Meredith Allard's Blog, page 12

An Eye-Catching Cover Design for When It Rained at Hembry Castle

I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend. I just wanted to share a quick update and show off the fabulous new cover for When It Rained at Hembry Castle by the even more fabulous Jenny Q.

Now you can tell at a glance that the two Hembry Castle books are part of the same series. And they’re both on sale at all major online retailers for 99 cents. Check the Booksellers link above to find your favorite bookstore.

Daily Life on the Oregon Trail

Photo by James Lee on Unsplash

One of the benefits of researching the Oregon Trail is that there are numerous primary sources written by the travelers themselves. Many of the pioneers undertaking the dangerous trail west, primarily women, kept diaries or wrote long letters to family back east. A number of those diaries and letters were later published in newspapers, which helped fuel a westward-looking wanderlust in others.

While there have been romanticized views of what daily life was like for those making their way west, the truth is that conditions on the Oregon Trail, or any of the westward trails such as the Mormon Trail or the California Trail, were harsh.

Often, men drove the wagons while the women and children walked alongside. Contrary to popular belief, Conestoga wagons were not commonly used on the journey. Conestogas were too big and heavy for the rough journey across the continent. Prairie schooners were more compact and better built for such a difficult passage, but they were extremely bumpy inside, which is why many chose to walk.

Some, who were determined to make their way west but didn’t have a wagon, pulled a handcart as they walked. Most days the pioneers traveled 15 to 20 miles. Imagine having to walk 15 miles a day, nearly every day, for six months. No, I can’t imagine it, either. The pace was simply too much for some of the travelers.

One of the more popular stories from this time regards Elizabeth Markham, who stopped by Snake River and announced that she would go no further. At first, her husband continued the journey with their children but then he sent his son back to fetch Elizabeth. When Elizabeth found her way to her family without her son, she announced that she had beaten him to death with a rock. Her husband found the son clinging to life, but while he was gone Elizabeth set fire to one of their wagons. While Elizabeth Markham’s story is one of the more famous stories of such breakdowns, it’s easy to imagine similar scenes occurring throughout the trail’s heyday.

No matter how well any family prepared before heading out, there were so many obstacles along the way that anything could happen, and few made the 2000-mile journey completely unscathed. At various points throughout the six-month journey, there were rushing rivers to cross such as the Missouri River, and while pioneers had several options for crossing, each was dangerous in its own way. Around the 1850s, many of the rivers featured ferries that would carry wagons, animals, and people across, but the ferries cost money and some chose to wade across if the river was low or create their own flatboats with more or less success. People or animals drowning was always a concern, as well as the loss of the wagon or the supplies inside if the wagon toppled. Some families caulked their wagons and floated them across, some more successfully than others.

If the people made it across the rivers all right, there were still concerns with having enough food for the journey. If a family didn’t bring enough food, or if supplies spoiled, or if the men were unsuccessful hunting to supplement their meals, then people would go hungry. Many died of starvation. There was always the threat of illness, and pioneers could die from smallpox, measles, and cholera. Other concerns were severe weather such as thunderstorms, lightning strikes, tornadoes, and hail.

People also had to beware of accidents. Accidents could come from exhaustion, loss of patience or temper, or pure negligence. Sometimes people, suffering in a similar manner as Elizabeth Markham, would shoot themselves or someone nearby. Sometimes guns went off accidentally and injured or killed people or animals. Nearly one in 10 pioneers did not survive the journey.

It wasn’t all doom and gloom, though, and the pioneers managed to keep their spirits up when they stopped to rest for the night with singing and music from those who brought instruments such as banjos, fiddles, flutes, or harmonicas along. Popular songs of the time were “Shoo Fly, Don’t Bother Me,” “She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain,” and “Turkey in the Straw.”

Children had homemade toys and they played games like bean bag toss and paddleball, both of which are still played today. At night, while the others slept, some women kept a journal, and many, including myself, are grateful they did.

The National Oregon/California Trail Center has a wonderful example of the daily routine travelers followed:

“4:00 am: A bugler blows a trumpet or a rifle is fired by the night guards to wake up the camp.

5:00 am: Cattle are rounded up after being allowed to graze during the night. 

5:30 am: Women and children are up and fixing breakfast of usually bacon, corn porridge or “Johnny Cakes” made of flour and water.

6:30 am: Women rinse plates and mugs and stow bedding, while the men haul down tents and load them in the wagons.

7:00 am: After every family has gathered their teams and hitched them to wagons, a trumpeter signals a “Wagons Ho,” to start the wagons down the trail. Average distance covered in a day was usually fifteen miles, but on a good day twenty could be traveled.

7:30 am: Men ride ahead on horses with shovels to clear out a path, if needed

“Nooning Time”: Animals and people stop to eat, drink and rest.

1:00 pm: Back on the trail.

5:00 pm: When a good campsite with ample water and grass is found, pioneers stop to set up camp for the evening. Wagons are formed into a corral.

6:00 pm: Families unpack and make supper.

7:00 pm: Mothers do chores, men smoke and talk, young people dance.

8:00 pm: Camp settles down for the night, guards go out on duty.

Midnight: Night guards are changed.”

It amazes me that these determined people were willing to sacrifice their health, sanity, and their very lives to make their way west where they were sure they would find a better life if only they were brave enough to try.

Sources

9 Things You May Not Know About the Oregon Trail

Life and Death on the Oregon Trail

National Oregon/California Trail Center

Who Were the Pioneers? A Look at Pioneer Life

What I’m Reading

I wrote in this post about what I’m doing to rejuvenate and renew my thinking and my priorities.

Another one of my plans for this year includes catching up on my TBR list–that’s To Be Read list in case anyone doesn’t know, although I can’t imagine anyone reading this blog doesn’t have a TBR list that stretches across county lines.

Like most book lovers, I buy books faster than I can read them, which is wonderful because there are always so many wonderful new books coming out. Not too long ago I realized that I had a Kindle full of also-wonderful books that kept getting pushed to the back of the line because I’d buy newer and newer books. I’m sure I’m not the only reader who reads my most recent purchases first since that’s the book that’s foremost in my mind.

Looking over the many amazing books I’ve bought but haven’t read yet, I’ve put a moratorium on my book buying until I can catch up on some of the great books that seemed to stay on my TBR list forever. Of course, I’m still keeping an eye out for interesting books. If something pops up that looks interesting, as one does nearly every day, I’m keeping a wish list so I’ll be ready to go.

I don’t expect the moratorium to last more than a month or two since, like most book addicts, I don’t think I’ll be able to avoid the temptation of a shiny new book for too long. But I’ve already caught up on a few books that have been hanging out on my Kindle for a while, and that’s a good feeling.

Here’s a little of what I’ve been reading lately.

The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown

I adore Brene Brown. I love the work that she does to help us all feel like it’s okay to be human beings and no one can be perfect all the time. I appreciate her point about how it’s better to live an authentic life. That is what I’m striving for, and I always turn to Brene Brown when I need a kick in that direction. In this post I wrote a bit about how life never feels fulfilling when you do what you think you’re supposed to, and that idea came from Brown’s book. This was one of those books I had on my Kindle for a while and I’m glad I finally read it.

I also recently finished Rising Strong, also by Brene Brown, and also a book I had had on my Kindle for a bit. I loved both books. My only suggestion would be to leave some time between Brene Brown’s books since they do tend to focus on the same themes, which is only right since vulnerability is her area of research.

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

I admit that I put this book down the first time I tried to read it. I remember it was 2019 because I was writing Down Salem Way. I was looking for examples of epistolary novels since Down Salem Way is an epistolary novel. Gilead wasn’t what I was looking for at the time since the pace can be kind of slow. I read a few pages, didn’t find it helpful for writing Down Salem Way, and I slid it back into its slot on my Kindle.

Once I decided to focus on books I already own, I gave Gilead a second chance. I’m so glad I did. I caught everything in my second reading that I missed in the first. Yes, the book is slow going at first, and I wasn’t sure why I should care about the narrator, an elderly minister writing his life story for his young son, but as the narrator’s story came together I could see the magic that won this novel the Pulitzer Prize. If you find the story slow going at first as I did, stick with it. You’ll be glad you did.

Covered Wagon Women by Kenneth L. Holmes

While I’m fitting together the pieces of The Duchess of Idaho (no release date yet, sorry), I’m still doing research on what life was like during and after the Oregon Trail. Covered Wagon Women is a book of primary sources, letters and diaries, written by women both on the trail and after they arrived at their western destinations. This book has been incredibly helpful as I’ve been searching for authentic voices from the era. The Oregon Trail is a good era for primary sources since there are a number of letters and diaries that have survived.

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Okay, yes, I’m rereading this book because I want to be ready when the ninth book in the series comes out in November, but the current eight Outlander books are so big that I think it will take me more than two months to read them all. And I’m not even including all the novellas and short stories that go along with the series. I’m also rereading this first book because Outlander is a bit of an inspiration for The Duchess of Idaho since there is a time-travel element to Grace’s story. And that’s all I’m going to say on that subject.

Did I say how much I love autumn reading? With a cup of Earl Grey and maybe a nice biscuit or two. It’s even cooling down here in Las Vegas, and that’s saying something. Of course, I also love summer reading, spring reading, winter reading, any reading. As I’m sure you do too.

Happy reading.

Renewal and Rethinking (And Good Food)

Photo by Igal Ness

Happy New Year to my Jewish friends, and Happy Autumn, my favorite time of year, to everyone. This is a different kind of blog post than I usually write, but since we’re among friends here I thought I’d share a bit about what I’ve been thinking lately.

At sundown on Monday, September 6, 1 Tishrei on the Hebrew calendar, we celebrated Rosh HaShanah (literally “head of the year”), the Jewish New Year of 5782. The year 5782 is also a shmita year, or a sabbatical year, when once every seven years the land should be left to lie fallow. Farming practices such as plowing, planting, pruning, and harvesting are forbidden according to Jewish law while watering, weeding, spraying, and mowing are allowed only as necessary and not in a way to encourage growth. Fruits or herbs which grow on their own may be picked by anyone (Wikipedia—I know, but it was convenient). Shmita is a year-long Shabbat (Sabbath) for the land.

We celebrated Rosh HaShanah quietly at home with a nice dinner of brisket and potatoes and varnishkes and kasha. I’ll share the recipes below. Then I watched the Rosh HaShanah services at a local synagogue online since I’m currently taking care of a family member with health issues. Earlier in the day, I listened to the L.A. Dodgers win, a great start to the New Year as far as I’m concerned.

Since learning that 5782 is a shmita year, I’ve been thinking a lot about the idea of letting things rest and allowing them time to rejuvenate so that the flourishing is even stronger afterward. It’s easy to argue that COVID forced us all into a shmita year of sorts since many of us were home more than we ever had been before. But how much rejuvenation did we find? Most of us were stressed out, working harder than ever, and pushed to our limits for one reason or another.

Many of us are trying to return to some sense of normalcy even as so many problems continue to surround us. As I’m writing this I have the news on (I know I shouldn’t, but you know how it goes) and the graphics flashing across my TV screen reveal high numbers of hospitalizations for children. As a long-time teacher of students ages kindergarten through university, this makes me sad. There is a slight downward trend in new cases, down 4% as I write this, which is a good sign, hopefully.

So what about the shmita year? I’m not a farmer so I don’t have land to let lie fallow. I’m not even much of a gardener these days. I was when I lived in California. I had a beautiful rose garden with lavender and other plants, but since moving to Nevada I can’t find as much as a houseplant that I can keep alive, especially since my house faces north and gets two spots of sun in the late afternoon, which is good when it’s 115 degrees Fahrenheit but not so good when you want to grow things.

For me, instead of a shmita year for the land, I’m looking at an internal shmita year.

What do I need to let lie fallow? There’s a lot, actually, too much to list in a short blog post, but the first thing to pop into my addled mind was letting go of my list of Great Things that I want to accomplish. Like many people, I have spent most of my life working towards Great Things, some of which I’ve accomplished and some of which I haven’t. The times when I did accomplish my goal there was always this odd silence in my head, a sort of existential crickets, since the accomplishment was never what I thought it was going to be. The reality was always far less than the fantasy I had conjured in my head. Despite the setbacks, the desire to achieve Great Things had overtaken my life to the point where I felt like a failure if something didn’t work out the way I wanted.

I’ve written before about how, two days after I walked across the graduation stage in my doctoral regalia, I was taking the trash out like I normally do. While walking to the garbage can I had the profound realization that nothing had changed. My life was exactly the same as it had been before I finished my Ph.D. I still took the trash out. I still did the grocery shopping. I still cooked dinner. Not one person I passed on the street cared in the least what I had done, nor should they. I had wanted my Ph.D. for 24 years by that point, and two days after I achieved it I realized that I was the same person I was before. It sounds obvious, I know, but it was quite a revelation to me.

I’m not setting aside all goals for the coming year. I’m not going to stretch out like unploughed land. Even in a shmita year, you’re allowed to water, trim, and mow. I’ll finish The Duchess of Idaho sometime in early 2022. Writing a new James and Sarah book always brings me great joy, and we should always pursue our joys.

I’ve been reading a lot about the concept of a fantasy self. If you’re not familiar with the term, the fantasy self “is a highly idealized image of not only who you want to be, but also who you want others to perceive you as being” (Squirrels of a Feather). I have spent my life pursuing my fantasy self to the point where my reality self was neglected. When I stopped letting my fantasy self lead the way, things became much clearer. I had to focus inward in order to get in touch with my reality self, and I’m much happier this way. I’m no longer frustrated because this goal didn’t happen, or sad because this other thing wasn’t what I thought it was going to be. Supposed to is an exhausting way to live because when you do something because you think you’re supposed to it’s never going to be fulfilling. I’ve learned that lesson over and over again.

My shmita year will include letting my fantasy self lie fallow. Chasing things because they’re what I think I should want has never worked for me before and I have no reason to think it will start working now. My shmita year will include allowing my expectations time to rest so I have room to breathe and be in the moment without worry that I’m not doing enough to make those expectations a reality. Just being in this moment is enough. I know that’s one of those self-help guru mantras, but I’ve discovered that it’s true. Letting go of what isn’t working will be part of my shmita year. Letting go of the idea that my life is somehow incomplete if I don’t accomplish Great Things will be a big part of my shmita year.

What if I worked without any particular end in mind? What if I wrote just because I love to write, because I’m certain that I was put on this earth to write? What if I wrote without any expectations and without any ideas of what the end result should be—whether that’s the book itself or sales? Oh, how authors can allow their self-worth to be tied up in book sales. Even when books sell well, it’s never enough. That’s not a useful way to think, and I must let that idea lie fallow until I can find a healthier perspective.

What if I practiced yoga, and meditated, and prayed, and cooked, and taught, and colored in my coloring books just because? What if I allowed myself time to rejuvenate without expecting anything in return, without basing my happiness on any particular outcome? And what if I shared the results just to share them, just because, without expecting a reward of some kind?

What would happen, do you think?

Although we’re still surrounded by craziness, I hope you’re able to allow yourself some rejuvenating time so that you can grow stronger afterward.

If you like to cook, here are my recipes for our Rosh HaShanah meal. And you don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy it!

Slow Cooker Brisket

1. brisket—if there isn’t one readily available in your grocery store you can ask the butcher

2. 1 large can of diced tomatoes

3. a packet of onion soup mix

4. one chopped medium onion

5. salt and pepper

6. water

7. 6-7 potatoes chopped into quarters

This is my grandmother’s simple but tasty recipe. Place the brisket in your slow cooker, add the quartered potatoes, and cover it with the diced tomatoes, a packet of onion soup, the chopped onion, salt and pepper to taste, and enough water to make sure that the brisket has enough liquid to cook in. Set on high and cook for about four-five hours depending on how big your brisket is. When the brisket is soft enough, cut it into thin slices. Place the slices back into the slow cooker and cook for another 30-40 minutes until the beef is soft enough to melt in your mouth.

Image by Dianne Fuer

Varnishkes and Kasha

This is also my grandmother’s recipe. You can usually find varnishkes (bow-tie egg noodles) and kasha (buckwheat grains) in the kosher food aisle of most major grocery stores. If not, you can find them online.

1. 1 package of varnishkes (bow-tie egg noodles—or any egg noodles will do if you can’t find bow-ties)

2. 1 cup of kasha

3. 1 egg

4. 2 cups of water or chicken or vegetable stock

5. 2 pats of butter

6. 1 chopped onion

1. Chop the onion and brown it until it’s caramelized (This is a running joke in my family since nearly everything my grandmother cooked began with the order to “Brown an onion.”)

2. While the onion is browning, put the bow tie egg noodles into boiling salted water. They cook like most kinds of pasta, but they’re more delicate so you don’t want to overcook them. About eight minutes in boiling water should do the trick.

3. Coat the kasha with an egg and set aside.

4. Add two cups of water (or you can use chicken broth or vegetable broth if you’re vegetarian) and two pats of butter in a pan and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add one cup of kasha. Be sure to keep stirring because you don’t want the kasha to stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. The kasha should be light and fluffy. If it looks hard and dry, add more water or broth. If I don’t have broth and I’m using water, I add salt and pepper to taste.

5. After all of the water has absorbed into the kasha, I remove it from the heat and fluff it with a fork. I add the kasha with the browned onions to the drained varnishkes. That’s it! It’s a simple, tasty side dish.

Then we finished our meal with some apple sauce to represent a sweet new year.

Excerpt From The Duchess of Idaho

I hope everyone had a wonderful summer. I spent some time relaxing, but I also kept pretty busy.

In addition to working on The Duchess of Idaho, Book Five of the Loving Husband Series, I’ve put together a print and digital copy of Copperfield Review Quarterly, a literary journal for readers and writers of historical fiction. If you want to read some wonderful short historical fiction and history-based poetry, you can check it out here.

Diana Gabaldon of Outlander fame is one of my favorite authors, and she does a column on her blog called Daily Lines where she shares bits of her work in progress. Outlander fans like me were thrilled to find out that the ninth book in the Outlander series will be published this coming November.

After reading Diana’s blog, I thought I’d occasionally share bits of The Duchess of Idaho with all of you. Keep in mind that the bits have not gone through final edits so they’re still works in progress. I’m not even sure where exactly in the book this particular bit is going to go.

Fans of the Loving Husband Trilogy will recognize the style of the excerpt. Yes, it’s written in a similar style as the first three Loving Husband books. And for those of you who have been letting me know, yes, I know that The Duchess of Idaho is the name of a movie. That’s where I got the title from. In fact, the movie plays a role in the story. It will make sense when you read it. To say more than that would be spoilers!

Here’s the excerpt. Enjoy!

* * * * * *

The white-covered wagons wait impatiently in a haphazard line as everyone readies for the bugle blast to tell them it’s time to begin their day’s journey. The tin-like sound pierces the air and the oxen move forward, hauling their heavy loads step by step over the rough terrain. If we make 18 miles today it will be a good day. We’re moving forward, moving West, the place they’ll call home, they say. 

The oxen become edgy as they press forward. It is as if they sense the strenuous way ahead. Sunburned men, sun-bonneted women, and children with sunny smiles shout to each other. 

“See you at the camp!” they cry, ready for their day’s adventure, because right now that is all this is to them–an adventure.

 There are so many wagons I can’t count them all, but I can see the determination in the travelers’ eyes. They are determined to keep going, some more than others, maybe, but they’re ready. Whatever waits for them on the other side of this continent, they want it, and they’ll risk everything to find it.

I see him again, the young man who keeps catching my attention. I notice how he’s a head taller than those around him and I watch in fascination as his mop of dark curls falls over his pale blue collar. He rolls his shirtsleeves to his elbows and snaps his gray suspenders before reaching for the nearest horse. The gray animal exhales, its muscular shoulders lowering as it relaxes under the young man’s easy hand, kind smile, and friendly eyes. Another man slaps the young man’s shoulder and another man nods at something the young man says, his smile bright in amused wryness at something the dark-haired young man said. The young man looks in my direction and for a moment I think he sees me. He steps one foot forward, squints, shakes his head, then turns away as though I’m invisible, or a ghost, or both. Why can no one see me? He walks toward the wagon, pokes his head through the open back, and speaks to someone inside. 

Mothers call to their children, saying get alongside this wagon right this minute or you’ll get lost and we won’t ever see you again. Some children think this is not such a bad thing. Others see their mothers’ stern expressions and they do as they’re told. Hired hands double-check the livestock. Women count their children once more and squint into the distance, their eyes shaded against the sun by hands and bonnets, as if they can see the Pacific Ocean from here.  The air is loud with voices, hundreds of them. 

“Matthew!” a woman calls. 

The dark-haired young man looks into the back of his wagon and says something I can’t hear. He nods when the woman responds. I have not net been close enough to see the color of Matthew’s eyes, but from the distance they look pale, the same light shade as his shirt, now see-through with sweat as he slows the speed of his prairie schooner after a barrage of complaints from the woman inside. 

I’m compelled to walk alongside the wagon though I know no one. I feel thin, airy, a wisp of an idea.  I am here and not here. Finally, a woman nods at me. It’s the first time anyone has acknowledged me. 

“Well?” she says. “If you muddle along at that speed you’ll be left behind. You don’t want that, do you?” She gestures to the green expanse of the prairie. “What would a woman do out here all by her lonesome?”  

I tempted to say no, I don’t want to go, I’m not even sure what I’m doing here. Then I realize that if I don’t go I’ll be here alone, without anyone, just as the woman said. I quicken my stride and now I’m keeping pace with the woman and the others in her company. I’m compelled to follow these strangers for a reason I cannot name. As we  walk, I have the strangest sensation that I’m making the journey for the same reason they are. 

Is there anything out West for me? 

Down Salem Way is on a Virtual Book Tour!

With the upcoming release of The Duchess of Idaho, Book Five of the Loving Husband Series, I thought it was a good time to celebrate Down Salem Way, the prequel to the Loving Husband Trilogy. The virtual book tour, hosted by the fabulous Coffee Pot Book Club, will include excerpts, reviews, exclusive blog posts, and interviews.

Unlike the three books of the Loving Husband Trilogy, which have dual timelines between the Salem Witch Trials, the Cherokee Removal, and the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II and the present day, Down Salem Way is strictly historical fiction. Down Salem Way is James Wentworth’s diary as he experiences the madness of the Salem Witch Trials and falls into an all-consuming passion for his wife, Elizabeth–a love that will transcend time.

Down Salem Way has a different feel than the first three Loving Husband books, and readers have really responded to this insight into James’ life during the Salem Witch Trials. If you’re a fan of the first three Loving Husband books, I hope you love Down Salem Way just as much. If you’re looking for the next book that will have the same past and present storyline as the Loving Husband Trilogy, look no further than The Duchess of Idaho, which will be released soon. No official publication date for The Duchess of Idaho yet, but you’ll be the first to know!

I hope you’ll join me on this virtual book tour. I’m looking forward to seeing you!

Blog Tour Schedule

July 14th

Viviana MacKade’s Official Blog

https://viviana-mackade.blog/

The Coffee Pot Book Club

https://www.coffeepotbookclub.com/blog

July 21st

B for Bookreview

https://bforbookreview.wordpress.com/

Oh look, another book!

https://ohlookanotherbook.blogspot.com/

July 28th

Let Your Words Shine…

https://maryannbernal.blogspot.com/

Candlelight Reading

https://candlelightreadinguk.blogspot.com/

August 4th

CelticLady’s Reviews

https://celticladysreviews.blogspot.com/

Writers at the gate

https://frigsakebooks.blogspot.com/

August 11th

Archaeolibrarian

https://archaeolibrarian.wixsite.com/website

LoupDargent.Info

https://www.loupdargent.info/

August 18th

Eclectic Ramblings of Author Heather Osborne

https://heatherosborneauthor.com/blog/

Zoe’s Art, Craft & Life

https://craftygasheadzo.blogspot.com/

August 25th

MJ Porter’s Official Blog

https://mjporterauthor.blog/

Elizabeth St.John’s Official Blog

http://www.elizabethjstjohn.com/

September 1st

The Hist Fic Chickie

https://histficchickie.com/

The Books Delight

https://www.thebookdelight.com/

September 8th

Samantha Wilcoxson’s Official Blog

https://samanthawilcoxson.blogspot.com/

The Book Bandit’s Library

https://yourbooksoryourlife.blogspot.com/

September 15th

Brook’s Journal

https://www.brookallenauthor.com/blog

The Magic of Wor(l)ds

https://themagicofworlds.wordpress.com/

Visit my Down Salem Way page on Pinterest to see some of my story ideas and inspirations.

Buy Down Salem Way…

Cooking The Oregon Trail: Johnnycakes

I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve said that if I weren’t doing what I’m doing, I’d be a food historian. When I wrote Painting the Past: A Guide for Writing Historical Fiction, I waxed poetic on the charms of cooking recipes from the historical era you’re writing about. I love to cook so cooking historical recipes is something I enjoy.

As I’ve been researching the Oregon Trail for the next installment of the Loving Husband Series, one of the things I’ve realized is that the eating wasn’t always all that good. While the men would hunt to supply their company with meat, and while there were a few forts along the 2000-mile journey where the pioneers might be able to replenish their supplies, for the most part, the travelers had what they carried with them. Barrels of flour and cornmeal were necessities, and that was with the hope that the ingredients didn’t spoil or become infested with creepy crawlies.

One popular meal during the journey was a cornmeal pancake called Johnnycake. There are a number of different theories about where the name Johnnycake came from. I like the definition that the Johnny in Johnnycake is a shortening of the word journey since the cakes are easy to make and carry around. Johnnycakes were popular during the American Civil War as well, and modern versions are still widely eaten.

Since I wanted to taste some of the flavors of the Oregon Trail, I put on my wanna-be food historian’s hat and made a batch of Johnnycakes. I used this recipe from The Daring Gourmet as the basis for my Johnnycakes. This particular recipe is quick and easy to make, which I wanted because I wanted to try to keep the recipe as authentic as possible. Of course, I use modern-day appliances and ingredients that I bought in the grocery store. Keep in mind that even this recipe uses more ingredients than the Johnnycakes they ate on the Oregon Trail.

On the Oregon Trail, the Johnnycakes might be very simple, made by mixing ground cornmeal with water and frying it over an open fire. If sugar, butter, and salt were available, they might be used as well. Food on the Oregon Trail was meant to be sustenance. It wasn’t meant to be fancy or even great-tasting depending on what ingredients were available. Since I wanted to actually taste the Johnnycakes to get a sense of what they ate on the Oregon Trail, I used ingredients with flavor.

Here are the ingredients from The Daring Gourmet:

1 cups cornmeal, stone-ground white or yellow3 tsp granulated sugar1/2 tsp salt2 tbsp butter2 1/2 cups water, boiledEverything I used to make the Johnnycakes.

Making the Johnnycake mixture was similar to baking cookies. You whisk the dry ingredients and add them to the liquid (in this case boiling water).

Whisking the cornmeal, sugar, and salt.

First, I put the water on to boil. While waiting, I whisked the dry ingredients together. Once the water was boiling, I added the dry ingredients and continued whisking. Then I added the two pats of butter and continued whisking until the batter was smooth.

Adding the butter to the thick batter.

After I whisked the butter into the batter, I let it rest for 15 minutes while I did the dishes. I’m not the neatest cook in the world, but I like things to be tidy as soon as I’m done! The mixture thickens while it sits and after 15 minutes I had something resembling thick cake batter. Then I heated some vegetable oil in a frying pan.

Warming up the frying pan. Frying the Johnnycakes.

I formed the Johnnycakes into silver dollar-sized patties and fried them. Then I flattened them with a spatula so that they would cook more evenly. You need to wait for the cakes to brown before you flip them over, or else they’ll fall apart, as I can attest to. The process is similar to when I make latkes during Hannukah. When the cakes were browned and crispy on both sides, I set them out on a plate covered with paper towels to absorb the excess oil.

Fried Johnnycakes, ready to eat!

You’ll notice that some of the Johnnycakes are darker than others, but we have a difference of opinion in my house of how crispy things should be. I love the cakes crispier and darker because I think there’s more flavor in the crust. Let the Johnnycakes cool down before you dig in. I nearly burned the inside of my mouth because I was so impatient to try them, and also they taste better after the excess oil has had a chance to drain away.

The Johnnycakes are simple to make and delicious to eat. They taste like cornmeal pancakes. You can eat them with butter, jam, or even maple syrup. Quite frankly, I ate them without any adornment because I didn’t think they needed anything else. The cornmeal, salt, sugar, and butter give the pancakes enough flavor, at least the way I made them.

I imagine the westward-traveling pioneers in the mid-1800s sitting around their campfires after a long day of driving the wagons or walking alongside. Maybe there aren’t a lot of supplies available, maybe the men haven’t been successful hunting, or maybe the fort didn’t have a lot of supplies to trade for, but the women can scrounge some cornmeal and maybe a sprinkle of sugar and a pinch of salt. I can see them around their campfires frying the Johnnycakes. The Johnnycakes are hearty and filling, and I can see now why the cornmeal cakes were such an important meal for the pioneers on the Oregon Trail.

I think I’ll have some of those Johnnycakes with my dinner tonight.

An Artist Date: The Van Gogh Immersive Experience

Since reading The Artist’s Way I have made a point of having artist’s dates. According to Julia Cameron’s website, “The Artist Date is a once-weekly, festive, solo expedition to explore something that interests you…Artist Dates fire up the imagination. They spark whimsy. They encourage play. Since art is about the play of ideas, they feed our creative work by replenishing our inner well of images and inspiration.”

I fell in love with art as a sophomore in college when I took an art history class. I didn’t know much about art then, but the class fulfilled a liberal arts requirement so I grabbed it. The class covered the earliest cave paintings in France through the Roman Empire. I remember how the professor seemed so ancient to my 19-year-old eyes but was probably in his mid-forties, not old at all now of course. He was a slight, slender man in khaki pants, polo shirts, and sweaters tied around his neck though it was summer in the San Fernando Valley in California and close to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone as excited about their subject as that professor was. He spoke with such enthusiasm, describing the hieroglyphics inside the Egyptian pyramids as though they were indeed handed down by the gods. The professor led a class expedition to the J. Paul Getty Museum and I remember being completely enchanted as I studied the Greek statues and pottery. I found the professor, and his subject, endearing, and it was because of that class I developed a lifelong love for art.

I’ve always felt a special connection to Van Gogh, as so many others have. While I’m hardly comparing what I do to what he did, I do feel a certain camaraderie with him because I also try to do something different with my art, something that hasn’t been done before, at least not exactly in that way. I try to show things the way I see them rather than the way I think I’m supposed to see them. There’s something about his use of colors, brushstrokes, and emotions that is truly unique. One glance at one of his paintings and you know it’s a Van Gogh.

Whenever there’s a Van Gogh exhibition nearby, I always visit. This week I saw the Van Gogh Immersion Experience at Area 15 here in Las Vegas. I’ve never seen anything like it.

The exhibit is in a large room with tables and chairs, and you sit down, order a drink (diet coke for me), and watch as Van Gogh’s sketches and paintings come to life on the walls around you. The images morph from one scene to another, and the video display even appears to be 3D in places.

The pictures don’t really do the display justice. Here’s a brief video from Area 15 that shows the imagery to a better advantage.

There’s a similar Van Gogh immersion experience happening in London now. If the display comes to an area near you, and you love art, Van Gogh, or you’re looking for a unique Artist Date, I highly recommend it. It’s a pleasant way to spend time admiring the genius that is Van Gogh while finding inspiration for our own artistic endeavors.

Researching Historical Fiction: The Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort

The Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort in Downtown Las Vegas

I finally made it to the Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort in Downton Las Vegas. I’ve been living in the Las Vegas area for nearly 20 years now and this is the first time I’ve visited the Mormon Fort. The weather has been over 100 degrees Fahrenheit for a few weeks now, there was one day with a break in the weather so I thought that would be a great time to finally see the landmark.

Even though The Duchess of Idaho takes place on the Oregon Trail in 1850, I had a feeling I could still learn a lot from visiting the Mormon Fort, and I was right.

According to the park’s website, the Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort was the first non-native settlement in the Las Vegas Valley in Southern Nevada. The exterior structure features the remains of an adobe fort built by Mormon missionaries along what was a spring-fed creek in 1855, but which today is little more than a running flow of mud. After all, we are facing severe drought here in the western United States.

In the middle of the 19th century, the creek provided irrigation for fields and orchards. The 150 square foot outpost served as a way station for travelers in a similar way that the seven forts along the Oregon Trail, including Fort Laramie, Fort Bridger, and Fort Boise, provided rest and a chance to replenish depleted supplies for the westward-bound pioneers.

As a state park, the Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort is small, but it has a lot of interesting historical information, especially for someone like me who is writing a story set during this time period. One of my favorite spots was the recreation of a ranch house from the mid 19th century. Don’t be surprised if this room ends up in The Duchess of Idaho!

I also loved the wagon sitting in the courtyard of the fort. Although the wagon is missing a white canvas cover, I could still picture pioneers walking alongside a vehicle similar to this one as they made their way West.

A loom in the ranch house

I found many other goodies in the museum and I took pictures of everything from cooking utensils, to the vehicles, to a wax figure of a mid 19th century U.S. soldier, to a piano, to a spinning wheel. I know that as I work to bring the Oregon Trail to life, everything I saw at the Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort will be extremely helpful. I’m inspired by images, and the photographs will allow me to describe what I saw for my readers.

It isn’t always necessary to board an airplane to find interesting places for historical research. Sometimes we can find gems right in our own backyard.

What I’m Reading

It felt like a long slog getting to summer this year, but finally, here we are. Since summers in Las Vegas are so hot, it’s a great time to stay inside and read. I saw a funny tweet from Random House the other day that said, “The CDC says fully vaccinated people can still cancel plans to stay home and read.” Good thing!

I’ll be spending a lot of my time over the next few months consumed by research about life on the Oregon Trail, and listening to Los Angeles Dodgers games, but I’m always sure to carve out non-research reading time. I’ve already loaded my Kindle with some great books.

Here are some of the books that have caught my attention lately.

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

Vuong is a poet, and you can tell from his beautifully constructed sentences and vivid imagery. If you love to read lyrical, poetic language, as I do, then you will love this book. Beyond the language is a moving story about a young man learning to feel comfortable in his own skin. It’s also about the struggles of traumatized immigrants who left a war-torn Vietnam to make a different life for themselves in the U.S.

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

I had this novel downloaded on my Kindle for a while, but with the release of the movie, which I want to watch, I decided to read the book first. I finally started reading it and I’m so glad I did.

What Happened To You? by Dr. Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey

I’ve only recently started learning about the effects trauma has on the brain. This book is more specifically about childhood trauma and how it can influence our psychological development, and it’s an insightful and interesting combination of the scientific aspects, as shared by Dr. Perry, and the human aspects, as shared by Oprah. This book is the perfect companion to Oprah’s series on Apple TV, The Me You Can’t See. If you or someone you know has suffered from trauma, you may find this book particularly helpful.

A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders

This is another book I’ve had on my Kindle for a while and it’s next on my TBR list. I loved Saunders’ novel Lincoln in the Bardo and when I saw that he had a new book about Russian literature and the power of stories I knew I had to read it. I studied storytelling as part of my Ph.D. dissertation, and it’s a subject I remain fascinated with.

These are just a few of the books on my summer reading list. I’m sure I’ve bought more books than I can finish in the next two months, but that’s okay. We book lovers do tend to buy books faster than we can read them. I’m looking forward to spending some time relaxing with an iced tea by my side and a good book in my hands.