelyn Reid for inviting me to North Shelby County, for the warm hospitality, and the enjoyable get-together.

Evergreen, the Beautiful Witch of Moonlight Ridge

The first printing of The Witches of Moonlight Ridge  is all sold out. Second printing is here, just in time for holiday gifting. An added feature: a beautiful photo of our mysterious Evergreen, AKA Bessie Penny, thanks to the Hugh Mangum Collection and the generosity of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library at Duke University.

Shakespeare, Witches, Capricious Canines, Unconventional School Teachers, Ruby Earrings, and Crows

The whole town's talking about those "wayward sisters" up on Moonlight Ridge! But our favorite 4th grade school teacher, a young man named Erskine Batson, gets his fair share of adulation and attention.

What's Erskine's secret for capturing the hearts of readers, students, and one mysterious lady on Moonlight Ridge?

Erskine Batson . . . "with one year of college under his belt, the mystifying habit of walking around in the woods cussing and reciting poetry, and every day free to do as he pleased, except Saturdays when he drove the worse-for-wear Eden garbage truck" . . . is a true Renaissance Man.

You can learn all about our unconventional 4th grade teacher, and plenty of other mysteries on the mountain, in  The Witches of Moonlight Ridge



And what about that dog? 
Click here for a book review of The Witches of Moonlight Ridge.

The Witches Have Arrived!

I'm so happy and excited to announce the arrival of The Witches of Moonlight Ridge! My book is available right now on Kindle, and the paperback can be purchased from Amazon and Barnes & Noble. 
In the second book of The Moonlight Ridge Series, Lily Claire and Willie T. are back and as spunky as ever! With seasons changing on the mountain, the two intrepid kids venture into new territories, meet surprising new characters, and learn that the mysteries and magic on Moonlight Ridge continue to lead them into new adventures.
Just in time for the holidays, The Witches of Moonlight Ridge is a terrific gift for all book lovers. 

The Witches of Moonlight Ridge

Exciting news! Volume Two of The Moonlight Ridge Series is almost here! 
I'll soon be announcing the release date for The Witches of Moonlight Ridge , and what better way to welcome good old Southern traditions like the witching season, Halloween festivities, family get-togethers, and tales to tell on windy autumn nights!
Lily Claire and Willie T. are back, and in fine form! They meet new friends and some suspicious characters as seasons change, autumn leaves fall, and old legends come to life out on the mountain. 
I'll post updates and announcements of book release, book signings, and events.  

What Did You Dream Last Night?

Last night, as so often happens, Robert Redford was in my dream! His visits are always such a delight. Last night I dreamed that we were at a street fair, and we stopped so that Bob (Robert Redford) could give a woman his autograph. 
In the process, somehow he managed to deface a stone marker, and a mob of angry people began to chase us. 

While Bob got clean away, I inadvertently became trapped in a chicken-wire enclosure covered with flowers and vines, just like Peter Rabbit caught in the gooseberry net.

As the crowd of angry street-fair attendants surrounded me. I managed to break free of the chicken wire and escaped in the nick of time.
Robert Redford and I met up with an old friend, Paul Gassenheimer, whose picture I can't find, so just imagine a short curly-haired guitar player with a mustache.
Some young guy that I didn't know offered us a tiny jar of creme because we all had become sunburned at the street fair, and I put some on my arm and said "Wow, a little of this goes a long way!"

And that was the end of that dream.
This all reminds me of one of my favorite Guster songs, "I Spy." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeHcPt4-LGY

The Library Cats

Have you found anything interesting at your public library lately?

 This is Buttercup, found on the sidewalk outside the Library door. "Look, this kitten was obviously in someone's car engine!" Lost an ear and part of her tail. Now she's all grown up, and she's my Princess Buttercup.





This is Allistair. Roamed the mean streets on cold winter's days. Then got trapped in an empty building beside the Library. "Did you know there's a white cat trapped in that building next door, sleeping in the window?"  Now he''s my big snow cat, a big baby who loves to be petted, and loves to sit on the couch, where he's not supposed to be.



 



And this is Geffen, our most recent Library find. A patron walked up to the circulation desk and asked "Does anyone want this kitten? I found him in the parking lot." Now he's my spoiled and very cuddly baby.